Hydroxychloroquine is used for treating malaria, autoimmune conditions, such as chronic discoid lupus erythematosus, systemic lupus erythematosus, and rheumatoid arthritis. It comes under a class of drugs called disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. It is taken orally to treat the conditions.
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What is the cause of fatigue, night sweats, chills, and appetite changes?
Query: Hi doctor,My illness started with fatigue and joint pain and then progressed to whole-body pain. Every day I feel like I have the flu. I had consistent night sweats, day sweats, and chills, loss of appetite at times, nausea on and off, and terrible fatigue. It includes 12 CBCs with differentials, me... Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. Cancer is practically ruled out by doing all the scans. However, I am intrigued by the fear of cancer. Do you have a family history of cancer? Regarding joint pain, I will suggest you use hydroxychloroquine if routine painkillers are not working. Consult your doctor, disc... Read Full »
I have black papule that itches along with hair loss. Why?
Query: Hi doctor, I am a 30-year-old doctor. I have had a black papule on my forehead for 1.5 years and that is associated with itching. It got subsided four to six months after using Mometasone and multivitamins but has reappeared then. It first appeared just below the hairline and spread to contiguous ar... Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. I have reviewed the attached photographs (attachments removed to protect patient identity). You are having lichen planus. It is a chronic disease of the skin due to immune dysfunction. I would recommend you to apply Mometasone furoate cream on the affected areas twice dai... Read Full »
Are Wysolone, HCQS, Saaz and Shelcal safe during pregnancy?
Query: Hello doctor,My wife is 26 years old and she is suffering from rheumatoid arthritis for the past year. Now, she is pregnant. Her tablet pattern is Wysolone 2.5 mg on alternative days, HCQS once at night, Saaz three times a day, and Shelcal once at night. The lab tests performed were ANA 1+, RA fact... Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. HCQS (Hydroxychloroquine sulfate), Prednisolone (Wysolone), Shelcal (Calcium carbonate and Vitamin D3) are relatively safe in pregnancy and your doctor will stop Saaz (Sulfasalazine) and if possible, Wysolone too. Thank you. Read Full »
I have rheumatoid arthritis with degenerative changes and reduced space between bones. Kindly help.
Query: Hello doctor, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, my rheumatoid factor was above 200 IU/mL, and I was under treatment with HCQS for about six months. Now, my rheumatoid factor is 42 IU/mL. The x-ray that I took a couple of years ago suggests degenerative changes and reduced space between bo... Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. Rheumatoid arthritis cannot be cured entirely, but it can be well controlled. I would suggest you discuss with your doctor to start you on HCQS (Hydroxychloroquine), Etoricoxib, Calcium, vitamin D3, and Prednisolone. Based on your liver and kidney function tests, it is ... Read Full »
Kindly suggest the safe drugs for lupus during the third-trimester.
Query: Hello doctor, My wife is 7.5 months pregnant (third trimester). She has been diagnosed with lupus before conceiving. Now she is taking Deflazacort 24 mg and taking the Injection Cardinex. She is continuing so. Is it safe to consume Deflacort 24 mg at this phase? She also has an allergy. What shall ... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. You have not mentioned the symptoms of your wife. The treatment of lupus depends on the symptoms and severity of the disease. Some lupus medicines cannot be given during pregnancy. Medicines like Hydroxychloroquine, steroids, and Azathioprine are relatively saf... Read Full »
Does my report say that I have vasculitis and if so, am I at COVID risk?
Query: Hi doctor, I am a 53-year-old female, and I was diagnosed with lupus more than 15 years ago. It was considered mild, with the main problems being light sensitivity, fatigue, muscle aches, and occasional mouth ulcers. I was tested positive for ANA and was negative for all other autoantibodies, and th... Read Full »
Answer: Hello,Welcome to icliniq.com.You have absolutely no risk for vasculitis (attachments removed to protect the patient’s identity). These tests are for a very rare type of vasculitis, and fortunately, they are negative. Concerning your lupus, it was mild, and it is expected that the disease goes into... Read Full »
What does joint pain with flare ups indicate?
Query: Hello doctor, I have been to six different rheumatologists. One of those rheumatologists said I have fibromyalgia and I still do not agree with this diagnosis. My reports came back normal. My radiographic test concludes osteoarthritis in both knees and thumbs. I have pain in these joints and have a... Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com.I went through your query. You seem to have multiple joint arthritis. Since CRP (C-reactive protein), R factor, Anti CCP (cyclic-citrullinated antibody) antibody, and ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) are normal, no one is going to conclude this as rheumatoid arthriti... Read Full »
I developed RA during pregnancy and getting pain post delivery. Please help.
Query: Hi doctor,I have a 2-month-old baby now. I had rheumatoid arthritis while I am pregnant. I had no pain so I was not on medication. After delivery, I am getting pain in my hand and elbows. I wanted to get rid of this. Please help. Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. Rheumatoid arthritis flare (increase in disease activity) usually occurs after delivery. It is pretty common to have joint pain and swelling after delivery. Since you have two months old baby, the first-line medication of RA that is Folitrax (Methotrexate) is contraindi... Read Full »
Why is there sudden worsening of rheumatoid arthritis even on medication?
Query: Hello doctor,I am a 26-year-old and was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when I was 23. Since then I have been on 15 mg of Methotrexate and Hydroxychloroquine. Since I have been on medication, I hardly have no symptoms, but recently arthritis seems to be flaring up for three weeks now. I have pai... Read Full »
Answer: Hello,Welcome to icliniq.com.Well, it is a possibility that the Methotrexate dose is not sufficient enough to stop the disease. 15 mg is the dose we use for starting and we normally go higher up. In my experience, 15 mg normally proves inefficient in the long run. But since your disease is flaring, ... Read Full »
What causes extreme swelling and pain in both legs?
Query: Hi doctor,I have extreme swelling and pain in both my lower legs and feet. I also have severe pain in both hands, on all fingers, both wrists, both forearms, both elbows as well as both knees. It is extremely painful for me to stand and walk. I had a CMP (comprehensive metabolic panel) and CBC done,... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I have gone through your history and the blood reports (attachments removed to protect patient identity) along with the photographs you have posted. Well, there is gross swelling in both your legs. But, the albumin levels are not so low to explain the edema. Even the ... Read Full »
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