AdverseEvent.ai
This page presents data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) and the FDA-approved drug label. A report submitted to FAERS does not prove a drug caused the reported event. Always consult a healthcare provider about medications.

Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate

Last updated: June 20, 2026
Preview tracking

Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate is a medication. According to the FDA-approved label, Hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets are an antimalarial and antirheumatic indicated for the: Treatment of uncomplicated malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium vivax in adult and pediatric patients. FAERS contains 89,514 submissions naming this drug from 2004 through 2026; the top three reactions cited are drug ineffective, rheumatoid arthritis, and pain.

Most-Reported Reactions

Counts of the reactions most often cited in FAERS submissions that named Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate. Inclusion here does not establish causation - submitters describe what was observed, not what was confirmed. One submission can list several reactions, so the totals exceed the report count.

DRUG INEFFECTIVE 29,072 (32.5%) RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS 20,306 (22.7%) PAIN 16,567 (18.5%) FATIGUE 14,062 (15.7%) ARTHRALGIA 13,793 (15.4%) DRUG INTOLERANCE 12,315 (13.8%) JOINT SWELLING 12,248 (13.7%) OFF LABEL USE 11,210 (12.5%) RASH 10,628 (11.9%) ABDOMINAL DISCOMFORT 9,652 (10.8%) CONTRAINDICATED PRODUCT ADMINISTERED 9,558 (10.7%) ALOPECIA 9,506 (10.6%) NAUSEA 9,339 (10.4%) ARTHROPATHY 8,790 (9.8%) SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS 8,775 (9.8%)

Patient Demographics

Patient sex and age across the FAERS submissions that named Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate. Percentages here are computed only from submissions where these fields were filled in - many leave them blank.

By Sex

Female Male Unknown

By Age Group

0-17 18-44 45-64 65+

Severity Outcomes

Severity flags recorded across the 89,514 FAERS submissions that named Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate. Each bar shows the count of those reports carrying that flag. A single case can carry more than one (a hospitalization that became life-threatening, for example), so these bars are independent rates - they don't sum to 100%. Inclusion of a case under any flag does not establish that the drug caused the outcome.

DEATH 6,003 (6.7%) HOSPITALIZATION 22,122 (24.7%) LIFE-THREATENING 5,832 (6.5%) DISABLING 8,199 (9.2%)

Submissions Per Quarter

Quarterly count of FAERS submissions that named Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate. Ups and downs on this chart can track prescribing volume, news cycles, or shifts in how reports get filed, rather than the drug becoming safer or more dangerous.

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

From the FDA-Approved Label

Excerpts from the official FDA-approved prescribing information for Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate. This is the authoritative source on indications, warnings, and known adverse reactions.

Indications

1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets are an antimalarial and antirheumatic indicated for the: Treatment of uncomplicated malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium vivax in adult and pediatric patients. ( 1.1 ) Prophylaxis of malaria in geographic areas where chloroquine resistance is not reported in adult and pediatric patients. ( 1.1 ) Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in adults. ( 1.2 ) Treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus in adults. ( 1.3 ) Treatment of chronic discoid lupus erythematosus in adults. ( 1.4 ) Limitations of Use ( 1.1 ): Hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets are not recommended for the: Treatment of complicated malaria. Treatment of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine-resistant strains of Plasmodium species. Treatment of malaria acquired in geographic areas where chloroquine resistance occurs or when the Plasmodium species has not been identified. Prophylaxis of malaria in geographic areas where chloroquine resistance occurs. Prevention of relapses of P. vivax or P. ovale because it is not active against the hypnozoite liver stage forms of these parasites. For radical cure of P. vivax and P. (continues in label)

Adverse Reactions (from label)

6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The following adverse reactions are described in greater detail in other sections: Cardiomyopathy and Ventricular Arrhythmias [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] Retinal Toxicity [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] Serious Skin Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ] Worsening of Psoriasis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ] Risks Associated with Use in Porphyria [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5) ] Hematologic Toxicity [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6) ] Hemolytic Anemia Associated with G6PD [see Warnings and Precautions (5.7) ] Skeletal Muscle Myopathy or Neuropathy [see Warnings and Precautions (5.8) ] Neuropsychiatric Reactions Including Suicidality [see Warnings and Precautions (5.9) ] Hypoglycemia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.10) ] Renal Toxicity [see Warnings and Precautions (5.11) ] The following adverse reactions have been identified during post-approval use of 4-aminoquinoline drugs, including hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure: Bloo...

FDA label effective date: 2025-10-09

Disclaimer

AdverseEvent.ai is not affiliated with the FDA. Adverse-event counts come from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Drug labels come from the FDA drug label dataset. A report submitted to FAERS does not prove a drug caused the reported event — always consult a healthcare provider about medications. This site is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.