Does Plaquenil cause weight gain or weight loss?

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.

Do you lose weight with 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.

Can hydroxychloroquine cause weight gain?

Abnormal weight gain is a side effect of long-term doxycycline and hydroxychloroquine treatment.

What are the most common side effects of hydroxychloroquine?

Does hydroxychloroquine cause increased appetite?

Increased hunger, headache, confusion, shaking, trembling, sweating. Lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting. Muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness. Unusual bleeding or bruising.

Does the birth control pill lead to weight gain?

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.

Does Plaquenil affect your teeth?

Can Plaquenil have effects on my teeth? No, side effects related to teeth weren't reported in Plaquenil's clinical studies. Two conditions Plaquenil is prescribed to treat, RA and lupus, can cause problems related to teeth and oral health.

What does Plaquenil do to your body?

Plaquenil changes the way your immune system works. In some kinds of lupus, your immune system attacks your body instead of protecting it. Plaquenil tries to quiet or slow down the immune system.

What are the benefits of taking hydroxychloroquine?

Over the long term hydroxychloroquine can reduce pain, swelling and joint stiffness. If you have lupus, it may also improve the rash. It may be as long as 12 weeks before you notice the benefits. Hydroxychloroquine is often taken in combination with other drugs such as methotrexate.

What is the safest drug for rheumatoid arthritis?

Methotrexate is widely regarded as one of the safest of all arthritis drugs, though it carries some potential downsides. Gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and vomiting are its most frequent side effects.

What is the difference between Plaquenil and hydroxychloroquine?

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®.

Does Plaquenil affect your sleep?

Even anti-malarials, such as hydroxychloroquine, can cause sleep difficulties and strange dreams. Taking such medications earlier in the day can be helpful in mitigating these effects.

Does lupus make you gain weight?

Weight changes — Lupus can sometimes cause weight loss or weight gain. Weight loss may be unintentional and due to decreased appetite or problems with the digestive system (see 'Digestive system' below). It can also be a side effect of some medications used to treat lupus.

Does Plaquenil give you energy?

Joint pain and swelling also decrease. 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.

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.

Can hydroxychloroquine cause hair loss?

Some people may have hair loss while taking Plaquenil. But it's not known how often this side effect occurs. Hair loss can also be a symptom of lupus and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which Plaquenil is prescribed to treat.

Can you take Plaquenil for life?

Plaquenil and other anti-malarials are the key to controlling lupus long term, and some lupus patients may be on Plaquenil for the rest of their lives. For this reason, you can think of anti-malarials as a sort of “lupus life insurance.”

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.

What autoimmune diseases are treated with Plaquenil?

Due to its cost‐effectiveness, safety and efficacy, HCQ is especially used in rheumatic autoimmune disorders (RADs), such as systemic lupus erythematosus, primary Sjögren's syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis.

Is Plaquenil a steroid?

Plaquenil isn't an immunosuppressant, steroid, or blood thinner. But Plaquenil is considered a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD). Immunosuppressants are a group of drugs that lessen the activity of your immune system.

Can you take prednisone and Plaquenil at the same time?

Interactions between your drugs

No interactions were found between Plaquenil and prednisone.

Does Plaquenil make your skin dark?

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].

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].

Does Plaquenil cause facial swelling?

A very serious allergic reaction is unlikely, but seek immediate medical attention if it occurs. Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction may include: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), dizziness, trouble breathing.

How common is hair loss with Plaquenil?

Hair loss is not a documented side effect of Plaquenil. If it does occur, it is so extremely rare that it is not documented in the literature. In fact, hydroxychloroquine is actually used to prevent hair loss from other medications.