Generic name:hydroxychloroquine [ hye-drox-ee-KLOR-oh-kwin ]
Drug classes:Antimalarial quinolines, Antirheumatics
What is Plaquenil?
Plaquenil is used to treat or prevent malaria, a disease caused by parasites that enter the body through the bite of a mosquito. Hydroxychloroquine is not effective against all strains of malaria, or against malaria in areas where the infection has been resistant to a similar drug called chloroquine.
Plaquenil is also used to treat symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and discoid or systemic lupus erythematosus.
Warnings
Plaquenil can cause dangerous effects on your heart, especially if you also use certain other medicines including the antibioticazithromycin (Z-Pak). Seek emergency medical attention if you have fast or pounding heartbeats and sudden dizziness (like you might pass out).
Taking Plaquenil long-term or at high doses may cause irreversible damage to the retina of your eye that could progress to permanent vision problems.
Stop taking Plaquenil and call your doctor at once if you have blurred vision, trouble focusing, distorted vision, blind spots, trouble reading, changes in your color vision, increased sensitivity to light.
Before taking this medicine
You should not use Plaquenil if you are allergic to hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine.
High doses or long-term use of Plaquenil may cause irreversible damage to your retina (the membrane layer inside your eye that helps produce vision). This could progress to permanent vision problems. The risk of retinal damage is high...
