As a lupus warrior and advocate I really thought if plaquenil was for lupus and not for coronavirus. At first when I heard that this could be a cure for COVID-19, I wanted more evidence. I actually found out some people are taking this medicine and do not have lupus, arthritis, or even coronavirus. Our president Donald Trump is taking hydroxchloroquine sulfate (plaquenil) even though he doesn’t have any these diseases or virus. Plaquenil has became a “preventive” medicine for coronavirus. Trump also combines plaquenil with azithromycin and he doesn’t have a heart problem. I am a lupus survivor and if people are taking medicine for what I take for lupus then will there be any left for lupus patients? Can we actually refill our prescriptions ? Plus from reading articles, a doctor suppose to be prescribing this medicine not someone just think they can take plaquenil so they won’t get sick.
Plaquenil has been approved to be treat lupus, malaria and arthritis. I have not read anywhere where it was approved to treat coronavirus. As a person who takes this medicine trust me I wish I had an alternative. I almost lost my eyesight. I had to stop taking it for two months and go to my eye doctor several times until they found out what was causing me to see flashing lights and see out of my right eye. Eventually my eyesight improved however I wished they gave me something else to take. If you are not sick, I don’t see why you want to take plaquenil honestly. There are a long list of side effects of plaquenil: headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, stomach plain, loss of appetite, weight loss, feeling nervous or irritable, skin rash, itching, hair loss and fatigue. Those are just the common side effects. The uncommon side effects which may happen and have to be rushed to your doctor: fast or pounding heartbeats fluttering in your chest, shortness of breath, sudden dizziness (like you might pass out). Other side effects are: seizure, yellowing of your eyes, ringing in your ears, trouble hearing, unusual mood changes, severe muscle weakness, loss of coordination, underactive reflexes, low blood cell counts, low blood sugar, blurred vision trouble focusing, distorted vision, blind spots, trouble reading, changing in your color vision, hazy or cloudy vision, seeing light flashes or streaks, seeing halos around lights, or increased sensitivity to light.
