Plaquenil

Uses of Plaquenil

Plaquenil is a prescription medicine that treats and prevents malaria, a disease caused by mosquito bites. It contains an active substance called hydroxychloroquine, a medication that belongs to a class of drugs called antimalarial quinolines.

This medicine also provides medical care for people with auto-immune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. It works by reducing skin problems in lupus and preventing swelling in arthritis. It is also classified as a disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD).

Precautions and Warnings

Do not use Plaquenil if you are allergic to it, especially its active ingredient, hydroxychloroquine.

To ensure that Plaquenil is safe to use, tell your healthcare professional if you have a history of the following conditions:

• Vision problems
• Heart disease
• Liver disease
• Kidney problems
• Diabetes
• Psoriasis

Dosage

As prophylaxis:

• Take 400 mg of Plaquenil once a week. Follow this dosage recommendation two weeks before traveling to an endemic region.

For malaria treatment:

• Take 800 mg of Plaquenil for the initial dosage. Administer 400 mg subsequently for the following hours. The total dosage for 48 hours is 2000 mg.

Side Effects

Common side effects:

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Upset stomach
• Weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Skin rashes