Hydroxychloroquine is a medication primarily known for its use in treating malaria, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. While not typically prescribed as a weight loss drug, some studies suggest a potential link between hydroxychloroquine and weight changes. This article explores the relationship between hydroxychloroquine and weight loss, its mechanisms, side effects, and other important considerations.
What is Hydroxychloroquine?
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), sold under the brand name Plaquenil among others, belongs to a class of drugs known as antimalarials and disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Originally used to prevent and treat malaria, it is now more commonly prescribed for autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis. Hydroxychloroquine was shown to be effective for both systemic lupus and rheumatoid arthritis in 1955. The Food and Drug Administration approved HCQ for symptoms of lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, particularly skin inflammation, hair loss, mouth sores, fatigue, and joint pain.
How Hydroxychloroquine Works
Hydroxychloroquine has wide-ranging effects, including the ability to decrease the number of disease flares and damage from disease over time. It can also delay the absorption of ultraviolet light and reduce the number of antigen-presenting cells in the skin.
The drug is generally prescribed at a daily dose of 6.5 milligrams (or less) per kilogram of body weight. To reduce stomach upset, HCQ is best taken with food or milk.
Side Effects of Hydroxychloroquine
All drugs may cause side effects. However, many people have no side effects or only have minor side effects.
Read also: Weight Loss Guide Andalusia, AL
Common Side Effects
Some of the more common side effects reported by people who took Plaquenil in clinical studies include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
Mild Side Effects
Mild side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, dizziness, fatigue, nervousness or irritability, hair loss, headache, and weight loss. These side effects may be temporary, lasting a few days or weeks.
Serious Side Effects
Serious side effects that have been reported and their symptoms include ear or hearing problems, including deafness or tinnitus (ringing in your ears), blood disorders, including low levels of white blood cells, red blood cells, or platelets, liver problems, including liver failure, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), muscle or nerve problems, sleep problems, including nightmares, suicidal thoughts or behaviors, ocular (eye) problems, skin reactions, cardiac (heart) problems, and allergic reaction.
It is important to seek immediate medical attention if you experience any severe side effects.
Hydroxychloroquine and Weight Loss: What Does the Research Say?
Weight loss is listed as a mild side effect of Plaquenil. However, weight gain hasn’t been reported as a side effect of Plaquenil.
Read also: Beef jerky: A high-protein option for shedding pounds?
A study on mice fed with a high-fat diet and hydroxychloroquine revealed that hydroxychloroquine reduced weight, hepatic steatosis, glucose, and insulin resistance. Furthermore, hydroxychloroquine downregulated the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma in the liver. According to these present results, genes about lipid metabolism went down in high-fat mice liver. Hydroxychloroquine shows potential in ameliorating obesity-induced pathology, which acts though PPARγ to facilitate the healthy function of hepatic tissues.
Hydroxychloroquine's Potential Effects on Metabolism
Hydroxychloroquine has been suggested to have beneficial effects on lipids and insulin sensitivity, which may contribute to lowering high cardiovascular risk in SLE patients.
Impact on Insulin Sensitivity
Research indicates that HCQ can improve blood lipid and glucose levels, which may help reduce the high cardiovascular risk in SLE patients. HCQ remitted hepatic steatosis and enhanced insulin sensitivity in the mouse model through decreased adipogenesis, as well as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor 1 (SREBP1c), and carbohydrate response element binding protein (ChREBP) expression in liver tissues of obese mice.
Effects on Lipid Levels
The treatment with HCQ significantly reduced FFA, TG, TC, and LDL-C mean levels by 52.6%, 27.1%, 20.9%, and 47.4%, respectively, when compared with the HFD group. However, this had no effect on HDL-C content, when compared with HFD mice.
Important Precautions and Warnings
Before starting hydroxychloroquine, it's important to consider several precautions and warnings.
