I've been on 400mg hydroxy for the past 9 months and am decreasing my dose to 200mg. I've recently been experiencing really hot and prickly itchy skin, especially after showering and rubbing my skin. I thought that because my steriod dose has come down, the itch skin is possibly due to a side effect of the hydroxychloroquine which had been blocked by the high doses of steroids I was on.
Still itchy even though I reduced the dose. Has anyone else been on hydroxy and had side effects possibly due to it? If so did you discontinue use and did the side effects go after you stopped?
Thanks!
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heyitsmee
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I come off it (400mg) a few months back because I suspected it was causing stomach and skin problems. Can't recall how long after I stopped taking it, probably a few weeks, but both conditions seemed to be slowly improving. This past week or so my acid reflux, though not entirely gone, is the best its been for two years or more (all fingers XXXX). Not such a positive effect with my skin. It does seem to have improved a bit, but I have rosacea, which I doubt was brought on by the hydroxy, but suppose it's possible that it could have made the condition worse.
There's a lot on here about the side effects of hydroxychloroquine. See if you can do a search to find the info. Much depends on what brand you are taking. If it is Quinoric, it may cause diarrhoea. It is not the drug itself causing this but the coating on the tablet. A better brand might be Zentiva. This is quite important because I ended up having a colonoscopy and endoscopy as have other people.
Side effects reported on here include problems with sight - though I was told by a rheumatologist that that only happens after years but it has been reported on here much sooner. You are supposed to have a special eye test before starting it. I had retinal problems but don't know if it was the drug as I did not have the test until after I started it.
Also, I have chest problems and developed a heavy cold (well, my prolonged cold got a lot worse) and I was coughing up blood. I guess that might be a feature of any DMARD though but my chest problems were pre-existing. Nose bleeds, which I also had, have been reported on here as well. I don't take DMARDs because of my chest problem.
the zentiva brand is so much more expensive than the Quinoric brand
it took me some doing to be able to get the zentiva brand, I thought if I was going to have a chance on this drug Id need all the help including the right brand
I have been given white tablets in the past. Can't remember if they had a brand name, but I asked my pharmacist for the yellow ones as I had heard that they were easier the stomach. As mentioned I assumed that TEVA and Zentiva were the same company due to their similar names.
Has your stomach improved since stopping hydroxy? Think I spoke too soon in my post above as I'm currently having issues though nowhere near as bad as they were.
I think it’s very casual of them to start you without telling you to have an eye test first.
I didn’t have that problem, I was told about the problems with eyesight and what to check.
Unfortunately no one mentioned steroid induced T2 diabetes as a side effect of the three months worth of steroids I took before I started the hydroxy ☹️
Fortunately I was on a pre diabetes study at the time and was coming up for an annual check up so it was discovered within a month. I ate and exercised my way out of the T2 but I was thrown off the study.
After about 3 months on hydroxy I started itching on arms which I attributed to a reaction to the sun as at that time I was outside gardening A LOT. However, I realized once fall came that the itching had gotten progressively worse, even though I was not longer sun exposed. I was taking 400 mg/day dose. I chose to completely stop the drug, as I knew this would be the only way to see if there was direct cause/effect. It has been about six weeks and the itching has gotten better, though not yet completely gone. I have appt with Rheumy Dr in Jan to assess and decide what other drugs to try. I am slowly feeling the pain of RA return, however, that discomfort does not even come close to the misery of itching skin.
My rheumatologist has allowed me to go down to 200mg/day but I do really want to get completely off of it to see if there is a difference... Did you have to wean yourself off? If so, how long?
I had itchy skin and a whole list of other side affects. Stopped the drug after talking to the consultant. It takes about 8 weeks to be clear of it from your system I believe. Itchy skin gone!
I had side effects from HCQ but not the ones you describe. I do think though you should report them to your Rheumy team. Do you have a helpline number you could call? Whilst HCQ is also used for skin conditions the PIL clearly states If you develop a rash or these skin symptoms, seek immediate advice from a doctor and tell him that you are taking this medicine.
I've had to lower my dosage of hydroxy for the same reason. I get extremely itchy on my legs after showering, sometimes to the point that I cannot focus on anything but scratching.
ive been off of hydroxychloroquine for some months now and symptoms are gone! i think it was a side effect of this medication... took a while to stop but relieved it has
Yes I only took one tablet and got the itchy rash was sent to A&E I’m allergic to hydquine was put on steroids to take away side effects. Please talk to a medic about it a reaction can turn nasty very quickly even if you have only had mild symptoms for a while
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