Chloroquine Side Effects: Common, Severe, Long Term (original) (raw)

Applies to chloroquine: oral tablet.

Along with its needed effects, chloroquine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking chloroquine:

Get emergency help immediately if any of the following symptoms of overdose occur while taking chloroquine:

Some side effects of chloroquine may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.

Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

Applies to chloroquine: compounding powder, injectable solution, oral tablet.

Retinopathy and irreversible retinal damage have been reported during long-term, high-dose therapy.

Irreversible retinopathy with retinal pigmentation changes (bull's eye appearance) and visual field defects (paracentral scotomas) have been reported in patients receiving long-term or high-dose 4-aminoquinoline therapy.[Ref]

Pruritus has been seen more commonly in Africans. The onset was generally 6 to 48 hours after the first dose and antihistamines did not always control the pruritus.

Pigmentation disorder (including bluish-black pigmentation of the nails and mucosa) has been reported with long-term use. Increased pigmentation of the skin and mucous membranes was generally of a bluish color was not always reversible on discontinuation.

Several cases of hypopigmentation of the skin have been reported. Most of the patients described were African or of African descent with dark skin who had been exposed to the sun. One was a Hispanic patient who developed vitiligo-like skin depigmentation after 1 month of therapy for cutaneous lupus erythematosus. The skin rapidly repigmented after this drug was discontinued.

At least 2 cases of exacerbation of psoriasis requiring hospitalization have been reported.[Ref]

Mania has been reported in a patient taking this drug for malarial prophylaxis. These symptoms resolved after discontinuation and recurred with rechallenge.[Ref]

Cardiac arrhythmias (including QT prolongation, torsade de pointes, ventricular tachycardia, and ventricular fibrillation) have been reported with therapeutic doses as well as with overdose; the risk was greater when high doses were administered. Fatal cases have been reported.

ECG changes have been reported at high doses. ECG changes observed included prolongation of the QRS interval and, rarely, complete heart block. Biopsies of cardiac tissue characteristically showed no inflammatory infiltrates, severe vacuolation, and myocytes containing myeloid bodies and lysosomes.

Conduction disorders (e.g., bundle branch block/atrioventricular block) have been reported with therapeutic doses as well as with overdose.[Ref]

The usefulness of hypokalemia as an indicator in the evaluation of chloroquine toxicity was studied in a retrospective series of 191 acute chloroquine poisonings. Results indicated that the risk of severe poisoning and death were proportional to the degree of hypokalemia.[Ref]

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Chloroquine side effects can vary depending on the individual. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.