Hydroxychloroquine and gastric problems

[Biddy47]

Hi, I'm having gastric problems which I think could be caused by Hydroxychloroquine even though it's Zentiva brand. I take 200mg a day and wondered if I could halve the pill so that I could have 100mg in morning and 100mg in evening to see if it helps. Thanks

[Jmiller623]

Hi Biddy! You could split the dose like that without problem. I found taking it with milk (I use lactose free) helped tremendously. I had a lot of nausea in the beginning. My doc suggested taking it in a pad of butter to help with absorption and nausea. I now take 300 at once without problems. Took a month or so to get over common side effects. I also think taking allergy meds on a regular basis helped quell a lot of different drug side effects.

Hope this helps!

[Biddy47 in reply to Jmiller623]

Thanks for replying. I might give it a try, the nausea and discomfort is awful.

[Jmiller623 in reply to Biddy47]

Aaaaw Biddy. I do hope splitting provides some relief. I started at 100 and increased by 100 each week until I got to 300. It caused nausea, flushing and palpitations in my case. Side effects were mitigated by other meds - allegra, beta-blocker. My rheumatologist stressed that Plaquenil is the only drug that has been proven to prevent flares so I toughed it out. The nausea improved with treatment in my case. I do hope the same happens in your case. ❤️

[grannyjogger]

If I were you I would ask the pharmacist for advice on this, or speak to your doctor. As far as I am aware the reason many of us take the Zentiva brand is because it has an enteric coating to protect the gut. Cutting a tablet in half would destroy the enteric coating and you may end up with more gastric issues. It is never advisable to cut tablets in half unless they have been specifically prescribed to be used this way or a medical professional has advised it is ok to do so..

[Jmiller623 in reply to grannyjogger]

I take 1.5 tabs. My doc is the one who told me to cut in half. They are film coated not enteric coated. Film coating is for binding ingredients so they have a tab formulation. Of course, speak with your pharmacist but many people cut them in half. This is not unheard of or rare.

[grannyjogger in reply to Jmiller623]

I agree it is not unheard of or rare, but it is not something that should be done without professional advice. Perhaps I'm being over cautious but that is my nurse training.

[Biddy47 in reply to grannyjogger]

Thanks grannyjogger I will check it out with Dr. I have an appointment on Monday.

[milkwoman]

I’ve always split my dose. I take 200 mg in the am (full tablet) and 100 mg at 5 pm (half tablet). Other than the pill being a little bitter tasting, no issues.

[Ssmart]

200mg morning with breakfast and 200mg at night here... and the night time dose I have with my evening meal After which I have the NOISIEST stomach! Hubby used to it but it’s still embarrassing!

[Biddy47 in reply to Ssmart]

Yes I have all that too but it's the nausea that really affects me.

[Spotty-ewe]

I too suffer gastritis and my Rheumatologist told me that the connection between it and Hydroxychloroquine is uncommon in her experience. I have read that Lupus can attack the stomach lining which might explain why my endoscopy showed an inflamed stomach lining with no obvious cause and no helicobacter present. However I do personally think the Hydroxychloroquine exacerbates my gastritis even if the connection is uncommon. Taking the tablet half at a time might be a good idea. Let us know how it goes. xx

[Biddy47 in reply to Spotty-ewe]

I've had an endoscopy and there was nothing of concern so it's been put down to Hydroxy. I've been to a nutritionist and a dietician to check out foods that might be causing it. It was when the Hydroxy. was increased to 300mg recently that all hell let loose. The nausea and sickness was unbearable so I've decided to go back to 200mg until I see you my rheumatologist next week.

[Spotty-ewe in reply to Biddy47]

I think my Rheumy is reluctant to admit the Hydroxychloroquine is responsible for gastritis. Are you on the Zenvita brand? I’m trying to persuade my Rheumy to put me on it because it is film-coated (even if not enteric-coated) to see if it makes a difference, but she is having trouble getting it (evidently not on the prescription list for this region!). I’d be interested to hear what your Rheumy has to say.

[Spotty-ewe in reply to Biddy47]

How did you get on at your Rheumy appointment? Did you ask about the connection with Hydroxychloroquine ? I’ve just managed to get hold of the Zevita brand and although early days yet I think it is gentler on my stomach. Let me know how you are doing.

[Biddy47 in reply to Spotty-ewe]

Sorry I've taken so long to reply Spotty-ewe. I decided to come down to 200mg a day and take 1/2 at breakfast and 1/2 at dinner and I've spread my other meds throughout the day and it seems to have helped. My rheumatologist was happy with that.

[Spotty-ewe in reply to Biddy47]

Thanks for letting me know Biddy. As I mentioned my new Zenvita brand of Hydroxychloroquine seems to be helping but as I only managed to get it because the pharmacy just happened to have it in stock I might have to return to the Bristol brand next time I fill a repeat presescrption. If it starts to cause gastritis again I’ll try your regime of half a tablet twice per day rather than the 1 tablet taken whole once per day.

Many thanks for getting back to me and letting me know Biddy.

Best wishes. Take care. 🤗

[Spotty-ewe in reply to Biddy47]

Sorry that should have read Zentiva not Zenvita - I’m dyslexic so might be the reason for my confusion.😉 I also noticed from your post that you are on Zentiva so it is interesting it still causes the gastritis for you. I hope your new regime continues to work well for you. 🤞 Best wishes.

[Biddy47]

Thanks for that. I will discuss it with my rheumatologist next week.

[cgbe]

I started drinking ground raw flax seeds - two big spoons for a cup with hot water until it becomes like jelly - and my gastrointestinal symptoms have improved a lot. Besides its anti-inflammatory qualities have really helped my joint pain and overall inflammation. I would definitely recommend a daily intake of flax seeds for everyone suffering from pain and inflammation. It is important it is raw and not toasted, and you can grind ir yourself on a coffee grinder, or eventually in a blender, otherwise you may not uptake the nutrients.