What does Plaquenil do?

What are everyone's thought on Plaquenil?

Good drug for Lyme, bad drug for Lyme?

What does it do exactly and how does it effectively reduce risk of relapse?

Does it accumulate in tissues? Is it toxic?

So far I read it alkalizes inside of cells. Makes intracellular antibiotics work better, and blocks some Borrelia enzymes. But how exactly does it bust cysts, and why do only some Lyme literate doctors use it?

Plaquenil is an antirheumatic drug that helps to modulate an overstimulated immune system and decrease pain and inflammation. It also shown effective in hitting cystic forms of Borrelia burgdorferi and alkalizing the intracellular compartment making antibiotics more effective.

Plaquenil is an anti-arthritis drug used to treat connective tissue disorders. What it does is make the body more alkaline. It is prescribed with Biaxin (Clarithromycin-an intracellular abx) a lot because by making the body more alkaline, the Biaxin can more easily penetrate the body's cells, which makes it up to 40% more effective.

If lowering the body's Ph enables the immune system and also antibiotics to more effectively go after an intracellular infection, increased pain from die off and inflammation could explain why some people would feel worse after taking it.

As far as it being a good or bad drug to use, I'm not sure. I know I have been one it a few times in my 4 years of treatment.
I seemed to do fine on it but here are some adverse reactions:
Psychiatric disorders: Nervousness, emotional lability, psychosis, suicidal behavior.

-Nervous system disorders: Dizziness, headache, convulsions have been reported with this class of drugs.

-Eye disorders: Retinopathy with changes in pigmentation and visual field defects have been reported. In its early form, it appears reversible on discontinuation of hydroxychloroquine. If allowed to develop, there may be a risk of progression even after treatment withdrawal. Cases of maculopathies and macular degeneration have been reported and may be irreversible.

-Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders: Bullous eruptions including very rare cases of Erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, photosensitivity and exfoliative dermatitis have been reported.


I don't believe it accumulates in the tissues but I could be wrong. That would be a good question for a LLMD. Is it toxic? I believe all abx can be toxic. Maybe because I have been on so many and just got worn out by constant treatment. That is why it's important to detox.

As far as why some drs use it and others don't. Again, I don't know. Maybe because they treat the person and not the disease. There are so many co-infections to take into account, body types, lifestyle situations...

It's for sure a learning process!

I know for sure it alkalizes the intracellular compartments, makes other abx work more effectively esspecially macrolides, and messes with some bacterial enzymes. Compared to metronidazole and tinidazole it is a milder cyst buster.

Some doctors say it is "immune modulator drug", some doctors say it suppresses the immune system. So really I am confused about it.

Also there is conflicting research in it's cyst capabilities, either creating cysts or destroying them. I think ultimately it just helps treat the intracellular bugs and because of that contributes to reduced risks of relapses.

I'm not getting any side effects from it. I just wonder if I should be taking it or not? I mean if I can start getting off of stuff that would be great because I am just soooo toxic... Ya that's basically my only symptom, just feeling toxic. I don't know I hear of stories of this stuff being really bad for the body, I hear stories that it is good for the body and treatment. Then I hear some LLMDs use it all the time, other LLDs don't use it at all.

I might cut this one down to 1 pill a day instead of the 2 pills that I am taking.

I take it the last 2 days of my 2 weeks on abx. 1 am and 1 pm. I used to herx bad from it, but am tolerating it fine now.

 was n plaquenil for the first month and then my doctor switched my to malarone. Have you hard of that ne? He switched in in place of the plaquenil for I think the same effect, whatever that is.

 

Leilex, I don't have Babs though.

Good point to speak with the doctor, I talk with him tomorrow.

I am on plaquenil as well and was advised by my LLMD to see an ophthalmologist for a base line on the eyes. I did just that because I only have one set of eye balls! The ophthalmologist explained to me a person typically would need to be on high doses of this drug for many years to see eye related side affects, hope this helps.

So does anyone have any clarity on what it does?

Does anyone know about the Bronson studies (I can't remember who researched it as a mild cyst buster)