Ray From Cleveland
Diamond Member
- Aug 16, 2015
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Side effects from hydroxychloroquine are really very minimal. It’s used as first line in Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis specifically because it’s so benign.
The people listing what is on the packet insert really don’t know what they’re talking about.
Several years ago my throat began to swell up. It got a little difficult to breathe and swallow. About 2:00 am I went to the emergency room, and they took me right away. They started an IV on me. When the doctor came in, he told me the swelling in my throat was serious, and caused by my high blood pressure medication. I told the doctor I have been taking that medication for a couple of years. He told me that is irrelevant.
They cleaned me out, he instructed me never to take the medication again, and consult my doctor for a replacement.
A few weeks later, I looked into the drug. Other people experienced what I did. Some have died from being suffocated to death. They still sell that drug on the market today.
Angioedema is not extremely uncommon with that drug and probably way over reported. Deaths from it are extremely uncommon. The thing Is there is a significant mortality benefit from using that drug so benefits outweigh risks.
In terms of hydroxychloroqine, the benefits are uncertain. Let’s say it prevents every single death from COVID. Since mortality is only 1%, you have to treat 100 patients just to save one life. In terms of medicine, that’s called number needed to treat, and 100 is up there, although not extremely high. The benefit is probably pretty low. The risks are also low.
In the grand scheme of things, big picture stuff, this is really just not very relevant. If it works, or doesn’t work, this is really not that important.
From what I understand, the symptoms of this thing can be torturous. So even if somebody could survive without it, the drug itself might make people much more comfortable until they are over it. If so, that in itself would be worth using it.