Increased Incidence of Gastrointestinal Side Effects in Patients Taking Hydroxychloroquine: A Brand-related Issue?

Abstract

To the Editor: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is a well-established drug used in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Lupus UK, a national registered charity supporting people who have SLE, has received a number of recent reports from patients who are experiencing new adverse effects from HCQ after being established on the treatment without any initial adverse effects. These reports began in the first half of 2015 when Plaquenil (a brand name for HCQ) was discontinued1. At that time, many patients were switched to another brand of HCQ called Quinoric; subsequently, patients have frequently attributed side effects, mainly gastrointestinal (GI; such as dyspepsia, abdominal cramps, and dysgeusia), to this new brand of HCQ. We surveyed 128 patients attending the SLE clinic at City Hospital Birmingham, UK, over a 6-week period (June/July 2016) to examine whether there are brand-related differences in side effect prevalence for patients taking HCQ. There is a wealth of evidence that supports the use of HCQ in the treatment of SLE, … Address correspondence to A. Srinivasa, Department of Rheumatology, Birmingham City Hospital, Dudley Road, Birmingham B18 7QH, UK. E-mail: amarsrinivasa{at}nhs.net