heparin vs hydroxychloroquine
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Side-by-side comparison of heparin and hydroxychloroquine. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
moderate Known Drug Interaction
7.2 Platelet Inhibitors Drugs such as NSAIDS (including salicylic acid, ibuprofen, indomethacin, and celecoxib), dextran, phenylbutazone, thienopyridines, dipyridamole, hydroxychloroquine, glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonists (including abciximab, eptifibatide, and tirofiban), and others that interfere with platelet-aggregation reactions (the main hemostatic defense of heparinized patients) may induce bleeding and should be used with caution in patients receiving heparin sodium.
Heparin Sodium
Plaquenil
Heparin is a medicine that helps prevent and treat blood clots. It is given as an injection into a vein or under the skin.
Hydroxychloroquine is a drug used to treat or prevent malaria, and to treat certain autoimmune diseases. It works by interfering with the immune system and by killing malaria parasites.
Heparin is used to prevent and treat blood clots in your veins and lungs. It can also prevent clots after surgery or if you have an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation. Heparin can also treat blood clotting problems throughout your body and prevent clots during surgery, blood transfusions, or dialysis.
This medicine can treat uncomplicated malaria caused by certain parasites. It can also prevent malaria in areas where the parasites are not resistant to the drug. Hydroxychloroquine also treats rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and chronic discoid lupus erythematosus.
Heparin works by stopping certain proteins in your blood from forming clots. It helps to thin your blood and prevent new clots from forming. It does not dissolve existing blood clots, but it can keep them from getting bigger.
Hydroxychloroquine is an antimalarial and antirheumatic drug. It is thought to work by interfering with the immune system's activity. It also stops the growth of malaria parasites in red blood cells.
- • Bleeding
- • Irritation at the injection site
- • Allergic reactions
- • Increased liver enzyme levels
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Diarrhea
- • Abdominal pain
- • Fatigue
- Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia 1,207
- Nausea 708
- Drug Hypersensitivity 603
- Vomiting 572
- Hypotension 547
- Rheumatoid Arthritis 12,921
- Pain 10,409
- Arthralgia 9,276
- Fatigue 8,853
- Joint Swelling 8,528
Heparin can cause serious bleeding, which can be fatal. It can also cause a severe reaction called heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), where your body attacks your own platelets. Make sure your doctor knows if you have ever had HIT. Using the wrong strength of heparin can also cause fatal bleeding.
This drug can cause heart problems, including a weakened heart muscle and irregular heartbeats. It can also cause irreversible damage to your retina, so regular eye exams are needed. This medicine can also cause serious skin reactions. If you have psoriasis or porphyria, talk to your doctor before taking this medicine. It can also cause liver and kidney problems.
If you are pregnant, talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of using heparin. Preservative-free heparin is recommended during pregnancy if available. It is not known if heparin passes into breast milk, so it is recommended to avoid breastfeeding while using this medicine.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. This drug can cross the placenta, but studies haven't shown a risk of major birth defects. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking this medicine while pregnant. Hydroxychloroquine passes into breast milk. Talk to your doctor about breastfeeding while taking this medicine.
Also Compare, Nearby Drugs
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How to Read This heparin vs hydroxychloroquine Comparison
heparin is classified in the Unfractionated Heparin drug class, while hydroxychloroquine sits within the Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drug (DMARD) class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, heparin has 3,637 submissions while hydroxychloroquine has 49,987. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known moderate interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to hydroxychloroquine can interfere with how blood cells stick together to stop bleeding. when taken with a blood thinner like heparin, it increases the chance of serious bleeding.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for heparin or hydroxychloroquine.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.