Sjogren's Syndrome Support Group

I can say without reservation it works. The biggest hurdle for people starting on it is stomach issues. If you eat a meal and take it , its much easier on the stomach.

Side effects on every drug known to man doesn't mean you will experience any. Plaquenil has the least amount in this class of drug from every thing I've learned. You can also have eye issues (rare) so an eye care doctor once a year is recommended.

We've all felt that way when you research a new drug, its scary. As long as you aren't on all kinds of other drugs. Go ask your pharmacist too.
Also the dose is huge in any side effects. My dose is really low for the size of me. Keep the dosage low ....wean yourself on it. Also it will keep your joints from damage over time. RA is really hard on joints.

There are many people in here on plaquenil. As for your condition its gets worse over time is most of our experiences. Mines prgressively gotten worse over the years. Now its under control and my joints feel 100% better. I had serious swelling and never knew which joint was next. Knee, hip, shoulder, elbows, neck etc...

READ THIS:
http://arthritis.about.com/od/plaq...

In most cases it slows down the progression of the disease. It has very very few side effects. Like tom said take with food. Make sure you have a baseline eye test so they can compare your eyes at later date. I get mine checked every six months thereafter. It is indeed rare that you will develop eye problems. hugs marilyn

Hi Kristy. I started Plaquenil about 3 weeks ago. I made sure to start with 1/2 the dosage, taking only at night until I felt like I could take the other pill in the morning. Taking it with food is recommended right on the bottle, so be sure to do that. I also take Lyrica and started it the same way, slow and easy. Lyrica was much harder to adjust to than Plaquenil. I did not have nearly the initial side affects on the Plaquenil.

Between the 2 drugs (I've been taking the Lyrica about 2 months), I'm feeling better definetly. I still have problems with pain, fibro fog and tiredness, but I believe they are working for me.

Good luck.

Hit there MissKristy...just to let you know that there are side effects to taking most drugs but the ones from taking Plaquenil are minimal unless taken long term (many years)...this drug is considered a disease modifyer but the exact mechanism of how it works on patients with auto-immune disorders isnt exactly known but that it does work by modifying our dna so that it doesnt attack our own self...I was leary of taking it too but did a ton of research on it and discovered that it has less side effects than prednisone or methotrexate...I have been on Plaquenil for 3 months now and have only had some mild abdominal issues and some nausea but that has subsided...I dont know how long I will take it for but I am sure that my Doc will let me know after my next labs in January...so far the Plaquenil has been beneficial by decreasing my fatigue levels and now I can make it through a day without needing any catnaps...YEA....also my joint pain isnt as pronounced...anyhoos I hope that all is going great for you...take great care of yourself & keep us posted!
~Donna

Thank you all for your responses. I will start it after i see my doctor tomorrow who I need to talk to first because she has me on other medications and want to find out if I should stop other meds before starting this one. You have all made me feel better about taking Plaquenil. It means a lot to me. Great group of people here

Hi, I have been on Plaquneil for more than a year now. It was hard at first, but my doc said if I could just hold on through the nausea and other side effects for the first few weeks that it would help. And it did.
I lost a few pounds and gritted my teeth through the first two weeks and then i saw positive changes in the way my body felt. The most dramatic change was the swelling in my hands. I still have flares of symptoms, but they are to a lesser degree than before. I really hope it works for you.
My doc makes sure I see the eye doctor for regular checkups. But for me the inital yucky feeling was worth it, because I feel much better now. I have had sjogren's for ten years and I am managing much better on plaquenil.
Good luck and let me know how you are feeling.
Connielea

I have been on Plaquenil for 4 months and I feel much better. I noticed a difference after about 6-7 weeks. I did not have any stomach problems with it. I always take 400 mg after breakfast. I did have intense itching for a few weeks but that has stopped. I hope I never need to stop this med. I have my life back. No more fatigue and body aches. I do not feel like I have the flu everyday anymore. Yeah!!!

Well I have been on it for a few days now. The only thing that happened was I got pain in my shoulder and a knot on my index finger in the joint. Is this typical? To bring on a flare up? I feel better today. Just slight stomach discomfort and more bowel movements. But overall, I had nothing to to fear but the fear of starting the medication. Thank you all for the encouragement. I was scared but now I know that the worry was for nothing. xxxxxx Hugs, Kristy

Plaquenil did help me, but after about 6 months I starting losing my hair, and started seeing spots (like bright flashes of light). The side effects weren't worth it to me.

Misskristy-

It takes six weeks for it to take effect. It's a very slow working drug.

:-)