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Hydroxychloroquine
Aka: Hydroxychloroquine, Plaquenil
- Indications
- Early Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Especially Antinuclear Antibody positive
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
- Mechanism
- Antimalarial agent used in rheumatic disease
- Modified Chloroquine to reduce retinopathy risk
- Efficacy
- Response in 70-80% of cases
- Response occurs in 3-6 months
- Highest efficacy when used early in disease process
- Dose
- Initial: 200 mg PO bid
- Taper after 1-2 years when stable: 200 mg PO qd
- Adverse Effects
- Retinopathy
- Rare (contrast with Chloroquine)
- Neurologic adverse effects
- Early toxicity (subsides within 2 weeks)
- Irritability
- Insomnia
- Headache
- Late toxicity requires medication discontinuation
- Tinnitus
- Decreased hearing acuity
- Very rare toxicity
- Myopathy or muscular weakness
- Gastrointestinal adverse effects
- Increased stool frequency
- Diarrhea
- Bloating
- Nausea
- Cardiovascular adverse effects
- Palpitations
- Premature Atrial Contractions
- Conduction defects
- Monitoring
- Routine eye exam every 6-12 months
- References
- Matteson (2000) Mayo Clin Proc 75:669-74
- Pincus (1999) Clin Rheumatol 17(6 Suppl 18):S2-S124