Hydroxychloroquine

[Antbar]

Hey have recently been prescribed Hydroxychloroquine on top of the mtx I have taken for many years. Just interested if anyone takes this combination and what, if any, side effects etc to expect.

[Candy]

Hi, I’ve taken this with Methotrexate and Sulphasalazine for about 8 years. I don’t know the side effects listed, but I’ve not experienced any. I do know they recommend regular eye checks, which I do have. Hope it helps you. 😊

[Antbar in reply to Candy]

Thanks for that, reassuring.

Mitch

[KittyJ]

I’ve been taking this combination for 20+years with no problems. Yearly eye check for the hydroxy to look out for a rare eye condition. I hope it works for you 😊

[helixhelix]

I took this combo for 8+ years with no problem.

[Petio]

I've been on Mtx since June 2013 - 20mg sc weekly. Since 2017 they added Hydroxychloroquine and then they've reduced the Mtx dow to 7,5mg /wk

Makes a huge defference for me

[Antbar in reply to Petio]

Thanks for your reply, will not the reduction of mtx. Very reassuring thanks

[Zigzager]

I take mtx, plaquinil & currently an injection of Simponi monthly , my Rheumy likes a combination of meds. I have complete faith in her, as I went from the depths of severe onset RA TO living quite a normal life now . Still have RA but the fire is damped down for now

[sunnyweek]

I had methotrexate hydroxychloroquine and sulphasalazine combo for 8 years, before a biologic was added, with no side effects.

[lifeboatann58]

I take hydroxychloroquine twice a day and methoraxate and Benepali injections weekly, I don't have any problems. X

[Wrh03]

I am taking both hcq and MTX. Working quite well for me.

Side effects from hcq; sometimes tummy ache, always take with food. Also it gave me disturbed sleep, always take my dose in the morning. That fixed the sleep problem.

[Hisue]

Got some psychiatric issues/sensitivity to sound & malaise & very swollen ankles / like baseballs. Rheumy thought it was part of my RA or edema & depression but I looked it up it was from the meds-so discontinued.

[Nocciola]

My doctor added 200 mg hydroxy twice a day to my 20 mg weekly oral methotrexate, to decrease the possibility of a flare as I tapered off 5 mg daily prednisone. On day 12, I developed tinnitus, a headache, and such severe exhaustion that I had to take a sick day and remained in bed the entire day. I felt like I was over-medicated and being poisoned. The nurse said discontinue immediately. The next day those symptoms went away, but I developed a rash on my upper thighs and had to go to the doctor and obtain a prescription, for both oral medicine and an ointment, to address it.

My rheumatologist says the symptoms were side effects, that it was too early for the hydroxy to take effect. She attributes the rash to prednisone. But I never had the rash before taking hydroxy, and every symptom went away when I stopped taking it. I work full time, travel for work, go to the gym, volunteer on the weekend, and have four dogs. I am very active and full of energy so there was no way that I could remain on hydroxy where it depleted my energy that way, and gave me headaches and tinnitus! My rheumatologist made a note that hydroxy wasn’t for me because of the side effects.

I was in clinical remission before adding hydroxy and have remained that way since discontinuing it, and have so far slowly tapered down to 3mg prednisone without any flares. I started having RA symptoms in January 2019, was diagnosed with RA in February when I began taking prednisone, and began taking methotrexate in April, so this RA world is still new to me. I wish you well, many people have taken the hydroxy successfully for many years.