ZY-Q 200 Tablet

ZY-Q 200 Tablet – Hydroxychloroquine Sulphate 200 mg by Zydus

ZY-Q 200 from Zydus is Hydroxychloroquine Sulphate IP 200 mg in film-coated tablets, supplied in a bottle of 30 rather than a blister strip. The pack format is a fair signal of how the drug is used: hydroxychloroquine is not a short course. In rheumatoid arthritis and lupus it is taken daily for years, and a month’s bottle is simply more practical than three strips. That long horizon is also where the one thing you must know about this drug sits. Hydroxychloroquine accumulates in pigmented tissue, including the retina, and cumulative exposure – not any single dose – is what drives the rare but irreversible retinal damage it can cause. Modern practice keeps the daily dose at or below 5 mg per kilogram of actual body weight and screens the eyes at baseline and periodically thereafter. Within those limits it is one of the best-tolerated long-term drugs in rheumatology. Bottle of 30 tablets.

Key Features

• Hydroxychloroquine Sulphate IP 200 mg, film-coated tablets
• Bottle of 30 – a month at one tablet a day, suited to long-term use
• Colour: Titanium Dioxide IP
• A disease-modifying drug needing no routine blood monitoring
• From Zydus (Synovia division)

Composition

• Hydroxychloroquine Sulphate IP – 200 mg
• Colour: Titanium Dioxide IP. Excipients q.s. As printed on the label

Uses & Benefits

• Used long term in rheumatoid arthritis to reduce joint pain, swelling and stiffness
• A cornerstone treatment in systemic and discoid lupus erythematosus
• Helps control the skin and joint symptoms of lupus and reduces flare frequency
• Also used in the treatment and prevention of malaria, as prescribed
• One of the better-tolerated disease-modifying drugs, with no routine blood monitoring required
• Taken once or twice daily as a tablet, alongside other treatment where needed

Directions for Use

• Swallow the tablet whole with a meal or a glass of milk – taking it on an empty stomach is the main cause of the nausea
• Take it exactly as your doctor prescribes. The dose is set from your body weight, not a standard number
• Take it at the same time each day. If you miss a dose, take it when you remember unless the next is nearly due – never double up
• Allow weeks to months for the full effect in rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, and keep taking it in the meantime
• Keep your eye-screening appointments for as long as you are on it, and do not take antacids within four hours of a dose

Precautions

• Hydroxychloroquine can damage the retina, and the damage is not reversible. The risk rises with daily dose above 5 mg per kg of actual body weight, with more than five years of use, with kidney impairment and with tamoxifen. A baseline eye examination and regular screening thereafter are part of the treatment, not optional
• Report any change in vision immediately – blurring, difficulty reading, missing patches, altered colour vision or light sensitivity
• Tell your doctor if you have G6PD deficiency, porphyria, psoriasis, epilepsy, liver or kidney disease, or any heart rhythm problem. It can prolong the QT interval and can trigger a severe psoriasis flare
• It can cause low blood sugar, sometimes severe, even in people who are not diabetic. If you take diabetes medicines, your doses may need reducing – monitor closely
• Do not stop it on your own. In lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, stopping frequently brings on a flare. It also takes weeks to months to work, so early lack of benefit is not failure
• Nausea, stomach upset, diarrhoea, headache and rash are the usual early effects and are much reduced by taking it with food. Report unusual muscle weakness, unexplained bruising, sore throat or fever

Storage

• Store below 30°C, protect from light, as printed on the label
• Keep the bottle tightly closed
• Keep out of reach of children

Disclaimer

Schedule H prescription drug – to be sold by retail on the prescription of a Registered Medical Practitioner only. Hydroxychloroquine requires baseline and periodic eye examinations and long-term medical supervision. This information is for general awareness and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.