Hydroxychloroquine? Manufacturerx

[lloydyuk]

Hi, I’ve been on the above (however badly I spelled it!) for coming up 4 years I think at 400mg a day. Started with a statin as a trial & continued.

I believe I’ve only ever had a generic brand & ive seen numerous threads discussing the benefits of 2 specific brands...I think.

Are the benefits proven, and more importantly are they noticeable?

I’m in good health generally however I’m intrigued to know/try the real deal to see if I feel a difference.

My pharmacist advised me I need to discuss with my doctor to specify a brand. She stated having facts/a go to for evidence would be useful.

Does anyone have any common or experience please?

Thank you.

Danny

[lupus-support1 Administrator]

Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine) is favoured by many patients including myself. Theoretically,there shouldn't be a difference, but nevertheless, patient reporting confirms the preference.

[Wittycjt]

Search “hydroxychloriquine” in the search box on here, many posts should pop up, I can’t remember, good intentions, Cindy

[HollyHeski Administrator]

Hi, many people that were switched to the cheaper brands, myself included, experienced GI/Bowel problems.

Which is why it has been mentioned many times on here.

For you, if you are not experiencing any side effects and all ok, stick with the one your on.

The recommended supplier is Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine) from Zentiva - if you wish to change.

[lloydyuk in reply to HollyHeski]

Thanks very informative

[GinaD]

A doctor who before med school was a big pharma rep told me that name brands adhered to doseage values strictly, as a necessary component to achieving approval from regulatory agencies. But when patents expire and generics appear, those generics do not need to, or follow, guidelines which are as strict. He concluded that when taking a med where strict doseage compliance was more essential, such as with steroids, name brands are preferable. But when taking meds where a multi day average was all that was needed, such as antibiodics, that generics are fine. Of course, stabilizers and preservatives do vary from brand to brand, and some of us may react differently to these, and often altering reaction to the med’s active ingredient.

[Jumper99]

Plaquenil is no longer made under that brand name. It was made by Sanofi. Zentiva is a sister company of Sanofi and they say that the Zentiva hydroxychloroquine is the replacement for it. So you ask for the Zentiva generic tablet now. Lupus UK have a thread about it on here too.

[lloydyuk in reply to Jumper99]

Thanks, I’m going to ask my GP about it. I’ve had no side effects from generic med so I’ll be interested to see if I notice a benefit with the original.