Hydroxychloroquine is basically an anti-malarial drug. It is used mostly to treat acute malaria infection. Most times, hydroxychloroquine is usually prescribed to be taken when traveling to an area where you would be more vulnerable to malaria attacks. Aside from this, hydroxychloroquine can also be used in the treatment of certain diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, discoid and systemic lupus erythematosus and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Mostly, this drug works by regulating the activities of the immunity system. As a result, it will stop the immune system from attacking the joints, especially if a patient is suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. The benefit of this drug for anyone suffering from any of the diseases is that it will help treat and prevent malaria; it will reduce joint stiffness, pain, and swelling of the joint. At times, you will need to talk about this drug together with other drugs.
Also, it is important to know that it usually takes about 8 to 12 weeks before this drug starts producing these benefits.