Oral Hydroxychloroquine Tablet Side Effects: Ranging from Mild to Severe
Hydroxychloroquine: A Comprehensive Guide to Its Side Effects
Hydroxychloroquine is a widely used prescription medication, approved for the prevention and treatment of malaria, rheumatoid arthritis, and certain forms of lupus. However, like many medications, it can come with a range of side effects. Here's a breakdown of the common, mild, and serious side effects associated with hydroxychloroquine.
Common and Mild Side Effects:
Gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite are frequent and can often be managed by taking the medication with food. Headache, dizziness, blurred vision (usually transient in the first weeks), itching, and skin rash are also commonly reported. Mild neuropsychiatric symptoms like difficulty sleeping, irritability, nervousness, agitation, and emotional lability can occur, especially early in treatment.
Serious Side Effects:
Ocular toxicity, including dose-related retinopathy, which can cause permanent vision damage or blindness with long-term or high-dose use, is a serious concern. Regular eye exams are recommended starting within the first year and continuing annually after 5 years of use. Severe allergic reactions such as Stevens–Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, and other serious skin reactions, neuropsychiatric effects including mania, psychosis, hallucinations, paranoia, depression, suicidal thoughts, and catatonia, cardiac effects like QT interval prolongation and cardiomyopathy, which can lead to arrhythmias, especially in overdose or susceptible individuals, and other serious but less common effects including liver damage or failure, blood disorders, muscle weakness or paralysis, and seizures are potential risks.
Overdose Symptoms to Watch For:
Signs such as cold, clammy skin, decreased urine, dizziness, fast weak pulse, and severe neurological symptoms require emergency care.
Additional Notes:
Children may be more vulnerable to adverse effects, especially in overdoses. The long half-life of hydroxychloroquine means some side effects may persist for weeks after stopping. Eye toxicity risk increases with treatment duration beyond 5 years or high cumulative doses.
In summary, hydroxychloroquine commonly causes gastrointestinal and mild neuropsychiatric symptoms, while serious effects mainly involve ocular toxicity, severe skin reactions, psychiatric disturbances, and cardiac risks requiring careful monitoring. Mild side effects can also occur, including mild allergic reactions.
It's important to note that hydroxychloroquine is not recommended for use in treating COVID-19. Rare side effects of hydroxychloroquine may include heart problems, serious skin reactions, or liver problems. Your doctor will recommend getting an eye test done within your first year of taking hydroxychloroquine, and then having eye tests done every so often while you're taking the drug. If you develop symptoms of a serious side effect, tell your doctor right away. Long-term side effects from taking hydroxychloroquine may include mood problems, muscle or nerve pain, kidney problems, liver problems, heart problems, and eye-related side effects.
Anthrax, a potentially deadly bacterial disease, is not treated with hydroxychloroquine, contrary to misconceptions that might arise due to its use in medical-conditions related to health-and-wellness like malaria, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus. However, prolonged use of hydroxychloroquine in these conditions may lead to serious science-related concerns such as ocular toxicity that can cause permanent vision damage or blindness.
