Plaquenil

My doc makes it sound like a lot of patients don't get results from Plaquenil. I have a lot of lupus-similar problems as well with the psoriatic arthritis, but Plaquenil is the only pill I've taken that has worked for me - which is hard for my doc to believe. I think I got some relief from methotrexate and azulphidine, but I felt so rotten on them both that I barely noticed the improvement. I now take Arava with the plaquenil and am still doing well (knock on wood!) Remicade is the only other med I've had amazing results with. I'd still be on it if I didn't start having allergic reactions to it and it stopped working.

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I just started taking Plaquenil about a week ago and have seen so tired I can barely move. Guess that's the Lupus since the meds have to build up?

 

For many of us Plaq reduces the daily stiffness, fever, and fatigue from the RA. It's subtle and many times people don't really notice how much it's helping until they stop taking it.

I started on Plaquenil around July 2011. I felt better within days. A little more each day. My rheumatologist wouldn't increase my dose. He said it was impossible to feel a difference so quickly. My knees started working, my joints ached less, I could get out of bed... if I missed a dose or took it later than I was supposed to, I felt it.
I tried prednisone around the same time. A low dose caused severe mood swings, horrible road rage, and high blood pressure. Needless to say, I stopped taking pred.
Methotrexate caused constant dizziness, and vomiting every mid day. And these weird lumps around the injection sites. Post injection I'd be ill until the next day. Then I'd function for a couple of days then slide back down the hill of pain.
This January, my retina specialist said I have both types of irreversible eye damage that it can cause. This means I'm no longer a candidate for Plaquenil. I cried. In the eye Dr chair. I couldn't move. I didn't know how I was going to survive without Plaquenil. He had found both druisms and bubbles on my retinas. I cried like a baby. The blurry vision and color blindness might become permanent one day even after stopping it. They didn't taper me off. Just quit cold turkey.
Each week since, my joints start aching again. Knees are swollen. Spine hurts so bad. I could go on, but you know how Lupus & RA feels.
Now I wonder if arava does anything. And if sulfazine does anything besides cause wicked headaches?
Do I regret taking Plaquenil? No. Would I marry it? Oh heck yeah. Would I take it again? In a heartbeat.

I have been on Plaquenil for about 2.5 years and not had any problems until about 6 months ago when I suddenly developed photosensitivity. Now any time I am in the sun for even 15 mins, I develop an allergic rash on my neck and forearms. It's very itchy and embarrassing because it's bright red and lasts for a couple weeks. It had not happened in the first 2 years that I was on Plaquenil. I had gone to the Caribbean just a few months prior and no problems at all thankfully. Not sure why it came out at about the 2 year mark but I'm not happy about it. Up until then it has been great. No other problems or side effects and it has helped take care of the last bit of arthritis that the simponi aria was not catching. I stopped taking plaquenil last week and need to let my rheumatologist know to see what other option there is.

Hello Ksgma and welcome to HW. Does the gma in your handle stand for grandma?
I think plaquenil is fairly common and required med by insurance starting out. It usually doesn't have the side effects that prednisone and methotrexate have, and I think most tolerate it. For many of us, it just isn't strong enough to take care of the debilitating joint pain. But the rheumy can't move on to better, more expensive drugs until he has exhausted the less expensive ones.
Do you have an RA dx?
Unfortunately, all the RA drugs and RA itself has the potential of affecting our bodies in very scary ways. You will have to decide if the potential benefit outweighs the potential side effects. I am and have been fairly well controlled (with occasional flares) for ten years on methotrexate, biologics and low dose of prednisone. Being able to live my life fairly normally and in less pain made the choice for me easy.
Good luck and best wishes to you.
Btw, this is a very old thread you are posting to, and you may get a lot more responses from others if you start a new post and tell us a little about yourself.
Beth

Hello grandma of Kinsey. I hope you find something that suits you and can help with your pain. I take Aleve during the day and it seems to help also. Best wishes and keep us posted.
Beth
Grandma of Isabella