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Hydroxychloroquine

Posted , 8 users are following.

sandy67
sandy67

hi, is anybody else on this and how are you finding it? I am a little concerned about some of the possible side effects, in particular the one with abdominal problems and having to take antacids, as I take lansoprasole twice a day. Any advice would be very much appreciated. Tia x

1 like, 19 replies

19 Replies

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  • cheria
    cheria sandy67

    Posted

    Extremely few side effects..the only RA medication that has been effective long term with no side effects..
  • tammythepotter
    tammythepotter sandy67

    Posted

    I've been on it for 3 years (generic for plaquenil) with very few side effects. I did have some hair thinning at first but that leveled off after a couple months. Also, I have to have thorough eye exams every year while on it. So far, no problems, but I still have some RA flares from time to time.
  • sandy67
    sandy67

    Posted

    Thanks for replies. I decided to take one earlier afte lookingup again on here, but I am sure I read the are usualy taken alongside another ra drug? I am only taking these and painkillers.

    well its great that side effects are low

  • caz53535
    caz53535 sandy67

    Posted

    Hi sandy67, I was prescribed these along with mtx, felt sick most of the time so they didn't work out for me, I felt at the time the cure was worse than the disease.   I think you just have to try it and see with all these things, I think it is very much a personal thing whether you get along with them and whether they make any difference to your disease, it may be that the positive effects are worth the side effects sometimes. I hope they work out for you :-) 
    • sandy67
      sandy67 caz53535

      Posted

      Thans Caz, I have had diarrhoea since starting taking them, but not sure whether this is a side effect or whether I hae a bug, also git a bad headache this evening and feel horrible, but Again it may be a bug, will wait and see how it goes x
    • cheria
      cheria sandy67

      Posted

      These have helped more than any other RA treatment for me..going on 4 yes with these..failed the sulfa drugs, biologics, and methotrexate.. I take 2 of these daily and supplement it with just 5 mg prednisone which has kept me pretty much flair free..about once a yr I go into a flair..but find its due to not getting enough rest or sleep, extra stress, sugar binges, drinking milk or spaghetti sauce, or other foods I am sensive to, or a combination of these things.
  • cheria
    cheria sandy67

    Posted

    Also awhile on this medication ( also called plaquenil) a flair has been triggered by stopping my Calcium with D3 supplement with my multivitamin..not sure why!!??
    • sandy67
      sandy67 cheria

      Posted

      Not sure! I have had a strange headache last few days and have a horrible feeling of my body shifting, I cant explain it properly!
    • cheria
      cheria

      Posted

      Do you mean you are dizzy?
    • sandy67
      sandy67 cheria

      Posted

      No not dzziness, hard to explai, but whenI move my eyes there is a kind of buzzing right through my body. Weird and horrible. I hate it x
    • cheria
      cheria sandy67

      Posted

      Hi Sandy, when i researched this strange feeling you are talking about, ive read that this is usually caused ny great anxiety..ALS. Or MS..do you have either of thesr conditions?
    • sandy67
      sandy67 cheria

      Posted

      Hi, blimey i do hope its not ALS, that is just dreadful. Ms has been something tha has crossed my mind over the years and a brain scan suggested something like that a few years ago, so it is possible, but now they have diagnosed ealy Ra they will not bother looking for anything else! The pain in my muscles would fall into that. I should tell doctor but have just neve been able to describe this horrible feeling. It doesnt happen evey day thankfully x
  • rose_05706
    rose_05706 sandy67

    Posted

    I would avoid this drug like the plague! I'm now into my fourth week of giving this drug up after being hospitalised with the most severe drug reaction. I was only on it a month. I'm still coming out in it. It's not a rash really it looks like burns. My skin is peeling and even this morning some new patches have came up I wish someone could tell me how long this wretched drug will take to get out of my system.. all together i have been off work five weeks so far. I had a tempreture and my liver has been affected. I'm so angry with myself as i argued against taking these type of drugs but was told it would improve my quality of life! I never want to go through anything like this again. If you can manage without these drugs my advice is to do so. They told me 1 in 10,000 people this could happen to buyt ive read a lot of people get itching and rash but probably not to the degree i had. My body was covered head to foot. I find light brings it all out again.

     

    • sandy67
      sandy67 rose_05706

      Posted

      blimey I am so sorry you had such a bad reaction! I couldnt cope with that on top of everything else. I have only just come out of hospital after having  dreadful abdo pains and ovarian cyst pains and abnormal,bleeding. Feel like giving up sometimes. Thanks for your advice x
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