Prednisone and hydroxychloroquine together for PMR?

[Macadoo]

I can’t get below 5.5 mg prednisone daily without reoccurring pain.

Has anyone had success with taking hydroxychloroquine as a steroid sparing option? Any other successful steroid reducing drugs?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

You aren't reducing relentlessly to zero - you are looking for the lowest effective dose. It WILL get lower as the the disease activity wanes.

There are no medications that will reliably reduce the amount of pred you need except tocilizumab and that isn't approved for PMR. just GCA usually although some rheumies in the USA manage to get funding for it. However there are people who have got to lower doses using hydroxychloroquine, I think there has been one in the last few months but I can't remember the name.

To be IRO 5mg after less than 18 months is about par for the course and I personally wouldn't be keen to mess about with a stable situation with an unproven drug with its own side effects.

[Macadoo in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks PMRpro!

[Plains]

I tried it as requested by my doctor. It did not work for me. I am on methotrexate now, which I hate taking for two months, 10MG once a week. I will give it more time snd they have a chat with the doc. I hate taking drugs!!

[Lochy]

I tried hydroxychloroquine for at least 18 months and it made no difference. Didn’t assist in my steroid taper at all. On 6.5mg after 5 years so I think you’re doing really well and just stick with the steroids.

[AdoptMeow]

I do not get along with most drugs and could not tolerate the side effects of methotrexate and leflunomide. Twenty-some years ago I was prescribed hydroxychloroquine for fibromyalgia. If you thoroughly read the side effects you will see that stroke is listed as a rare one. Well I'm one of those rare statistics. I did have a stroke after two months on that drug, which then caused glaucoma in my left eye. I echo the comments from others that 5.5 mg is an acceptable level with low side effects. Some day dropping half a mg may work out. You have already gotten through the tough reduction. Take care about inviting side effects that are worse than low dose prednisone.

[ignatz]

Just wrote this elsewhere... Just started on Hydroxychloroquine aka Quinoric 400mg daily 5/7 with 10mg/daily 7/7 Prednisolone at present. I seem to have even worse weeping eyes and runny nose, neither of which are known side effects. However eyes fully tested and free from likely steroid damage after 4 years of Prednisolone. May report further.........