National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
National Institutes of Health

Patient Information Sheet #13, Antimalarials

Antimalarials

  

Antimalarials are very effective in controlling lupus arthritis, skin rashes, mouth ulcers, and other symptoms such as fatigue and fever. They are used to manage less serious forms of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in which no organs have been damaged. Antimalarials are also very effective in the treatment of discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE).

Although antimalarials may be very effective in controlling your lupus, their use takes patience. It may take weeks or months before you see any change in symptoms from the use of these drugs.

INSTRUCTIONS

The brand name of your antimalarial is: ______________________________

The strength or dose of the antimalarial ordered for you is: _______________

Take the antimalarial __________ time(s) per day.

The best time(s) to take your antimalarial: ____________________________

Additional instructions:
 

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS

These include stomach upset, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, blurred vision, difficulty in focusing, headache, nervousness, irritability, dizziness, muscle weakness, dry and itchy skin, mild hair loss, rash, change in skin color, unusual bleeding or bruising, and ____________________________________________.

PRECAUTIONS
There is a small chance that antimalarials will harm a fetus. If you are considering pregnancy, your doctor may take you off the drug.

Do not take more than the recommended dose.

Do not take this drug with other drugs, including over-the-counter medications, without first checking with your nurse or doctor. Over-the-counter medications are medications that you can buy without a doctor’s prescription.

Tell any nurse, doctor, or dentist who is taking care of you that you are taking an antimalarial for your lupus.

WARNING!
A possible, serious side effect of this drug is damage to the retina of the eye. Although this is rare with the low doses of drug that are prescribed, it is extremely important that you have a thorough eye examination before starting treatment with this drug and every 6 months after that.
 
ADDITIONAL NOTES
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From LUPUS: A Patient Care Guide for Nurses and Other Health Professionals, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases/National Institutes of Health  http://www.nih.gov/niams