BLB Solicitors - The Leading Chronic Pain & CRPS Solicitors
BLB Solicitors - The Leading Chronic Pain & CRPS Solicitors
  • Home
  • Chronic Pain Claims
    • CRPS Compensation
    • Fibromyalgia Compensation
    • Myofascial Pain Syndrome Compensation
    • Somatic Symptom Disorder Compensation
    • Neuropathic Pain Compensation
    • Functional Neurological Disorder Compensation
    • Chronic Pain Syndrome Compensation
  • Case Studies
  • Chronic Pain Blog
  • Testimonials
  • Contact Us

Home » Hydroxychloroquine for CRPS

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Jan 27th, 2025
Hydroxychloroquine for CRPS

Hydroxychloroquine for CRPS

Andrew AtkinsonAndrew Atkinson considers how the benefits of Hydroxychloroquine for CRPS have been established in a small-scale clinical trial.

Call Andrew on 01225 462871 or complete the Contact Form below.

Before COVID-19, few had heard of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine. The pandemic soon put paid to that. Early on, the drug garnered much publicity as a possible means of preventing or treating the virus – an idea much encouraged by the then-occupant of the White House. However, multiple studies showed that hydroxychloroquine offers no identifiable benefit as a post-exposure prophylaxis or a treatment for COVID-19.

Hydroxychloroquine for CRPS

However, while its hoped-for efficacy for the virus proved unfounded, a study published by Stanford University suggests that hydroxychloroquine “may target the autoinflammatory component of CRPS.”

It’s thought an injury to the sympathetic nervous system – which is responsible for our so-called ‘fight or flight response’ – can trigger CRPS. But that’s a massive over-simplification because many mechanisms, including autoimmune and autoinflammatory components, are at work.

Autoinflammation

Following an injury or infection, our immune system triggers inflammation. Its purpose is to isolate ‘foreign’ substances and attract white blood cells to dispose of dead or damaged cells and anything harmful to the body. Autoinflammation is a term used to describe a situation where our inflammatory response continues long after the injury has healed or even when there’s no identifiable injury.

Autoimmune conditions

Doctors have long used hydroxychloroquine’s ability to suppress an overactive immune response to treat autoimmune conditions such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. And this made researchers wonder whether it might also be effective against otherwise therapy-resistant CRPS. So, they prescribed hydroxychloroquine to seven volunteers with long-established CRPS, five of whom then reported reduced pain.

Before treatment, the seven scored their pain at an average of 6.8 out of 10. Following treatment, this decreased to an average of 3.8 out of 10.

Although the reduction in pain was the primary benefit, some of the group also reported an improvement in other symptoms. One experienced decreased redness and swelling in her affected foot, with these symptoms returning to their previous level on cessation of hydroxychloroquine. When recommenced, the symptoms again improved.

On repeating the experiment in mice, they achieved comparable results. Researchers believe the mechanism at work involves inflammatory cells in the brain and spinal cord called ‘microglia’. The inflammatory response is the result of the microglia releasing specific proteins. Earlier research demonstrated that hydroxychloroquine reduced the activation of microglia, lessening inflammation.

Taken together, the researchers believe these results and observations make a strong case for further feasibility studies for using hydroxychloroquine as a treatment in patients with therapy-resistant CRPS.

See also: Memantine for CRPS

Andrew Atkinson
Make an Enquiry

Contact Us

Contact Form

Left Column

Right Column

Centre

 
Sending

Recent Articles

  • The law on accessible toilets
  • Taking medication abroad
  • CRPS and excessive sweating
  • The importance of medical records in your CRPS compensation claim
  • CRPS and sleep

Share this Article

Newsletter Sign-up

* indicates required

Legal Glossary

Find Out More

You may also like...

  • Jan 26th, 2025
    Choosing a CRPS solicitor
    Read Article
  • Jan 28th, 2025
    Explaining CRPS to others
    Read Article
View All Related Articles

Get in Touch Today

Contact Form

Left Column

Right Column

Centre

 
Sending

1 Edgar Buildings,
George Street,
Bath, BA1 2DU

01225 462871 01225 445060
Authorised & Regulated by Solicitors Regulation Authority (No. 636644).
©2025 BLB Solicitors  |  Privacy & Terms