HCQ and CQ (Kate)

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Chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) are a members of the

quinolone family, at the molecular level, these are different than

fluroquinolines (with which they are sometimes confused).

There is a molecular distinction between fluroquinoline and

quinolones (please notice the spellings.. the " i " instead of the " o "

and the fluro prefix) which includes their side effects and there are

also distinctions between CQ and HCQ. As far as I know, the tendon

degradation problems with the fluroquinolines are not listed as side

effects by the drug companies witht these anti malarial quinolones.

But these (antimalarial) drugs do have side efects , especially with

raising the intraocular pressure (and you can't feel that happening).

Chloroquine (CQ) is more dangerous than hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and

they

have very long half lives, and unbeleivably long wash-out periods

see this site:

http://www.fqresearch.org/vision_archives.htm

In some infections HCQ is used in combo with other drugs long term

and there's quite a bit of data out there about HCQ and Doxy:

http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/159/2/167

My docs baselined my IOC (introcular pressure) when starting HCQ,

even though it used as a monotherapy and used at the safe dose

(<400mg/day) and I was monitored thru higher doses.

My eyes were really bad, and I was seeing my ohpthalmologist every

week anyway.. measuring a bunch of eye problems - so I was monitored

extremely closely. So although I used > 400mg and in combo with

other abx, for some unknown reason, my intra-ocular pressure never

increased.. So I was lucky.

And IMO this isn't a drug anyone should self medicate (not that any

one would do that - but I need to say that because we are talking

about ones eyes after all).

And in my case, there did appear to be a synergy, or additive effect

when HCQ was combined some other abx. (see my other posts on HCQ).

With HCQ and Mino the dosages of both drugs were reduced by about

two thirds or I would reach too high a consentration in the inner

ear, and vestibular dyfunction resulted (disabling vertigo from the

Mino consentration in the inner ear).

So people - HCQ is a drug that IMO if you use it with other drugs,

you need to be under the care of not just any Dr.. but a smart Dr.

... you know.. some of these drug combo's are really a double edged

swords, and one really has to weight the risks.

I really really really worry about the the side efects of toxicity

being misinterpreted as herx when HCQ is used in combo with other abx

because tissue consentration levels will vary greatly between people

depending the combo drug used and the person's own genetic metabolic

make up.

.. and I've seen plenty of reports of people calling these effects

herxes....and I just chringe.

Barb