Plaquenil (Hydroxychloroquine) for Lupus

What is Plaquenil (Hydroxychloroquine)? Plaquenil is most known for its original purpose: treating and preventing malaria. Malaria is a disease caused by parasites that can enter the body through a mosquito bite. The essential ingredient, known as quinine, is derived from the bark of the cinchona plant. Quinine, same as what is found in small amounts in tonic water, have been found to have health benefits beyond being an antimalarial including pain relief. The original use of quinine dates back at least to the 1600s in South America. But, the use of the drug expanded in part due to observations made during World War II. Many people were using quinine (or synthetic versions of it) to prevent malaria. Doctors noticed that rheumatic symptoms improved when taking quinine, which led to the use of medications like Plaquenil to combat lupus, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and other autoimmune conditions. The name “quinine” is derived from Quechua, the language of the Inca in Peru. The native Quechuan word, quina or quina-quina, translates as “bark of bark” or “holy bark.” Type: DMARD DMARD stands for disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. These types of drugs have the impact of slowing down disease progression.

Still puzzling over something?