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Risk? All doctors I have seen have never been overly concerned as they say the risk is very low and many of them say they have seen no cases or very few. My dose is 200 mg daily and I weigh around 121 lbs. I got along so much better at 400 mg daily.
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Members discussed the eye risks of long-term hydroxychloroquine use, with many sharing that after 10 to 32 years on the medication, regular... Read more
Been taking 400 mg Hydroxy for approximately 14 years. I get yearly eye exams. So far, no problems and still have 20/20 eyesight.
A maximum of 5 mg/kg of body weight is the recommended dose to prevent eye toxicity, so one must weigh at least 176 lbs to take 400 a day, and at least 132 lbs to take 300 mg daily. The risk is very low if this dosing is followed.
I took it for 32 years and stopped due to arrhythmias. Though it's not officially recommended, it's reasonable to ask your doctors to check an annual EKG if you're on HCQ.
I have been taking 200 mg of Hydroxychloroquine once a day for about 15 yr now. I weight 100 lbs. No side effects so far, and I do go to my Ophthalmologist faithfully for all these years. My Rheumatologist won't prescribe unless I do!
That's a great question, and it's clear you've been managing lupus thoughtfully for a long time — 25 years on hydroxychloroquine is significant!
The risk of retinopathy (eye damage) from hydroxychloroquine is generally low, especially at lower doses. Research suggests the risk remains under 2% within the first 10 years of Show Full Answer
@Douginnc--Are you taking anything else? If so, it won't be AS difficult. It takes a long time for HCQ to wash out of your system, so you may not feel the effects of stopping it for a couple of months.
Please talk to your doctor first! It may be safer to discuss reducing the dose to see how you do.
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