I have read about HCQ being helpful for RA patients, and so glad it’s working so well for you! My late aunt suffered so with RA. Back in the 90s when she had it, there was not as much they knew to do. It is a cruel disease. I’m so sorry you have it!
I’m sure you know to get your eyes checked regularly when taking HCQ longterm, but just in case:
https://www.nature.com/articles/eye2016298
CQ/HCQ “inhibits the action of heme polymerase in malarial trophozoites, preventing the conversion of heme to hemazoin. Plasmodium species continue to accumulate toxic heme, killing the parasite.” Of course the little stinkers developed resistance to it in SE Asia and then in sub-Saharan Africa.
Apparently, it’s being looked at as a cure for giardia, too. I don’t know that much about it, but assume it must work in much the same way on giardia trophozoites. What a rotten stinky disease it is. A dear friend got it, right after recovering from dengue, poor guy. Another dear friend and I cared for him during his illness and agreed you *really* have to care about someone to nurse him through that. Pee-yew!
It also has some antiviral properties, but supposedly fairly weak. I lost interest in it for Covid after MABs became available.
Yes to annual eye exam....my very cute young rheumatologist is on my butt...
Yes I’d taken it before for malaria and dengue 1978-1991
My life of the adventure world wide mostly third world adventure years...before a reckoning and shortly after the start of five children I’ve raised and still raising with a 15 year old at pushing 65
I’ll have raised kids 40 years steady when he turns 21
I took plaquenil as a Covid prophylactic ....my Covid 18 months ago was extremely mild and I’m high risk for sure
Congenital heart issue and pacemaker and lung compromise