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With hopes going high as ICMR recommends the use of hydroxychloroquine for coronavirus prevention, very few are aware of the bitter truth related to this drug. This drug has currently been prescribed for the ones that are at the highest risk of being infected with the coronavirus like the doctors and nurses.
However, this news literally gave chills to C. Banerjee, a resident of the country capital who is 69-years-old. He states that taking this drug is close to swallowing death as he recounts the use of chloroquine ( a drug from the same family) during the malaria uproar in the 1980s.
The side effects that come from chloroquine include headache, nausea, mood swings, swelling, skin irritation, pale skin, nose bleeding, muscle weakness, as well as hearing issues. Not just that, an overdose of this drug can lead to death as well.
Similarly, Hydroxychloroquine can cause issues such as nausea, headaches, drowsiness, low blood glucose levels, depression, reduced appetite, cramps, irreversible blindness, as well as heart failure (in case of overdose).
The medication can also leave a horrible after taste in the patient’s mouth. As compared to chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine is a bit more tolerable. However, the danger associated with misuse of this drug cannot be negated. This is why the government has mandated that it should only be used for the ones with highest risk of contracting COVID-19 and shouldn’t be available without prescription from a certified doctor.
