Does anyone take plaquenil ?

[Emfrenette]

Ive been taking plaquenil for a few months now , im not sure if its been helping me i wake up with joint pain and tender muscles and sciatica pain , i was diagnosed with crest syndrome /reynauds , im still not 100%convinced thats all ,possibly something else . Does anyone struggle with this drug ?

[Jmiller623]

Hi Emfrenette! I have lupus along with raynauds, esophageal dysmotility and all sorts of neuropathy. I have been on Plaquenil 300 for about a year now.

It took a long time for Plaquenil to work for me. I stopped it at first thinking it was causing palpitations and all sorts of weird stuff but then things got really bad. Was in the ED more than I ever want to be again. I noticed my skin and joint pain improved after 3 months but it took almost 8-9 mos for it to help some with neuropathy and raynauds. I did take steroids initially to help relieve symptoms while the Plaquenil kicked in. Maybe this is an option?

I hope you find some relief soon. Just know that your current state is temporary once you find a regimen that works for you. I do hope things improve for you soon.

[lynntregaron]

Plaquenil is a trade name for hydroxychloroquine. I have been taking it for about 5 years. It certainly helps me but can take 3 months before it takes effect. Since using it I no longer need Naproxen as it stops the inflammation from forming in the first place rather than treating it afterwards.