Before Using

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated pediatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of chloroquine to prevent and treat malaria in children. However, children are more sensitive to the effects of this medicine than adults. Safety and efficacy of chloroquine to treat extraintestinal amebiasis have not been established in children.

Geriatric

Although appropriate studies on the relationship of age to the effects of chloroquine have not been performed in the geriatric population, geriatric-specific problems are not expected to limit the usefulness of chloroquine in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have age-related kidney problems, which may require caution and an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving chloroquine.

Breastfeeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Drug Interactions

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.

  • Aurothioglucose
  • Bepridil
  • Cisapride
  • Dronedarone
  • Levoketoconazole
  • Levomethadyl
  • Mesoridazine
  • Pimozide
  • Piperaquine
  • Saquinavir
  • Sparfloxacin
  • Terfenadine
  • Thioridazine
  • Ziprasidone

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

  • Acarbose
  • Acecainide
  • Adagrasib
  • Agalsidase Alfa
  • Ajmaline
  • Albiglutide
  • Alfuzosin
  • Alogliptin
  • Amiodarone
  • Amisulpride
  • Amitriptyline
  • Amoxapine
  • Anagrelide
  • Apomorphine
  • Aprindine
  • Aripiprazole
  • Aripiprazole Lauroxil
  • Arsenic Trioxide
  • Asenapine
  • Astemizole
  • Atazanavir
  • Azimilide
  • Azithromycin
  • Bedaquiline
  • Bretylium
  • Buprenorphine
  • Bupropion
  • Buserelin
  • Canagliflozin
  • Carbamazepine
  • Ceritinib
  • Chloral Hydrate
  • Chlorpromazine
  • Chlorpropamide
  • Cimetidine
  • Citalopram
  • Clarithromycin
  • Clofazimine
  • Clomipramine
  • Clothiapine
  • Clozapine
  • Crizotinib
  • Cyclobenzaprine
  • Dabrafenib
  • Dapagliflozin
  • Dasatinib
  • Degarelix
  • Delamanid
  • Desipramine
  • Deslorelin
  • Deutetrabenazine
  • Dexmedetomidine
  • Dibenzepin
  • Disopyramide
  • Dofetilide
  • Dolasetron
  • Domperidone
  • Donepezil
  • Doxepin
  • Droperidol
  • Dulaglutide
  • Ebastine
  • Efavirenz
  • Empagliflozin
  • Encorafenib
  • Enflurane
  • Entrectinib
  • Eribulin
  • Erythromycin
  • Escitalopram
  • Etrasimod
  • Exenatide
  • Famotidine
  • Felbamate
  • Fexinidazole
  • Fingolimod
  • Flecainide
  • Fluconazole
  • Fluoxetine
  • Formoterol
  • Foscarnet
  • Fosphenytoin
  • Fostemsavir
  • Galantamine
  • Gatifloxacin
  • Gemifloxacin
  • Gepirone
  • Glasdegib
  • Glimepiride
  • Glipizide
  • Glyburide
  • Gonadorelin
  • Goserelin
  • Granisetron
  • Halofantrine
  • Haloperidol
  • Halothane
  • Histrelin
  • Hydroquinidine
  • Hydroxychloroquine
  • Hydroxyzine
  • Ibutilide
  • Iloperidone
  • Imipramine
  • Inotuzumab Ozogamicin
  • Insulin
  • Insulin Aspart, Recombinant
  • Insulin Bovine
  • Insulin Degludec
  • Insulin Detemir
  • Insulin Glulisine
  • Insulin Lispro, Recombinant
  • Isoflurane
  • Isradipine
  • Itraconazole
  • Ivabradine
  • Ivosidenib
  • Ketoconazole
  • Lapatinib
  • Lefamulin
  • Lenvatinib
  • Leuprolide
  • Levofloxacin
  • Lidoflazine
  • Linagliptin
  • Liraglutide
  • Lixisenatide
  • Lofexidine
  • Lopinavir
  • Lumefantrine
  • Macimorelin
  • Mefloquine
  • Metformin
  • Methadone
  • Methotrimeprazine
  • Metronidazole
  • Mifepristone
  • Miglitol
  • Mirtazapine
  • Mizolastine
  • Mobocertinib
  • Moricizine
  • Moxifloxacin
  • Nafarelin
  • Nateglinide
  • Nelfinavir
  • Nilotinib
  • Norfloxacin
  • Nortriptyline
  • Octreotide
  • Ofloxacin
  • Olanzapine
  • Ondansetron
  • Osilodrostat
  • Osimertinib
  • Oxaliplatin
  • Ozanimod
  • Pacritinib
  • Paliperidone
  • Panobinostat
  • Papaverine
  • Paroxetine
  • Pasireotide
  • Pazopanib
  • Pentamidine
  • Perphenazine
  • Phenobarbital
  • Pimavanserin
  • Pioglitazone
  • Pirmenol
  • Pitolisant
  • Pixantrone
  • Ponesimod
  • Posaconazole
  • Prajmaline
  • Pramlintide
  • Primidone
  • Probucol
  • Procainamide
  • Prochlorperazine
  • Promethazine
  • Propafenone
  • Protriptyline
  • Quetiapine
  • Quinidine
  • Quinine
  • Quizartinib
  • Rabies Vaccine
  • Ranolazine
  • Relugolix
  • Remdesivir
  • Repaglinide
  • Ribociclib
  • Risperidone
  • Ritonavir
  • Rosiglitazone
  • Saxagliptin
  • Selpercatinib
  • Semaglutide
  • Sematilide
  • Sertindole
  • Sertraline
  • Sevoflurane
  • Siponimod
  • Sitagliptin
  • Sodium Phosphate
  • Sodium Phosphate, Dibasic
  • Sodium Phosphate, Monobasic
  • Solifenacin
  • Sorafenib
  • Sotalol
  • Spiramycin
  • Sulfamethoxazole
  • Sulpiride
  • Sultopride
  • Sunitinib
  • Tacrolimus
  • Tamoxifen
  • Tedisamil
  • Telaprevir
  • Telavancin
  • Telithromycin
  • Tetrabenazine
  • Tolazamide
  • Tolbutamide
  • Toremifene
  • Trazodone
  • Triclabendazole
  • Trifluoperazine
  • Trimethoprim
  • Trimipramine
  • Triptorelin
  • Vandetanib
  • Vardenafil
  • Vemurafenib
  • Venlafaxine
  • Vilanterol
  • Vildagliptin
  • Vinflunine
  • Voclosporin
  • Voriconazole
  • Vorinostat
  • Zolmitriptan
  • Zotepine
  • Zuclopenthixol

