HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Thinking of trying Plaqunel again

Support Forums
>
Lupus
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 4/3/2008 11:00 AM (GMT 0)
Hi all I was thinking about trying Plaqunel(sp) again. Last time I was on it I had very bad tummy problems. What went in came right back out. Any suggestions on how to start out and do I need to be on steroids. I do not want to put on amy more weight my drs are after me about that as it is. I am not as active as I was before.

                                      Thanks in advance for any help

Posted 4/3/2008 3:14 PM (GMT 0)
Try the namebrand to start with and if you have to take two a day take one in the morning with food and the other later in the day with food utill your tummy gets use to it then you can get off the name brand later. I did this and I did fine I did gain weight on name brand but lost the weight when I change to generic. (Idon't know why) hope this helps, Linda
Posted 4/3/2008 4:49 PM (GMT 0)
I found the generic troublesome but was ok with the name brand. It is usually suggested to take with food -- and avoid grapefruit juice! I usually take mine with breakfast & eat a high-fiber breakfast like bran flakes. Good luck,
Posted 4/3/2008 6:24 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Denise, when I first started Plaquenil I had a lot of GI issues and my rheumy started me off very slowly, 1/2 tab every other day working my way up to 2 tabs a day with absolutely no problems at all. I have always taken the generic and at night with food. I hope it works well for you! Take care and let us know how it goes.
Posted 4/4/2008 12:29 AM (GMT 0)
I had the same problem-I had to go off plaq seven years ago because I felt perpetually motion sick. I just restarted it four months ago and though I had a few spells of nausia nothing like before. I haven't switched from the generic yet because I want to keep losing weight-the generic is killing my appitite. My rhuemy also says the brand name is less likely to cause stomach problems.
I find a few things really help,
Complex carbs (I do oatmeal) for breakfast with my first pill.
Then one hour latter more carbs (peanut butter crackers).
Small meals and snacks throughout the day-I never go more than three hours without eating because that will make me nausous
I take the second pill as late as possible with a carb snack and then just go to sleep-plaq actually seems to help me sleep.
Posted 4/5/2008 5:08 AM (GMT 0)

I have no advice, but this thread is giving me some, so thanks.

Doc suggested I start Plaquenil (he used the generic name, and I went crazy trying to research it, doh!) for the leg cramps that often keep me up all night.

I have IBS-D and celiac, which give me severe GI problems most of the time no matter how perfectly I eat, sleep, and exercise. And Plaquenil, it seems, would exacerbate that? No thanks.

More troubling, I have a disease that comprises an inflammation of my retina. In fact, it led to a cyst in my right retina and now I only have eyesight in the left eye. So although it apparently is rare, Plaquenil could damage my retina and I might lose what eyesight I do have??? NO.

I had an interesting discussion with a young friend of mine who has immune disease (not lupus). She would risk blindness to get rid of her exhaustion and pain. I would have to be in lots and lots more pain to do that.

I imagine I'm not the only one here who has to decide between the lady and the tiger. I'd be interested to hear other people's stories about how you weigh these things.

✚ New Topic ✚ Reply