Chloroquinine - Covid- 19 wonder drug or snake oil?

[Eagleye]

Read this with interest,

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8131877/B...

Surprised I've not seen reference on here.

Can any of our members who know their st on medical stuff comment please?

I seem to remember issues with this drug as an anti-malaria treatment but surely not shut down the world issues.

If it was the magic potion we need, surely the likes of China or Italy would be shouting this from the roof tops.

[greygoose]

Wasn’t it the anti malarial drug Lariam which had dire side effects with psychiatric illnesses for some users?

[Eagleye]

greygoose said:

Wasn’t it the anti malarial drug Lariam which had dire side effects with psychiatric illnesses for some users?

That's the one. The only reason I'm not dangerous is because I don't pretend to know what I'm talking about.

Thanks.

Just spoke to my mate at the pharmacy, they've got quite a bit of chloroquinine in stock!

Is this the next panic buy?

[GT03ROB]

Eagleye said:

Just spoke to my mate at the pharmacy, they've got quite a bit of chloroquinine in stock!

Is this the next panic buy?

As it's probably prescription only, unlikely!

[Paul Dishman]

GT03ROB said:

Eagleye said:

Just spoke to my mate at the pharmacy, they've got quite a bit of chloroquinine in stock!

Is this the next panic buy?

As it's probably prescription only, unlikely!

They've probably got Hydroxychloroquine in stock (Plaquenil), we had one or two patients on it for rheumatoid arthritis. It's Prescription only. From memory Chloroquine was Pharmacy only for malaria prophylaxis, but I can't see any pharmacy selling it now.

[geeks]

Gromm said:

If it was effective against COVID-19, do you think Italian and other doctors wouldn't be using it by already? Perhaps they just do not understand English or read Twitter experts' posts.

Have you read the article?

[ATG]

Trump is talking out of his arse as usual and researchers are trialling cholorquine. Why would we be seeking to duplicate the trials in the UK if someone else is already doing it? Why would anyone be making any assumptions about its efficacy before there was reasonable evidence that it is helpful?

As per usual with The Mail, there is bugger all story here.

[Eagleye]

Gromm said:

If it was effective against COVID-19, do you think Italian and other doctors won't be using it already? Perhaps they just do not understand English or read Twitter experts' posts.

Not everyone has a PH account you know!

Seriously though, I'm not sure if it came across but the fact that I'm quoting the DM is the clue that it's bks but want to hear the medical arguments for it being so.

You wouldn't believe the amount of crap I'm hearing from people and I struggle to ignore them. They are well meaning and truly frightened and it takes huge strength on my part to show the error of their source rather than tell them to shut the fk up.

[Gromm]

geeks said:

Gromm said:

If it was effective against COVID-19, do you think Italian and other doctors wouldn't be using it by already? Perhaps they just do not understand English or read Twitter experts' posts.

Have you read the article?

I have now. see my reply below.

Eagleye said:

Gromm said:

If it was effective against COVID-19, do you think Italian and other doctors won't be using it already? Perhaps they just do not understand English or read Twitter experts' posts.

Not everyone has a PH account you know!

Seriously though, I'm not sure if it came across but the fact that I'm quoting the DM is the clue that it's bks but want to hear the medical arguments for it being so.

You wouldn't believe the amount of crap I'm hearing from people and I struggle to ignore them. They are well meaning and truly frightened and it takes huge strength on my part to show the error of their source rather than tell them to shut the fk up.

If we can use one of the existing drugs to fight CV19 that's even better, however one needs to maintain a healthy dose of skepticism especially at time when there is no specific anti CV19 treatment is available. I can understand why would Lopinavir/ritonavir (anti HIV) or Favipiravir (anti flu) class of drugs may be able to suppress the CV19 virus either in its current or tweaked form, but how and who've thought to use an anti malaria drug (completely different pathogen and pharmacodynamics) on CV19 patients. Then again, I also aware that some drugs can be repurposed to treat a different condition to what they'd been originally developed or intended for. What I am trying to say is if Hydroxychloroquine was so effective why it's not widely used as a last resort drug in Italy where hundreds of patients are dying each day. Anyway, I hope there is something there, and it may prove to be effective in combination with other drugs, I just think we should exercise a caution at this stage and focus people's mind on prevention rather than potential cure which may be rather far away.

Edited by Gromm on Friday 20th March 15:53

[Eagleye]

Many thanks for the explanation. Very much appreciated.

[Jambo85]

I got treated for malaria with it around 10 years ago. It has the annoying side effect making your ears ring when the dose is high enough to deal with malaria!

[Speckle]

I've been taking Hyrdroxychloroquine for arthritis for years, which is apparently a less toxic version of the same drug.

I have no clue if that gives me any kind of advantage but, I am hopeful that they have identified a potential solution already and have plenty available for everyone!

[ATG]

Cholorquine can be used to treat some diseases caused by viruses, so I assume that's why it is being tried against covid-19. That is obviously very different from its use against malaria which is caused by a single-celled parasitic organism (think amoeba). The difference between a virus and an amoeba is enormous. I can't think of a good analogy so I'll use a ste one instead. If the amoeba was a cargo ship, the virus might be the blueprints in a ring binder for a new bow door.

[pharmvrs]

Paul Dishman said:

They've probably got Hydroxychloroquine in stock (Plaquenil), we had one or two patients on it for rheumatoid arthritis. It's Prescription only. From memory Chloroquine was Pharmacy only for malaria prophylaxis, but I can't see any pharmacy selling it now.

Avloclor is available as a P med - Must be 5 years since I had a request for it.