Can you lose weight while taking hydroxychloroquine?

Weight gain or weight loss

For some people, Plaquenil may cause weight loss. This is because the drug can decrease your appetite, which may lead to the weight loss. But it's not known how many people have had weight loss while taking Plaquenil.

Do you lose weight on hydroxychloroquine?

Weight gain isn't a known side effect of this drug. In fact, it may have the opposite effect. Loss of appetite and weight loss have been reported in some people taking Plaquenil.

Does hydroxychloroquine cause weight gain or weight loss?

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.

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.

Is loss of appetite A side effect of hydroxychloroquine?

SIDE EFFECTS: Nausea, stomach cramps, loss of appetite, diarrhea, dizziness, or headache may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly.

How to Lose Weight Well | Can you lose weight just by sleeping more?

What should I avoid while taking hydroxychloroquine?

Hydroxychloroquine should not be taken with other drugs that could cause heart arrhythmias (irregular heart rate or rhythm). Taking hydroxychloroquine with these drugs could cause dangerous arrhythmias. Examples of these drugs include: amiodarone.

What are the most common side effects of hydroxychloroquine?

Plaquenil's most common side effects are nausea, stomach pain, headache and vomiting. These may be made less severe by taking the medicine with food or milk. According to the Canadian monograph, very common side effects occur in more than 10 percent of people.

Can you be in the sun while taking hydroxychloroquine?

Our results have shown that photosensitivity during medication with chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine is uncommon and that there is no need to stop this treatment due to sun exposure.

Does hydroxychloroquine treat mild Covid?

In-vitro data show that hydroxychloroquine can inhibit SARS-CoV-2 [1] replication and anecdotal reports from Chinese COVID-19 patients [2, 3] suggest that chloroquine is a good candidate for treatment. No data have been published and reported evidence is based on non-controlled use of hydroxychloroquine.

How does hydroxychloroquine make you feel?

Hydroxychloroquine may cause some people to be agitated, irritable, or display other abnormal behaviors. It may also cause some people to have suicidal thoughts and tendencies, or to become more depressed. If you or your caregiver notice any of these side effects, tell your doctor right away.

Does hydroxychloroquine cause fluid retention?

Some people taking Plaquenil may experience weight gain from fluid retention, but weight gain is generally not a common side effect of Plaquenil. Severe weight changes requiring medical attention would include evidence of rapid weight loss or gain, which is the loss or gain of 10 or more pounds in one month.

What are the negative effects of hydroxychloroquine?

What are the long-term effects of taking 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.

Does hydroxychloroquine give you energy?

Over time, Plaquenil helps reduce inflammation around the heart and lungs and improves symptoms such as fatigue, fever, and cognitive dysfunction. And patients report more energy because it's a mild stimulant.

How do I know 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.

Does RA cause weight gain?

RA can result in weight loss or gain, depending on a person's symptoms, medications, and overall health. While maintaining a moderate weight can be challenging, being underweight can potentially cause harm.

How does hydroxychloroquine help autoimmune disease?

Hydroxychloroquine acts by suppressing Toll-like receptors to trigger important immunomodulatory effects. Hydroxychloroquine is a well-established and effective therapy for systemic and cutaneous lupus and other autoimmune diseases.

Is hydroxychloroquine good for arthritis?

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®.

How long does hydroxychloroquine stay in your system?

A drug's half-life is the amount of time it takes for your body to get rid of half of a drug's dose. The half-life of Plaquenil is about 40 to 50 days. In other words, it takes about 40 to 50 days for your body to get rid of half of a dose of Plaquenil.

Does hydroxychloroquine darken your skin?

The development of hydroxychloroquine-associated cutaneous dyschromia is not so rare and can present as black, blue-gray or blue discoloration in photodistributed areas or skin sites protected from the sun [6].

Can you drink alcohol with hydroxychloroquine?

Alcohol. There's no known interaction between alcohol and hydroxychloroquine. However, if you're also taking methotrexate you should keep well within the recommended limits (no more than 14 units of alcohol per week for adults) as methotrexate can interact with alcohol and affect your liver.

Does taking hydroxychloroquine make you immunocompromised?

Please note that hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) does NOT suppress your immune system and does not increase any risk for a more serious illness from COVID-19.

Does hydroxychloroquine cause anxiety?

Hydroxychloroquine may potentially result in adverse effects on the central nervous system, mainly irritability, nervousness, emotional changes, nightmares, and even true psychoses [3, 4].

Does hydroxychloroquine affect blood pressure?

Clinically, patients with lupus treated with hydroxychloroquine present a lower prevalence of thromboembolic events [13, 14] and chronic treatment with hydroxychloroquine reduced hypertension and improved endothelium-dependent relaxation in conduit vessels from SLE mice [15].

Who should not take hydroxychloroquine side effects?