Right medication

[Lomo1964]

Hi everyone. I spoke to the rhumy nurse after calling as swelling of my hands seems to be getting worse and my aches are getting worse too. She said that I may have not been on Azathioprine 125mg and hydroxychliroquine 400mg for long enough which has been 5 months and offered me more steroids which I don't want to keep taking so she told me to take naproxen 500mg twice a day. Has anyone taken these Azathioprine and hydroxychliroquine as I don't see any posts about them and if they work. Are they a cheaper medication? As I haven't heard much about them on this site i am afraid these are not the best medication. Thank you x

[helixhelix]

They are both used quite frequently, if you use search box on top right of screen you'll find old posts about them.

The thing to bear in mind is that with this disease there's no such thing as the "best" medicine as what works for one person does nothing for the next. I think we all get drug envy from time to time and feel sure that drug X is what we need. But what's important is whether it works for you. And 5 months at a full dose seems a pretty good trial so start nagging your rheumy team to take you concerns seriously. Are your inflammatory markers rising? As if they are they can't really continue to say that these drugs are working.

[Lomo1964 in reply to helixhelix]

Hi thank you for your reply. I am seronegative but last time I seen the dr he said my inflammation had gone down as I am new to all this I don't really understand

[Fra22-57]

I am on hydroxychlorine and it improved me greatly in a short time .I haven't noticed any side effects too .you need to have regular eye tests as it can effect your retina . I wear contacts and have just had test and all ok

[Joy_1]

Hi, I started on Azathioprine when I first got RA in 2012. Along with Pred. and Hydrochloro... Everything seemed to be working wonderfully and I went back to the person I was before RA. Then I started to come off the Pred and as soon as I got below 10mg of Pred. I started having problems again. To cut a long story short it took them a long time to realize the Aza... was not working as my inflammotory markers were normal.

I was told at the time that Aza.. takes about 6 months to work.

It is not about how cheap this drug is as I understand, it's used as it has few side effects.

I have a cousin who has Lupus and she has done well on Aza for 12 years and counting.