Has anyone used Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) for oral lichen planus?

I’m having stomach issues and dizziness as side effects. Anyone else?

Hi! I’ve been taking hydroxychloroquine for OLP for about a year. It has helped tremendously with the peeling of skin, sores, Wickham’s striae, and burning mouth and tongue. It isn’t completely resolved but I can deal with it. The side effects are diarrhea a few times a day, insomnia, mild nausea that comes and goes. When I first started taking it I had stomach pain for about three weeks, but it eventually stopped. My dermatologist recommended I alternate two pills every other day. So I took one pill this morning and I’ll take two pills tomorrow morning. Taking it in the morning prevents insomnia. Finally, get your eyes checked by an ophthalmologist once a year.

@ixchel13 Hi! Thanks for the information. The side effects dont sound fun either. I am glad to heear you are getting some relief though.

I am taking it for RA and it helped with my lichen planus rash. I had 4 Rituxan infusions for ANCA Vasculitis and that rash disappeared. I now have a different rash! I do have dizziness and my glucose can be quite low. We are monitoring that,.,

In 2018 I started having the painful ulcerations in my mouth, actinic chelitis (corners of mouth crack and bleed and are sore, hard to open mouth very wide), lip involvement (if I bumped my lips, they would bleed, and they were inflamed, and bright red), it was hard to eat due to the absolute soreness in mouth. I went to 2 dentists in town, they didn't know. Went to an ENT, and he put me thru a topical med called Efudex, a cancer treatment. That was AWFUL...burned, basically took the top layer of skin off my lips, was healing for months, they are an uneven red color now and have to keep them out of the sun! So I went to the Anschutz campus of CU school of dentistry in the Denver area. It took me a year to find him. The doc was an oral tissue specialist, he diagnosed OLP, started me on clobetasol, nystatin, and dexamethasone, and 400 mg of hydroxychloroquine 2 x day. I recently dropped the dose to 200 mg 1xday to see what would happen. Had a period of a ''piss off'' mouth, but I persevered and now only have a few oral blisters a month, I can handle that. I had to reduce many of my meds, including HCQ due to kidney issues. I had they typical early side effects with HCQ, but they resolved. Stay away from constant use of clobetasol as it is a steroid. Do constant checks of the inside of your mouth, get a strong flashlight, shut off the lights and INSPECT every inch of your oral cavity. God Bless all the OLPers out there!

Just a side note to my post above. I keep Aquaphor on my lips all day and all night just to keep them moisturized, as they dry out so easily. On my walks, I apply a zinc based sun blocker on my lips, from Elta MD company, it has helped immensely. And HCQ can cause photosensitivity of the skin....so slather on the sunscreen when you're outside.

Hi
I've OLP for about 6 years and OP in my genitals and I suspect, in my oesophagus - difficulty swallowing, feeling of constriction and ulcers for approx. 1 year.
Saw a dermatologist at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane 3rd Feb 2026, prescribed hydroxychloroquine at 2 tabs per day.
I've had a very positive result in as much as the affected area in genitals is gone, no more swallowing troubles and a huge reduction in the soreness and gum issues in my mouth.
Why did I have to wait 6 years, 2 biopsies and much pain to get this relief?
No nausea, and very mild diarrhea.
Keep persisting.
Enjoy reading and learning from all the comments.
Cheers

I have cutanious LP and oral LP. My skin and mouth have improved a lot since starting Plaquinel five months ago. I am also diagnosed with lupus, and will occasionally still experience mouth breakouts during a flare.

@ladonnai
I have been using clobetesol gel on my skin for over three years. Do you think that is a concern - or were you speaking only about oral LP?

@ladonnai Thank you, I appreciate your input. Take care.