treatment meds | Arthritis Information

My husband's Rheumy has put him on Hydroxychloroquine 200mg...2 pills a day in addition to his prednisone. With his being diabetic they are trying to keep his prednisone dose low...(6mg a day) but he was still having shoulder pain bilaterally. Even on 2 xtra strength tylenol 4x a day. So they are adding this med. to the mix. The only problem is that he has been on it for 3 wks, and about 1 1/2 wks ago he started getting horrible nightmares. Does anyone else have any experience with this medication and are you having any problems with it? Thanks for the help!

Michele

Hi Michelle,

I looked on Wikepedia for Hydroxychloroquine - Side Effects.

I appears that nightmares are listed. This is what it says:

Side effects are difficult to anticipate, and should be reported to a doctor immediately if new symptoms develop or old symptoms change in intensity. Generally side effects are not common, but can include (for short-term treatment of acute malaria) abdominal cramps, diarrhea, heart problems, reduced appetite, headache, nausea and vomiting. The symptoms for prolonged treatment of lupus or arthritis include the acute symptoms, plus altered eye pigmentation, acne, anemia, bleaching of hair, blisters in mouth and eyes, blood disorders, convulsions, significant vision difficulties, diminished reflexes, emotional changes, excessive coloring of the skin, hearing loss, hives, itching, liver problems or failure, loss of hair, muscle paralysis, weakness or atrophy, nightmares, psoriasis, reading difficulties, tinnitus, skin inflammation and scaling, skin rash, vertigo, and weight loss. Hydroxychloroquine can worsen existing cases of both psoriasis and porphyria.

I hope this is of some help. I'm new here.

Take care, Kathy

pmr wife, I was just prescribed this med and have not taken it yet. Required to have eye doctor ok after retina tests are made. I reviewed an RA forum yesterday for the first time, and read over and over about vivid dreams while on this med. It seems pretty common and is supposed to stop after a while.

I'm so in hopes I won't have any problems, but these drugs we take are really scary. I just now made freinds with prednisone. Many people on the forum thought the hydrox...was a Godsend. I hope your husband can tolerate it and it works for him. It's iinteresting to me that it's actually a cure for malaria and has been around for a long time. It's an antibiotic treatment of sorts...sounds like some quinine and some other drug that I can't think of right now.

Michelle,

I didn't have any problems when I took plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine). I had nightmares when I took xanax for 10 days many years ago. They were awful - very violent dreams - but didn't have them after about a week. Many of the side effects of meds are short-lived and disappear once the body adjusts to the new regimen. Hope this is the case for the nightmares your husband is having.

Reni

Thank you to everyone that took the time to respond! Hubby is so far still having the nightmares, and is still only taking one tablet rather than the 2. He has a follow up on Wed. with his Rheumy....he does feel better...but these crazy nightmares are keeping him awake! I thought it was kinda crazy that it was the treatment for Malaria as well. Made me read the info a second time, to be sure I had really read that info correctly! Amazing. Thanks again!!

Michele