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Plaquenil for RA

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Posted 5/25/2011 12:53 AM (GMT 0)
Hello everyone.  Hope all is well and a better day for you as well.  As I know that everyday is a new day for all of us struggling through the day to day challenges of RA.

I just saw my Rheumy today and he has put me on Plaquenil.  Can anyone tell me more about this med?  I thought this was only for Lupus but I guess it is used for RA too.  My good friend who has SLE Lupus was on Plaquenil so she was a bit surprise to see I was put on it.  I do not have Lupus this has been tested.   I have RA and FM.

Posted 5/25/2011 11:16 PM (GMT 0)
Please keep us informed as to how well it works. I am very interested in this drug. Others on here have said it helps with the all-over aches and fatigue. I would like to try to get started on this, as I am nearly overwhelmed by the malaise and fatigue, all the time.

See this post:
www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=10&m=2105102

...Plaquenil was discussed for fatigue.

Post Edited (De La Rosa) : 5/25/2011 5:20:35 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 5/26/2011 11:43 AM (GMT 0)
I am one of the RA people on Plaq.
I love this drug. It helps a lot with the general fatigue, malaise, random fevers that I have even when my RA is not active in my joints.
For me Plaq alone was not enough to reduce the joint inflamation when it was really active so we added Methotrexate and now I am fine.
Posted 5/26/2011 9:32 PM (GMT 0)
I am on plaquenil and don't have a firm diagnosis(positive ANA, high sed rate, joint pain, fatigue, hair loss) but I will say it took a good 3 months for it to kick in for me at 400 mgs a day. I hope it works for you. Make sure you get an eye exam every year on plaquenil. It doesn't happen often but it can affect the retinas from what I hear.
Posted 5/26/2011 10:15 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you all. I appreciae the feedback. Yes, my rheumy did mention that I will need an eye exam (visual exam) every 6 months. Rheumy also said that it will take a couple of months before it kicks in. I have positive rheumatoid levels. January was 14.0 and current it is at 16. I am not too clear on what these numbers mean or if they can be fixed and go down or if once you have rised numbers there is no backsys? I heard of people that have very high numbers. Did anyone start with a low number and just saw it creep up and up?
Posted 5/26/2011 11:11 PM (GMT 0)
I started with a normal RF (I don't know what your 14 and 16 refer to but that would not be a positive rhuematoid factor-must be a differnt test) then had it shoot up to 150 in less then two weeks-that was only mildly positive but with the symptoms it was enough for a firm diagnosis.
Posted 5/27/2011 1:11 AM (GMT 0)
PlaQuenil waas originaly used as an AntiMalaria Drug,i was on it for a Short while and Developed a Severe Reaction i do know it works well for some people just be aware if you get a Temp or sore throat get it checked out asap. Good Luck all odds are it works well for RA
Posted 5/27/2011 9:09 PM (GMT 0)
Plaquenil worked wonderfully well for six months. It did take a while to kick in. After six months, I developed a sore tongue, and then red sore bumps on my tongue, so I was taken off if Plaquenil immediately. I have just started MTX. I hope Plaquenil owrks for you. I felt so well when I was taking that drug. You do need to get your eyes checked regularly when you take Plaquenil. Also, tell your rheumy if your ears should start to ring.

Best Wishes,
V
Posted 5/30/2011 9:49 PM (GMT 0)
sjkly, Hmm confused. My doctor told me this is a positive rheumatoid factor.
Posted 5/31/2011 12:48 AM (GMT 0)
Simplistic-perhaps he used a different test or reference range. Rhuematoid factor tests (15 years ago when I was first tested) were not considered positive unless they were in a much higher range but testing has changed...
Posted 5/31/2011 8:13 PM (GMT 0)
sjkly, could be. Thank you for your time. Hope all is well.
Posted 6/9/2011 11:56 PM (GMT 0)

jeanneac said...
I am on plaquenil and don't have a firm diagnosis(positive ANA, high sed rate, joint pain, fatigue, hair loss) but I will say it took a good 3 months for it to kick in for me at 400 mgs a day. I hope it works for you. Make sure you get an eye exam every year on plaquenil. It doesn't happen often but it can affect the retinas from what I hear.

Be very careful if you are taking plaquenil. My wife was on it for many years, and had annual check-ups with a supposedly high-quality opthamologist to check for retina damage. For whatever reason, he missed what he should have seen. End result, my wife has a severe case of "plaquenil toxicity" which has resulted in severe, permanent, irreversible damage to her retinas. Her vision is now significantly impaired with no hope of treatment. We have tracked down experts in this condition, and they could not offer her any hope of improvement.

Plaquenil is an effective drug for many who suffer from RA, but take the warnings of potential retina damage very seriously.
Posted 6/10/2011 6:56 PM (GMT 0)
SkeeterZX22v, thank you for the input. I had to stop Plaquenil. I had an allergic reaction to it. I first started w/ a sore throat and then I felt like my neck was going to break from the pain and felt as if somone was choking me. This started on the 7th dose of Plaquenil. I stopped it now and will not be taking it, but I think it screwed me up. I ended up going to the eye doctor because my left eye was painful and blurred. I thought it cant be the Plaquenil I haven't been on it long enough, well I currently have inflammation of the left eye which I have never had any eye problems only the norm of annual exams for eyewear glasses and/or contact lenses. My left side of my face, neck, ear and eye hurt so bad I can't stand it anymore. So I am not sure if the RA is just flaring or if the Plaquenil triggered all these issues. All I know is I am so uncomfortable as we speak. Thanks for listening.
Posted 6/12/2011 12:05 AM (GMT 0)
Stephanie did you see an opthamologist? Inflamation in the eye Iritis, is very common in people with autoimmune disorders and needs to be treated immediately with pred forte eye drops.
Posted 6/13/2011 2:30 AM (GMT 0)
Yes, I did get steroid eye drops. My eye was very inflammed. I believe the reaction to the plaquenil really hurt me more than help. I only took for a 1.5 week but I noticed that I felt strain on my neck. Well, to make a long story short, I ended up in the ER Friday evening because I could not move my neck and I was in so much pain. I was not sure if it was related to RA or if this was something else. The not being able to flex my neck kind of scared. I thought perhaps meningitis, but luckily, it was only chronic muscle spams so the ER doctor said. I am much better now. I took muscle relaxants and this helped a lot.
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