Just a reminder to those who tout HydroxyChloroquine as a miracle cure... it also comes with a major risk of loss of vision. But that doesn’t occur immediately, it slowly builds in your eye(s) until late in life where a dr informs you the vision loss can’t be reversed...

I have seen just how devastating this drug/dangers can be. My mom developed Wet AMD in one eye, choroidial neovascularization in the other. Her retinal specialist placed the blame squarely on the Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine) she took for years to treat Lupus.

The loss of vision (80% loss in left eye, 60% in the right) has had a profound impact on my mother. She’s not the same woman anymore, emotionally or physically. These conditions took away a part of her spirit that I have been unable to help replace.

To be honest, I’m rather surprised by the large number of Lupus patients still prescribed Plaquenil for treatment. I wonder how many have *really* been informed of these likely side effects. I wonder how many COVID patients have been told the same before receiving this drug...

more to the point, I worry what might happen if my mom contracted the virus and had to go to the hospital. Would she be pushed to take this scientifically unproven treatment? Would drs listen to her reasons if she refused (they haven’t listened before, why would they start now?)

My mom has a very dark humor, and has said “Tr**p’s bs is going to kill me or cause me to go fully blind. Anything to stop .”

Not sure where this thread was going, aside from warning on the dangers of trying to rush new medical treatments. I’m no doctor, just a concerned son and caregiver who is tired of seeing unproven science irresponsibly touted as a miracle.

And I really wish Twitter would add an option to specifically report medical misinformation.

Quick shout out to the gatekeepers and caregivers doing what’s needed right now to care for their parents, family or other loved ones...