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

  • Aluminum Carbonate, Basic
  • Aluminum Hydroxide
  • Aluminum Phosphate
  • Ampicillin
  • Calcium Carbonate
  • Ciprofloxacin
  • Cyclosporine
  • Digoxin
  • Dihydroxyaluminum Aminoacetate
  • Dihydroxyaluminum Sodium Carbonate
  • Kaolin
  • Magaldrate
  • Magnesium Carbonate
  • Magnesium Hydroxide
  • Magnesium Oxide
  • Magnesium Trisilicate
  • Praziquantel
  • Sodium Bicarbonate

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

  • Allergy to 4-aminoquinoline compounds (eg, hydroxychloroquine) or
  • Eye or vision problems (eg, retinal or visual field changes) caused by 4-aminoquinoline compounds—Should not be used in patients with these conditions.
  • Blood or bone marrow problems or
  • Eye or vision problems (eg, macular degeneration, retinopathy) or
  • Hearing problems or
  • Muscle weakness or
  • Porphyria (blood disorder) or
  • Psoriasis (skin disease) or
  • Stomach or bowel problems—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.
  • Bradycardia (slow heartbeat) or
  • Heart disease or
  • Heart rhythm problems, or history of or
  • Hypokalemia (low potassium in the blood), uncorrected or
  • Hypomagnesemia (low magnesium in the blood), uncorrected—Use with caution. May prolong the QT interval.
  • Epilepsy, history of—May increase risk for seizures.
  • Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency—May cause hemolytic anemia in patients with this condition.
  • Kidney disease or
  • Liver disease—Use with caution. The effects may be increased because of the slower removal of chloroquine from the body.