hydroxychloroquine: running out. Great: theguardian... - NRAS
hydroxychloroquine: running out. Great
I wondered how long it would take for this to happen.
Typical - just geared myself up to actually taking it and now it's gonna run out.
It was just a matter of time. I don't take it but many others do and I wish there were some sort of controls with this. It should be shared out fairly. Some chance of that. 🙁
well I can't live without it
Had a horrible feeling that was going to happen. My prescription is due next week. I’ll be interested to see what I get.
Mine was sent to the chemist today, so I'll let you know when I hear from them if there were any problems.
Thanks, what area are you?
I've been waiting over a week for mine, will have to ring the chemists tomorrow 🙄
I'd better call the surgery on Monday. Where are you?
Morning, I just rang the chemists they said it's ready to collect (they usually text me) I will ask them about supplies when I go 🙄😷 they've had problems getting it previously (before the C virus) but my GP usually prescribes 2 months supply so I order it in good time.
I am in Oxford. Good luck 👍
I just despair. I have been very very ill for 3 weeks now with “a virus”. I have had 2 lots of steroids and antibiotics, 2 trips to A&E, the last a couple of days ago with hypoxia. I am in a very poor state. To take Hydroxychloroquine away from me right now, even though I also take sulfasalazine would be really awful in my current state. They keep sorting me out at hospital and getting me home once I am safe because they are worried that if I haven’t got Covid 19, having severe asthma too it could kill me. They are still only testing admissions unless your name is Boris, Matt, Chris or Charles so no idea whether I have it or not. To take one of my key drugs away from me now may well be disastrous for me. I can’t bear it. This whole situation is just awful. I have been through all the DMARDS except Leflunomide which I didn’t want to take because I had a severe reaction to Methotrexate so didn’t want a drug in my system that would stay there for 2 years if it didn’t suit. I just despair, but thank you for drawing it to my attention. I put in a repeat on 26th March. Let’s see what happens. 😔
I wonder what the government is doing about this
Not sure they can do much. Think of the times there have been other shortages, it’s not the government’s fault.
Trump announcing it is the ‘cure’ for covid 19 won’t have helped and it was previously mentioned by the Chinese - both countries are likely to have bought it in bulk.
Our trouble is that as a country everything we depend on has been outsourced to other countries where people work for pennies and now we are no longer producing a lot of the things that we need.
😥
My best guess is nothing! The poor NHS staff who are coming into contact with it all the time don’t know if they have it, don’t know if patients have it and just try to make a judgement based on the risks involved. My fear is that we will be abandoned because RA is not “life threatening” although in combination with other immune issues we are more likely to become critical. Without testing the system just doesn’t work. The Consultant the other day said to the junior Dr, get her the hell out of here once you have made her safe “ I can’t have a severe asthmatic with RA in the building. If she hasn’t got the virus we could kill her”. They are doing their best, but it doesn’t give me much confidence I am afraid.
Ultimately this group of conditions is terminal if left untreated. And with lung damage being a major and frequent complication you'd think keeping up with medication would be a priority. The Lupus UK website has made a statement about their raising the issue. I'd post the link but I can't see where to do it in this post.
How are you feeling now pippin_fort? I hope you are over the worst of it. xx
I am improving slowly, but the road is long to get back to “ normal”. I am just delighted this evening though that I have been allocated a shopping delivery slot. This has lifted my spirits no end! Little things eh!
I am glad to hear that you are feeling a little bit better at least. 
I do sympathise - it's very frustrating when it takes so long to recover from everything. As for the delivery slot - that's great news: amazing what something like that can do to perk you up in these times, isn't it. At least you don't have to worry about supplies now - and maybe you can get yourself a little treat in that delivery too. If it's any consolation my hydroxychloroquine did turn up, just later than usual, so there must still be supplies out there - don't despair. x
Mine did not turn up, but a friend recommended that I send a letter to my GP, copied in to my consultants private secretary. Amazingly he called me within about half an hour of me sending it and discussed alternatives and gave me some emergency help numbers to get through to him directly! Just waiting to get better now and things will have resolved a bit.
Oh that is great - how good of him to get in touch so fast. I hope that gives you some reassurance. Yes, concentrate on getting better now
I collected my usual 2 monthly mini pharmacy on Thursday but only got one month supply of hydroxy ☹
😟
i must admit i ordered mine because i was ordering most of my list so far i have been waiting since monday luckily i have a 2 week supply atm
What do you mean by 'ordered'? From where?
sry misuse of words . i live out in the sticks so my pharmacy is at the surgery and i order my prescriptions using the surgerys online access . sorry for not making it clearer
Same here but there's no online ordering. But even if there was there's a limit to how early you can ask for repeats. I'm almost certain that I saw on their website that no on was allowed to order in advance. So I'm very worried now.
I emailed my GP as my repeat prescription wasn't going to be issued until after I would have run out, and they issued it early for me to my nominated pharmacy. I gave them 11 days notice, and turned out to need most of that. Shame your GP isn't on the patient access website - I find it a real godsend for checking/requesting prescriptions and booking appointments.
I got my normal prescription with hydroxy last week, no problems to report .
Hmm rx due next week keeping my fingers crossed 🤞🏻
I picked up my prescription from the chemists this morning, 2 months supply. They said there is a shortage 😟
I know these are desperate times but it seems rather irresponsible to me.No consideration for those already on the drug and need it.
My partner picked up my prescription on Thursday and they could only give me half of my hydroxychloriquine and a ticket to collect the rest at a later date. Hoping that it's just a coincidence and nothing to do with the current situation.
I'm in the US, my refill was denied. I won't be tapering my prednisone any time soon!
What will you take instead?
Right now I'm decreasing to 1 a day, so I'll have enough for 6 weeks. It is possible, but not probable, there will be more production and availability. The methotrexate, ugh, with all the blood tests it would be difficult to self isolate. And I think we may need to do that for months on end. I've avoided methotrexate because I had bacterial meningitis a year ago. Hydroxychoroquine doesn't decrease your immune system like methotrexate. Plus I really enjoy wine!
And Plaquenil is not working for many when they try to use it for virus. 50yo Male took it but his 70yo mom didn't she's doing better than him. He couldn't even get tested at a hospital when his mother was confirmed POSITIVE. He would have to go on a long line somewhere. He can't even get admitted in NYC hospitals because they are so overwhelmed. He's day 11 and getting shortness of breath and worsening.
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