Pbc and ra

[Tracella]

Hello😊

I have had Pbc since October 2014 and I also have ra .which has gotten to the point of me being disabled, my rheumatologist wanted to put me on embrel but my insurance won't pay for it so she is starting me on plaquenil. Is there anybody taking this medication? Thank you in advance for replies, and I am sending much love and blessings to you all❤️

[butterflyEi]

Hello Tracella

I noticed you have not had a reply yet, hopefully someone will be about soon who has an experience to share.

My only input is a suggestion that if you are not already a member of the PBC Foundation do join there is no subscription fee. Link through the icon at the top of the page. You could email them as they have resources to ask questions directly of medically trained people with PBC as a special interest.

I know RA can be an extremely painful autoimmune disease.

best wishes to you I hope you find an answer soon

[SmileSun69]

Good morning! We treat patients who have RA with one of these biologics Enbrel or Humira, and we use plaquenil. There are co pay assistance programs if your insurance wont pay. Usually commercial insurance company will pay for Humira and they have a cost savings as little as $5 to the patient. Did your dr consider using Humira? Are you in the USA & where?

[gmo3352]

Hi Tracella! I have RA and was on plaquenil for several years. It truly did help! When I was diagnosed with PBC last August, I found I was already in stage 4, cirrohossis. We determined that the best course for me at that stage was to get off all other meds, and focus on the PBC to see how I responded to Urso. I luckily responded very positively to Urso. I was also prescribed Vit D, which seemed to help with both the RA pain and the use of my hands. I haven't gone back to the plaquenil, I worry so about my dying liver!, but I am at the point now where I would really like to! Yoga just isn't enough! Please let me know both how you decide to proceed, and your progress! All the best!

[Photodreamer76]

Hello, I was diagnosed with PBC in May 2013 as well as Unclassified Connective Tissue Disorder and have been on plaquenil since. I have had no adverse reactions to the medication and tolerate it quite well. I noticed a significant improvement in my joint pain after about 6 weeks (it takes a while for it to start working). The only burden that there is would be having to have an annual eye exam by an ophthalmologist every year. They have to do a test called a visual field test that drives me crazy. I hate that thing, but over all i would rather have to do that test than to live in pain. Hope this helps you as well as the medication.

[Pinecroft]

Yes , I have taken Plaquienel and the generic. It really made a huge differnce for me.