Dr. Nesheiwat says it is 'smart' for Trump to preventatively take hydroxychloroquine
Fox News medical contributor Dr. Janette Nesheiwat reacts to President Trump announcement that he has been taking hydroxychloroquine.
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Fox News medical contributor Dr. Janette Nesheiwat joined "Your World" Monday to discuss hydroxychloroquine after President Trump disclosed that he is regularly taking the antimalarial drug as a preventative measure against contracting the coronavirus.
"You have to have a discussion with your doctor to decide if it is best for you," Nesheiwat warned. "It is not going to be good for everyone but it may be beneficial and potentially life-saving for others.
"So, I think it is good to have this medication in our toolbox along with remdesivir while we wait for a vaccine to become approved," she added.
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During a roundtable with restaurant industry leaders in the White House’s State Dining Room Monday, Trump told reporters he began taking the drug nearly a week and a half ago.
"I think it's good," he said. "I've heard a lot good stories. And if it's not good, I'll tell you right [now], I'm not going to get hurt by it."
Hydroxychloroquine, which was heavily touted by Trump during the White House coronavirus task force's daily briefings in late March and throughout April, has elicited mixed reactions from doctors about the drug's effectiveness in treating COVID-19.
In late April, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned against the use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine in combination with azithromycin, following reports of “serious heart rhythm problems” in COVID-19 patients who had been treated with the medications.
"We have to look at the individual’s medical history," Nesheiwat emphasized. "What medicines are they on? Do they have any underlying medical problems? This is not a medication for everyone. But it is important to have that conversation with your doctor to define is it best for you? Are you at a higher risk of death for the coronavirus?"
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Nesheiwat also said she thinks it is "very smart" for Trump to take the drug as a "prophylactic preventative measure" after members of his administration tested positive for the virus in recent days
"Now," the doctor warned, "if you have underlying cardiac arrhythmia, we need to be careful. We might not want to put you on that unless you are on your deathbed and it is your last resort."
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Nesheiwat said she had personally prescribed hydroxychloroquine to many of her patients, with mixed results.
"For some of them, they said it helped tremendously. For some of them, it didn't make much of a change," she explained, reiterating the importance of "having a discussion with your doctor to decide if it is best for you."
Fox News' Chris Ciaccia contributed to this report.
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