Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...

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Saw RA Doctor today.

Grandpa2one
Grandpa2one
He stopped all my meds and wants me start Planquenil. Also, due to so much weight loss, he wants me to see my PCP and have a complete workup done. I'm due anyway so that's no big deal. I've lost almost 30 lbs since being diagnosed with RA. Don't know if that caused the weight loss or something else is going on?

He wants me try the Planquenil to see if I can tolerate it better than the MTX. I think, I recall seeing several of you are on it? What's been your experience? I'm just so worn out all the time and he thinks it might have been the MTX and other meds I was on.
GrammyKat
GrammyKat
Grampa2one, I am glad that you are having a full work up done. Always easier to fix things when they are caught early. I have been on Plaquenil for quit some time. I don't have any issues with it. I was on it with MTX, but had to stop the MTX. Just starting Arava, hoping they are a great team for me. The plaquenil was easy for my body to adjust to. I did not have any weight issues with it. When they put me on MTX, i started loosing weight. 30 pounds right off the bat, and now it has slowed down, but my clothes continue to get looser. (This was not a bad thing, I needed to loose)
I wish you the best of luck with the new med. Will be praying that it is just what you need right now.
Have a blessed day,
Kathy
Melinda56
Melinda56
Hi Grandpa2one, I'm glad that you are looking into your weight loss and I pray that you will soon have some answers. I have been on plaquenil since August of this year. So far so good. I seem to only feel the effects of RA mostly in my hands. My rheumy said that it may take up to 6 months to feel the most effect of this medicine. I am also on Celebrex, rheumy would like me to try to go off this med, but I'm hesitant to do this. I wish you the best. Lynn
bcatz
bcatz
I'm glad you are getting workup. Diabetes can be a prime suspect in weight loss. I've known several folks who had uncontrolled diabetes with weight loss.

Best of luck!
deleted_user
deleted_user
Goodluck Grandpa ..hope it works for you ..let us know please what they find out .
lretz
lretz
I couldn't handle mtx either. I just started Arava. Good luck with the plaquenil!
lretz
lretz
How long were you on mtx? Did you have other issues than weight loss?
Grandpa2one
Grandpa2one
@Iretz.....no other issues except for being wiped out the day after taking the MTX... I was only on it three months and was really surprised he pulled me so fast. I told him the other meds I was taking with MTX was the one that was making me sick all the time. It was a Sulfasclazine that was the culprit.
nancyfoco
nancyfoco
i've been on Plaquenil for almost four months. I've had no side effects and I think it is helping. i'll be taking my second dose of MTX tonight. So far, so good with that. I'm continuing the Plaquenil for now .