Re: INFO - Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine sulfate) is not a sulfa drug

[Guest guest]

Then I am wondering why My Dr and Pharmacist both told me that it is a sulfa

drug? and the label itself (for generic )had sulfa on it??

kerry

[Guest guest]

My friend said she can't take Plaquenil because she is allergic to

sulfa drugs. Huh.

>

> Then I am wondering why My Dr and Pharmacist both told me that it is

a sulfa drug? and the label itself (for generic )had sulfa on it??

>

> kerry

>

>

[Guest guest]

Kerry, the generic name for Plaquenil is hydroxychloroquine sulfate. That

means there is sulfur in the drug and that it is a sulfate salt; however,

that doesn't mean it's a " sulfa " drug ( " sulfate " is not the same as

" sulfa " ).

Usually, when people refer to " sulfa " drugs, they are talking about a class

of drugs called sulfonamides. Hydroxychloroquine is not a sulfonamide, it's

an antimalarial, a 4-aminoquinoline compound. Its formula is

C18H26ClN3O.H2SO4.

Sulfonamides or " sulfa " drugs must be used with caution when treating SLE

(since up to one third of patients may experience increased sun sensitivity

or a flare when exposed to them). Hydroxychloroquine sulfate is used without

concern related to this issue, but sulfasalazine is often avoided in the

treatment of lupus because of this.

Information on sun-sensitizing drugs:

http://www.medicineonline.com/reference/Health/Conditions_and_Diseases/D/info/Su\

n-Sensitizing-Drugs-Sunburn-and-Sun-Sensitizing-Drugs.htm

Information on hydroxychloroquine sulfate from the manufacturer:

http://products.sanofi-aventis.us/hydroxychloroquine/hydroxychloroquine.pdf

Note that there are no cautions about " sulfa " or sulfonamide sensitivity in

any of these monographs on Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine sulfate):

http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/hydroxychloroquine.asp

http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/hquine.htm

http://www.drugs.com/cdi/hydroxychloroquine.html

http://www.merck.com/mmpe/lexicomp/hydroxychloroquine.html

But there are such warnings for Azulfidine (sulfasalasize):

http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/sulfasalazine.asp

http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/sulfasal.htm

http://www.drugs.com/cdi/sulfasalazine.html

http://www.merck.com/mmpe/lexicomp/sulfasalazine.html

Check out the link I sent in the original post for more information:

Institute for Traditional Medicine

" Differentiating Sulfur Compounds " :

http://www.itmonline.org/arts/sulfa.htm

And these:

Drugs.com

" Sulfonamides (systemic) " :

http://www.drugs.com/cons/Sulfonamides.html

HealthAtoZ.com

" Sulfonamides " :

https://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/common/standard/transform.jsp?request\

URI=/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/sulfonamides.jsp

Answers.com

" sulfonamide " :

http://www.answers.com/topic/sulfonamide-1

Medscape Rheumatology

" Stereochemistry and Adverse Reactions to Sulfonamide Antibiotics " :

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/482766_4

Not an MD

Re: [ ] INFO - Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine sulfate) is

not a " sulfa " drug

> Then I am wondering why My Dr and Pharmacist both told me that it is a

> sulfa drug? and the label itself (for generic )had sulfa on it??

>

> kerry