How commonly do patients stop hydroxychloroquine due to side effects?

About 29 % of Patients Using Hydroxychloroquine Stop Due to Side Effects.

Hydroxychloroquine is widely use in the Rheumatology field to treat various autoimmune diseases. In the hair loss clinic, hydroxychloroquine is used to treat lichen planopilaris, frontal fibrosing alopecia, discoid lupus, hair loss form systemic lupus and pseudopelade.

What side effects prompt patients to stop hydroxychloroquine?

In 1999, Wang and colleagues set out to assess the reasons for and timing of discontinuation of antimalarial drugs, principally hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The authors identified 157 patients who had received antimalarials. Most patients had receieved hydroxychloroquine as the antimalarial. The average duration of use was 6.9 years per patient.

29 % of patients stopped the drug due to side effects. Out of 20 patients with data on side effects prompting stopping of the drug the reasons for stopping included: gastrointestinal issues in 11, headaches and dizziness in 2 patients, non retinal eye problems in 2 patients, hearing loss in 1 patient and rash in 1 patient. 2 patients developed myopathy. One developed retinopathy after 6 years.

REFERENCE

Wang et al. Discontinuation of antimalarial drugs in systemic lupus erythematosus.J Rheumatol. 1999 Apr;26(4):808-15.