I need advice on Plaquinil!

I didn't think plaquenil was doing much for me until my Rheumy cut me off it. The fatigue and rashes exploded. It works in the background, I was much worse before plaquenil and off of it as well. It has helped alot to keep my hives at bay. I still have occasional skin flare ups but no where near as bad or long lasting. It also took about 6 months for it to start working for me. Have patience. Also I get mine through Xubex online pharmacy for $30 for 180 tablets. You can also apply directly to manufacturer for assistance through www.pparx.org. With the eyes, my eye doctor saw absolutely no signs of any toxicity in my visit that I was told to follow-up in one year. I have since learned that our Walmart eye care center has very inexpensive exam fees and they will do the visual field test for $20.00. I wish you the best of luck.

I am sorry that Plaquenil doesn't seem to be helping you enough but the antimalarials bring so many remarkable benefits it would be a great mistake to stop unless absolutely clinically necessary. It IS known how they work see Chapter 59 of Dubois LE the medical text book on lupus, which might be available online. There are a number of important mechanisms by which they modulate disease activity: one is to raise the Ph balance of the cells so fewer antibodies are produced. Another important mechanism is that they absorb UV rays. Flares are reduced and disease progression and worsening most likely inhibited

Apart from the obviously beneficial effects on certain symptoms such as skin and joints and fatigue, the antimalarials bring many hidden benefits such as slight blood thinning, reducing cholesterol, reducing the risk of diabetes, reducing osteoporosis.

The risk of eye damage is reckoned to be under 3% after 10 years of continuous use and is always reversible if no more than the maximum recommended dose has been used ( 6.5mgs per kilo, or 3 mgs per pound, of ideal body weight and patient not in kidney failure)
(DuBois p1164) American doctors recommend twice a year assuming everybody can afford it but once a year should be fine and some countries don't bother at all, although it seems to me well worth the expense for the reassurance. It's a good idea to get a baseline eye check to make sure there is no reason for not taking Plaquenil at all

However it sounds as if the Plaquenil might not be quite enough for you if new lesions are starting. The next drug to be added would usually be Quinacrine another antimalarial that works remarkably well with Plaquenil or chloroquine. Presumably you are avoiding sun and other UV exposure as much as possible, using a broad spectrum sunscreen all year round and applying often enough and sufficiently as well as using all other ways of protecting yourself such as broad brimmed hats umbrellas and so on. Quinacrine doesn't affect the eyes. You might be able to fine tune the dosages so you are taking less Plaquenil and the Quinacrine just a few times a week

All the best
BB

I took plaquenil for over a year, and I never thought that it did much for me at all.  I have since stopped taking it and have moved onto enbrel and methotrexate for RA.  They  help the arthritis greatly.  But I have other symptoms that are troublesome, primarily muscle soreness across shoulders and hips, extreme cold intolerance, and troublesome raynaud's.  Wondering if plaquenil will help those sx at all.

Others have told me they didn't realize plaquenil was doing anything until they stopped taking it.  I also understand the risk of eye disease is rare with this drug, especially at the doses a lupoid would take it at.

Elcamino