Hydroxychloroquine (Oral Route)

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 hydroxychloroquine to prevent and treat malaria in children. However, use is not recommended in children weighing less than 31 kilograms (kg). Safety and efficacy of hydroxychloroquine to treat lupus and arthritis have not been established in children.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of hydroxychloroquine in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have age-related kidney, liver, or heart problems, which may require caution and an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving this medicine.

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
• 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
• Adagrasib
• Albiglutide
• Alfuzosin
• Alogliptin
• Amiodarone
• Amisulpride
• Amitriptyline
• Anagrelide
• Apomorphine
• Aripiprazole
• Aripiprazole Lauroxil
• Arsenic Trioxide
• Asenapine
• Astemizole
• Atazanavir
• Azithromycin
• Bedaquiline
• Buprenorphine
• Bupropion
• Buserelin
• Canagliflozin
• Carbamazepine
• Ceritinib
• Chloroquine
• Chlorpromazine
• Chlorpropamide
• Cimetidine
• Ciprofloxacin
• Citalopram
• Clarithromycin
• Clofazimine
• Clomipramine
• Clothiapine
• Clozapine
• Crizotinib
• Cyclobenzaprine
• Cyclosporine
• Dabrafenib
• Dapagliflozin
• Dasatinib
• Degarelix
• Delamanid
• Desipramine
• Deslorelin
• Deutetrabenazine
• Dexmedetomidine
• Disopyramide
• Dofetilide
• Dolasetron
• Domperidone
• Donepezil
• Doxepin
• Droperidol
• Dulaglutide
• Ebastine
• Efavirenz
• Empagliflozin
• Encorafenib
• 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
• Histrelin
• Hydroquinidine
• Hydroxyzine
• Ibutilide
• Iloperidone
• Imipramine
• Inotuzumab Ozogamicin
• Insulin
• Insulin Aspart, Recombinant
• Insulin Bovine
• Insulin Degludec
• Insulin Detemir
• Insulin Glulisine
• Insulin Lispro, Recombinant
• Itraconazole
• Ivabradine
• Ivosidenib
• Ketoconazole
• Lapatinib
• Lefamulin
• Lenvatinib
• Leuprolide
• Levofloxacin
• Linagliptin
• Liraglutide
• Lixisenatide
• Lofexidine
• Lumefantrine
• Macimorelin
• Mefloquine
• Metformin
• Methadone
• Methotrexate
• Methotrimeprazine
• Metronidazole
• Mifepristone
• Miglitol
• Mirtazapine
• Mizolastine
• Mobocertinib
• Moricizine
• Moxifloxacin
• Nafarelin
• Nateglinide
• Nelfinavir
• Nilotinib
• Norfloxacin
• Octreotide
• Ofloxacin
• Olanzapine
• Ondansetron
• Osilodrostat
• Osimertinib
• Ozanimod
• Pacritinib
• Paliperidone
• Panobinostat
• Papaverine
• Paroxetine
• Pasireotide
• Pazopanib
• Pentamidine
• Perphenazine
• Phenobarbital
• Pimavanserin
• Pioglitazone
• Pipamperone
• Pitolisant
• Ponesimod
• Posaconazole
• Pramlintide
• Primidone
• Probucol
• Procainamide
• Prochlorperazine
• Promethazine
• Propafenone
• Protriptyline
• Quetiapine
• Quinidine
• Quinine
• Quizartinib
• Ranolazine
• Relugolix
• Remdesivir
• Repaglinide
• Ribociclib
• Rifampin
• Rilpivirine
• Risperidone
• Ritonavir
• Rosiglitazone
• Saxagliptin
• Selpercatinib
• Semaglutide
• Sertindole
• Sertraline
• Sevoflurane
• Siponimod
• Sitagliptin
• Sodium Phosphate
• Sodium Phosphate, Dibasic
• Sodium Phosphate, Monobasic
• Solifenacin
• Sorafenib
• Sotalol
• Sulpiride
• Sultopride
• Sunitinib
• Tacrolimus
• Tamoxifen
• Telaprevir
• Telavancin
• Telithromycin
• Tetrabenazine
• Tolazamide
• Tolbutamide
• Tolterodine
• Toremifene
• Trazodone
• Triclabendazole
• Trimipramine
• Triptorelin
• Vandetanib
• Vardenafil
• Vemurafenib
• Venlafaxine
• Vilanterol
• Vildagliptin
• Vinflunine
• Voclosporin
• Voriconazole
• Vorinostat
• 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.

• Ampicillin
• Digoxin

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, chloroquine)—Should not be used in patients with this condition.

• Blood or bone marrow problems or
• Diabetes or
• Eye or vision problems or
• Muscle problems or
• Nerve problems or
• Porphyria (blood disorder) or
• Psoriasis (skin disease) or
• Stomach or bowel problems–Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.

• Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency—May cause hemolytic anemia in patients with this condition.

• Heart disease (eg, heart attack, heart failure) or
• Heart rhythm problems (eg, bradycardia, ventricular dysrhythmia), 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.

• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease—Use with caution. The effects may be increased because of the slower removal of the medicine from the body.

• Description and Brand Names
• Proper Use

Portions of this document last updated: March 01, 2024

Copyright: © Merative US L.P. 1973, 2024. All rights reserved. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes.