Plaquenil

What is it?

A muscle relaxant which is a 4-aminoquinolone available as film- coated, white tablets containing 200mg hydroxychloroquine sulphate, marked 200 and HCQ, other skill disorders made worse by sunlight.

Medical Uses

Rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus (a severe inflammatory disease affecting internal organs and skin).

Dosage

2 tablets each day with meals at first, in 2 separate doses with a maintenance dose of 1 or 2 tablets daily. The maximum dose is 6.5mg per kg of body weight each day. If no improvement is seen after 6 months, drug should be withdrawn. For children, consult manufacturer's literature.

Special Care

Breast-feeding, porphyria (a metabolic disorder involving porphyrins), liver or kidney disease, psoriasis, a history of blood, gastrointestinal or neurological disorders. Patients on long-term therapy should receive regular eye and blood tests.

Avoid Use

Pregnancy, patients with maculopathy (a disorder of the eye spot of the retina).

Possible Drug and Food Interactions

Antacids, drugs which may damage the eyes or cause skin effects, cimetidine, digoxin, aminoglycosides.

Known Side Effects

Opacity of the cornea and changes in the retina of the eye, reduced eye accommodation (discontinue if this occurs). Also, gastro-intestinal intolerance, baldness, skin responses, bleaching of hair.

Manufacturer

Sanofi-Synthelabo.