Read also: Inspiring Health Transformation
Contraindications
It may be given to you for other reasons. If you are allergic to this drug; any part of this drug; or any other drugs, foods, or substances. If you are taking any drugs that can cause a certain type of heartbeat that is not normal (prolonged QT interval). There are many drugs that can do this. Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all of your drugs (prescription or OTC, natural products, vitamins) and health problems. You must check to make sure that it is safe for you to take this drug with all of your drugs and health problems. Tell all of your health care providers that you take this drug. Be careful if you have low levels of an enzyme called G6PD. Anemia may happen. This drug may make you sunburn more easily. Use care if you will be in the sun. Low blood sugar has happened with this drug. Sometimes, this has been very bad and could be life-threatening. Keep away from children. Accidental exposure may cause death. If you are 65 or older, use this drug with care. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan on getting pregnant, or are breast-feeding. Other measures are needed along with this drug including using screens, bed netting, insect repellent (10% to 35% DEET), and permethrin spray on clothing and nets. Avoid spraying most insect repellents on children. WARNING/CAUTION: Even though it may be rare, some people may have very bad and sometimes deadly side effects when taking a drug.A severe eye problem has happened with this drug. This may lead to lasting eyesight problems. The risk may be higher if you have some types of eye or kidney problems. The risk may also be higher with some doses of this drug, if you use this drug for longer than 5 years, or if you take certain other drugs like tamoxifen. Call your doctor right away if you have any eyesight changes like blurred or foggy eyesight, trouble focusing or reading, or trouble seeing in dim light. Heart problems like heart failure and a certain abnormal heartbeat (prolonged QT interval) have happened with this drug. Sometimes, these heart problems have been deadly. Low blood cell counts have happened with this drug. If blood cell counts get very low, this can lead to bleeding problems, infections, or anemia. Severe skin reactions may happen with this drug. These include Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and other serious reactions. Sometimes, body organs may also be affected. These reactions can be deadly.
General Warnings
It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure that this medicine is working properly. Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects. Check with your doctor immediately if blurred vision, difficulty with reading, or any other change in vision occurs during or after treatment. Your doctor may want your eyes be checked by an ophthalmologist (eye doctor). Contact your doctor right away if you have any changes to your heart rhythm. You might feel dizzy or faint, or you might have a fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeat. Make sure your doctor knows if you had a heart rhythm problem, including QT prolongation. This medicine may cause muscle and nerve problems. Check with your doctor right away if you have muscle weakness, pain, or tenderness while using this medicine. Hydroxychloroquine may cause some people to be agitated, irritable, or display other abnormal behaviors within the first month after the start of treatment. It may also cause some people to have suicidal thoughts and tendencies, or to become more depressed. If you or your caregiver notice any of these side effects, tell your doctor right away. This medicine may cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). This is more common when this medicine is taken together with certain medicines. Low blood sugar must be treated before it causes you to pass out (unconsciousness). People feel different symptoms of low blood sugar. It is important that you learn which symptoms you usually have so you can treat it quickly. Talk to your doctor about the best way to treat low blood sugar. This medicine lowers the number of some types of blood cells in your body. Because of this, you may bleed or get infections more easily. To help with these problems, avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Wash your hands often. Stay away from rough sports or other situations where you could be bruised, cut, or injured. Brush and floss your teeth gently. Be careful when using sharp objects, including razors and fingernail clippers. Check with your doctor immediately if you think you are getting an infection or if you get a fever, chills, cough or hoarseness, lower back or side pain, or painful or difficult urination. Serious skin reactions, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), and acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis can occur during treatment with this medicine. Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have black, tarry stools, blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin, chest pain, chills, cough, diarrhea, itching, joint or muscle pain, painful or difficult urination, red irritated eyes, red skin lesions, often with a purple center, severe acne or skin rash, sore throat, sores, ulcers, or white spots in the mouth or on the lips, swollen glands, unusual bleeding or bruising, or unusual tiredness or weakness while you are using this medicine.
Special Considerations for Malaria Prevention
If your symptoms do not improve within a few days (or a few weeks or months for arthritis), or if they become worse, check with your doctor. Malaria is spread by the bites of certain kinds of infected female mosquitoes. If you are living in or will be traveling to an area where there is a chance of getting malaria, the following mosquito-control measures will help to prevent infection: If possible, avoid going out between dusk and dawn because it is at these times that mosquitoes most commonly bite. Remain in air-conditioned or well-screened rooms to reduce contact with mosquitoes. Wear long-sleeved shirts or blouses and long trousers to protect your arms and legs, especially from dusk through dawn when mosquitoes are out. Apply insect repellant, preferably one containing DEET, to uncovered areas of the skin from dusk through dawn when mosquitoes are out. If possible, sleep in a screened or air-conditioned room or under mosquito netting preferably netting coated or soaked with pyrethrum, to avoid being bitten by malaria-carrying mosquitoes. Use mosquito coils or sprays to kill mosquitoes in living and sleeping quarters during evening and nighttime hours. Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines) and herbal or vitamin supplements.
Specific Health Conditions
Talk with your doctor about your health history before you take hydroxychloroquine. Be sure to tell them if any of the following factors apply to you: eye problems, heart problems, liver problems, kidney problems, muscle or nerve problems, psoriasis, type 1 or type 2 diabetes, low blood levels of potassium or magnesium, mental health conditions, including suicidal thoughts or behaviors, certain inherited conditions, including porphyrias and G6PD deficiency, and previous allergic reaction to hydroxychloroquine.
tags: #hydroxychloroquine #weight #loss