New medication....
Posted , 14 users are following.
hi everyone...I hope all is well (or at least as well as can be, right now🙆). I'm gonna keep this short and to the point.
this new drug that's being "hailed" as a possible antiviral for Covid19, apparently has been used for several other diseases; one, I've heard, is arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. is it possible this could be an optional med. for pmr?
maybe less side effects?
I'm probably grasping at straws, but I'm curious!
i know I'll get this spelling WAY messed up but,
Hydroxy Quaretine(sp)??
0 likes, 13 replies
dmart7 lynda62707
Edited
The drug is Hydroxychloroquine, normally used as an anti-malarial and against certain autoimmune and rheumatic diseases (mainly Lupus). Its use against COVID was suggested by some French researchers and prematurely touted by President Trump. Use against COVID is unproven, and Trump's unhelpful intervention risks making Americans and perhaps others elsewhere rush out to obtain the medicine. People in America who need it for Lupus have already reported shortages. Chinese researchers found no benefit against COVID from the drug. As to its use against PMR, presumably as a steroid-sparer, there is insufficient evidence of benefit.
EileenH lynda62707
Posted
Hydroxychloroqine isn't a "new" drug - it is pretty old having been first approved in the USA in 1955 but it had been in use in the form of chinchona bark powder and quinine for malaria since 1638.
http://rheumnow.com/blog/nine-lives-hydroxychloroquine
tells the history. It is one of the WHO's "essential drugs".
It is primarily used by patients with lupus - and lupus patients who are dependent on it are struggling to get it because of the hype. There is no proof of its benefit in Covid 19 yet - there are trials ongoing using it - but people are getting hold of it and overdosing and dying. At low doses it is pretty safe - at higher doses or in combination with some other medications it is not and can cause serious liver, heart and eye damage which may lead to death or blindness.
It is occasionally used as a so-called steroid sparer in patients with PMR - it rarely helps. If it does it is probably because it wasn't PMR but a form of inflammatory arthritis and it helped that.
lynda62707 EileenH
Posted
thank you Eileen for your timely response. yes, I knew this wasn't a new drug, just new in as much as it's being touted by our "charming" leader as the drug to end all and be all! I knew it was a "shot in the dark", but thought it was worth the asking!
again, thank you.
ptolemy lynda62707
Posted
I believe they are now testing Roche's Actemra.
"At least six coronavirus patients have been enrolled in a late-stage clinical trial testing the arthritis drug Actemra as a coronavirus treatment.
Mark Eisner, Genentech's global head of immunology, infectious disease, and ophthalmology clinical development, told Business Insider on Monday the study enrolled the first patients on Friday in the US and Spain.
The study will see if the anti-inflammatory drug can help coronavirus patients with severe cases recover.
The trial will enroll 330 people across the world, and Genentech is hoping to have initial results in early summer, Eisner said. "
EileenH ptolemy
Posted
They are trialling tocilizumab/Actemra further south in Italy and I understand they are also using hydroxychloroquine in a trial too - though whether it is a proper double blinded one I don;t know. Unless they tried it and decided the results looked good enough to abandon that stage on ethical grounds.
ptolemy EileenH
Posted
I think the hydroxychloroquine idea came first and the Actemra is more recent. I am not sure where they are testing everything or how if it comes to that. Rather like these fifty organisations they keep talking about who are going for a coronavirus vaccination. My sister and I have decided not to believe anything, like the tiger that has got coronavirus, my niece is worried about her cat.
karenjaninaz ptolemy
Posted
indeed, it is true about the tiger; that was the zoo I went to as a child.
Why people do not believe main stream media is beyond me. Is it because they do not like the news?
Most good reliable news outlets double check sources. They correct errors if they occur; this is usually something like misspelling a name.
FOX NEWS owners have gotten a letter from leading scientists criticising that network for following Trump's lead in minimizing the risks. And look where we are now. Many elderly who are a large part of audience still don't believe the seriousness in a recent poll- until they see the deaths. TERRIBLE.
There is no place for conspiracy theories in medicine.
Animal to animal; animal to human; and human to animal disease transfer exists. Examples: Rabies, Lyme disease, Ebola and Hanta virus.
The SARS/Covid 19 virus dna has been found in bats.
Anhaga lynda62707
Posted
Unfortunately some people seem to be thinking it is a preventative drug, protecting against catching covid. It isn't. And the research is to find out if it might save the lives of people with serious covid. Some people who have taken it "on spec" have died from taking it inappropriately.
Anhaga
Posted
Update - clinical trials are finding hydroxychloroquine has no useful effect on covid-19 and indeed the death rate amongst those on whom it was trialed ended up being higher than in the control group. This of course has no bearing on how it is used for other illnesses but thought I should update my own comment.
lynda62707
Edited
Lol.....
well folks. I just found out trump has a financial stake in the drug company that makes this "new" drug!!
no wonder he's been pushing it!!!
don't get me started!
Danrower lynda62707
Edited
Hi to all, long time no post.
I have personal experience with Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate 200 mg. taken 2x / day for treatment of PMR.
Took it for 60 days, did nothing for PMR, and caused significant vision side effect: had to wear sun glasses Inside the house due to increased photosensitivity. If I recall, it takes about 30 days for the drug to be eliminated from the body.
Another data point.
lynda62707 Danrower
Posted
thank you so much danrower for your post! that's helpful info, for sure. just the kinda data I was interested in!
sierrapamela lynda62707
Posted
Dear Lynda
Be very careful. I was put on plaquenil (hydroxy quaretine) and after 12 weeks when I reached the dose level in my body I stated to have bad side effects. Losing my hair (I have lost half of it), diarrhea, absolutely no energy, terrible headaches, sleeping all the time. Finally I went to a new doctor who said to get off of it immediately. I felt wonderful for 3 weeks and then as the plaquenil wore off I had a flare up. I was on 3mg of predisone then, but now I am back up to 10mg. At least I am off the plaquenil and my brain is working again. Now it is just the pain which is tolerable.