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Have I made right decision????

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Posted 5/1/2007 3:30 AM (GMT 0)
 I seen rhuemy today & she was more than willing to change my med. I am on 400mg of plaq a day. The problem is I still have major pain before & during my period. She feels that this is related to my lupus. I have only been on plaq 2-2 half mo's. I told her I would rather wait a couple of mo's & see if the plaq will work better. I do not want to make that rash of a decision untill I've gave the plaq a good try. She made me promise if the symptoms got worse I would come in before my next scheduled appt. Also I feel like such an idiot! I thought because I was on plaq I could go outside a little more than what I have been, This last wk. I've noticed my skin hurting, being nausious & fatigued. I thought I was getting worse! She told me that the plaq make you more sun sensative! Has anyone noticed this? She also told me to wear sunscreen indoors.
Posted 5/1/2007 3:35 AM (GMT 0)
I haven't heard of the Plaq causing more problems with the sun, actually I have heard the opposite. I have been on Plaq since January and to be honest, I am still having problems with the sun (about the same). Nausea and fatigue are my biggest problems with the sun too. I know that the Plaq thing will come up too on my next appt and I'm not sure what will happen. I know that I need to give it more time but I think I would feel better by now. I do feel a little better joint pain wise however the other stuff is still there with not much change. If you feel you didn't make the right decision, the good news is that you can always go back and see what other options you have. I do hope that the Plaq starts working more for you in the meantime.

Take Care
Posted 5/1/2007 12:13 PM (GMT 0)
Hi bhkhhh

 

I am just adding what info I have regarding plaq, and the sun.

On my prescription bottle it says "You should avoid prolonged, or excessive exposure to direct and/or artificial sunlight while taking this medication"

Hope this helps

 

Diane

Posted 5/1/2007 12:33 PM (GMT 0)
Also there is a new kind of sunscreen that protects better than the old stuff. I don't have my tube otherwise I could tell you the ingredient but it is a big deal because apparently the old stuff is rated only for one wave length of uv despite saying uva/uvb on it. There was a big stink in the news last year. The stuff I got was expensive but actually it causes fewer problems with my sensitive skin too.
Posted 5/1/2007 6:23 PM (GMT 0)
bh....I was told the same thing about plaquenil and the sun by my rheumy.
Posted 5/2/2007 12:13 AM (GMT 0)
The listed side effects of plaquenil do warn you that you may become sensitive to sunlight. I was a bit sensitive, as most of you are, before plaquenil, but I definitely avoid the sun now. Also, 2 months is not a long time to give plaquenil a try. 4-6 months may be the average length of time before anyone will see any effects. That's not to say that some will feel effects sooner, but most will take longer than 2 months. Personally, I never have felt the effects of plaquenil, and I've been on it almost a year. My rheumy keeps me on it, though, so I assume there's a reason.

I don't think asking your rheumy to wait a bit is unreasonable. I have never heard of wearing sunscreen indoors, though? You must be very very sensitive to sunlight.

Elcamino
Posted 5/2/2007 12:31 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for all the responces. It may just be the time of yr. Last yr at this time is when it hit me & never let up until they dx'ed me. I just have a hard time believing the sun makes me so sick, I used to live outside & allways tanned darker than most. I really do want to give the plaq longer to work, I have seen where some people take up to 6 mo.
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