Hydroxychloroquine is the medicine that is used against malaria, which is caused by parasites. Malaria is common in African, Southern Asian and South American countries. Hydroxychloroquine is also used to treat symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and discoid or systemic lupus erythematosus.

Hydroxychloroquine should be used if you are allergic to it, or if you have a history of vision changes or damage to your retina caused by same.
It is always better to inform the doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, before opting for hydroxychloroquine, You should make it clear with the doctor if you have any health issues like psoriasis, porphyria, liver disease, alcoholism, or glucose-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency. Calling poison control centre at once and seeking emergency medical attention would be a nice move, if you have used too much of this medicine. An overdose of this medicine can cause serious consequences, especially in children. It should be taken care that the medicine is consumed for the full period as prescribed by the doctor. May be your symptoms may end before the full doe, but still continue it as prescribed the doctor. Never hesitate to consult the doctor if you have been exposed to malaria, or if you have fever or other symptoms of illness during or after a stay in an area where malaria is common.

It is important to inform the doctor, if the symptoms did not improve after 6 months of treatment. In case of taking hydroxychloroquine for a long-term, it is must to have a check up of the knee and ankle reflexes by the doctor. Blood tests along with vision test must be conducted from time to time.

Hydroxychloroquine should not be given to children as a part of long-term treatment.
Before using hydroxychloroquine, it is a must to inform the doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have psoriasis, porphyria, or any liver disease.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 25th, 2008 at 9:50 am and is filed under Hydroxychloroquine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.