Can hydroxychloroquine cause weight gain?

Abnormal weight gain is a side effect of long-term doxycycline and hydroxychloroquine treatment.
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Can you lose weight while taking hydroxychloroquine?

For some people, Plaquenil may cause weight loss. This is because the drug can decrease your appetite, which may lead to the weight loss.
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What are the most common side effects of hydroxychloroquine?

Common side effects
  • Stomach pain. Try to rest and relax. ...
  • Feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting) Stick to simple meals and do not eat rich or spicy food. ...
  • Skin rashes and itchy skin. Try not to scratch your skin as this will make it worse. ...
  • Loss of appetite. Eat when you would usually expect to be hungry. ...
  • Headache.
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What are the long-term side effects of hydroxychloroquine?

Long-term use and high doses of hydroxychloroquine are risk factors for the development of cardiomyopathy. Cardiac failure, conduction disorders (including QT prolongation and Torsades de Pointes) and sudden cardiac death are consequences of the cardiomyopathy.
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Does hydroxychloroquine cause water retention?

Plaquenil suppresses appetite. Therefore, most people who experience body weight changes from taking Plaquenil experience weight loss. Some people taking Plaquenil may experience weight gain from fluid retention, but weight gain is generally not a common side effect of Plaquenil.
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My Struggle with PLAQUENIL: The Decision to Stop Taking It



Is hydroxychloroquine hard on your body?

This medicine may cause muscle and nerve problems. Check with your doctor right away if you have muscle weakness, pain, or tenderness while using this medicine. Hydroxychloroquine may cause some people to be agitated, irritable, or display other abnormal behaviors.
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What should I avoid while taking hydroxychloroquine?

It can interact with heart rhythm medications, diabetes medications, seizure medications, and digoxin. And it shouldn't be taken with remdesivir because it can make remdesivir less effective. Talk to your healthcare provider and pharmacist about whether you're at risk for hydroxychloroquine interactions.
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What does hydroxychloroquine do to your body?

Hydroxychloroquine is a disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD). It works by calming your immune system. This helps reduce swelling (inflammation) in people with autoimmune conditions, where your immune system attacks your own body.
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How long should you be on hydroxychloroquine?

If you are an adult and taking hydroxychloroquine to prevent malaria, one dose is usually taken once a week on exactly the same day of each week. You will begin treatment 1 to 2 weeks before you travel to an area where malaria is common and then continue during your time in the area and for 4 weeks after you return.
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Is weight gain a side effect of Plaquenil?

Is weight gain a side effect of Plaquenil? No, weight gain hasn't been reported as a side effect of Plaquenil. But weight loss has been reported as a side effect. Two conditions Plaquenil is prescribed to treat, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and lupus, can cause symptoms that contribute to weight gain.
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When is the best time to take hydroxychloroquine?

Take them with or just after food, or with a glass of milk. If you take antacids for indigestion, leave a gap of at least 4 hours between taking them and hydroxychloroquine.
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Does hydroxychloroquine cause hunger?

Possible Side Effects While Using This Medicine

Dark urine or pale stools, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, stomach pain, yellow skin or eyes. Fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeat. Increased hunger, headache, confusion, shaking, trembling, sweating. Lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting.
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What does hydroxychloroquine do to your stomach?

In some people, HCQ may cause gastrointestinal problems, such as nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, cramps, or diarrhea. These may occur for the first few days a person takes the drug while the body adjusts to the medication.
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How common is hair loss with hydroxychloroquine?

40 % of women by age 50 will develop female pattern hair loss. This means that 40 % of female patients who use Plaquenil will develop female genetic hair loss - not from the drug itself but because that is the expected frequency in the population.
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What autoimmune symptoms does hydroxychloroquine help?

Hydroxychloroquine is in a class of medications that was first used to prevent and treat malaria. Today, it is the standard drug in lupus and can be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, some symptoms of lupus, childhood arthritis (e.g. juvenile idiopathic arthritis) and other autoimmune diseases.
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Does hydroxychloroquine help with fatigue?

Some studies have shown that it is effective in the treatment of pSS [31,32,33]. It is commonly used to treat fatigue, arthralgia, and myalgia [22, 34,35,36].
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How long does it take for hydroxychloroquine to reduce inflammation?

Hydroxychloroquine doesn't work immediately. It may be 12 weeks or longer before you notice any benefit. Because it's a long-term treatment it's important to keep taking hydroxychloroquine unless you have severe side effects: even if it doesn't seem to be working at first.
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Does hydroxychloroquine reduce inflammation?

Hydroxychloroquine is used in the treatment of arthritis to help relieve inflammation, swelling, stiffness, and joint pain and also to help control the symptoms of lupus erythematosus (lupus; SLE). A common brand name for hydroxychloroquine is Plaquenil®.
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Does hydroxychloroquine affect the brain?

Hydroxychloroquine can induce adverse effects on the central nervous system, from irritability, nervousness, and emotional changes to true psychoses.
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What is the most serious side effect of hydroxychloroquine sulfate Plaquenil )?

Hydroxychloroquine may cause a condition that affects the heart rhythm (QT prolongation). QT prolongation can rarely cause serious (rarely fatal) fast/irregular heartbeat and other symptoms (such as severe dizziness, fainting) that need medical attention right away.
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What vitamins should I take with hydroxychloroquine?

Replenish Depleted Nutrients
  • Vitamin B12. Neomycin can decrease absorption or increase elimination of many nutrients, including calcium , carbohydrates, beta-carotene , fats, folic acid , iron , magnesium , potassium , sodium, and vitamin A , vitamin B12 , vitamin D , and vitamin K . ...
  • Vitamin K. ...
  • Calcium and Vitamin D.
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Is hydroxychloroquine a chemo pill?

Chemotherapy drugs, such as hydroxychloroquine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Giving trametinib together with hydroxychloroquine may work better in treating patients with pancreatic cancer.
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How do I know if hydroxychloroquine is working?

Most people start noticing the effects about six to eight weeks after they start to take the medication, but full benefit may not be apparent for up to three months. It is important to be patient and continue taking your medication.
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