Re: Plaquenil question

[Guest guest]

I was on Plaquenil for several years for PA and I started an EN flare.

That was my quickest resolve of my flare. I did not get sick at all

when I was on Plaquenil, but I was not around kids during that time...

Sandy

>

> Hey guys - got a question for you Plaquenil users.

>

> I am dosing down on Prednisone, and I was prescribed Plaquenil about 1

> month ago. My dr. said that both medications suppress your immune

> system, so I had to be careful during cold and flu season, which of

> course was going on when I got prescribed it.

>

> I went on the plaquenil, and I was sick 8 out of 14 days (fever,

> stomach virus). Because I kept getting sick and I had some very

> important responsibilities I couldn't miss, I took myself off the

> plaquenil. Now, I'm getting ready to go back on it and am a bit

> worried. Do you guys experience vulnerability to illness while on

> plaquenil, or do you think that was just coincidence? I feel already

> like I'm starting to get sick (again) - would it be a bad idea to go

> back on the plaquenil now? I'm not sure what to do here, and any advice

> would be GREATLY appreciated.

>

> Thanks,

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Sorry to respond so late to your request for info about Plaquenil. I

have been on it for 10 months now, and it has changed my life. Prior

to starting Plaquenil, I had been on prednisone for 10 months, and I

could not get off it without causing another flare-up. I started

Plaquenil in February of this year, and it kicked in pretty quick for

me, resolving all of my issues within a couple of weeks. I was down

to 5 mg of prednisone at that point, but it took me until June 1st to

finally get off it, since I could feel my joints and tendons swelling

with every 0.5 mg I dropped down. Plus, since it was cold and flu

season and I have two little ones, I was fighting being sick all the

time, which would flare up my joint symptoms. Was it the Plaquenil?

In my opinion, no. I believe the prednisone was suppressing my

immune system the most, and since I had been on it for so long, my

immune system was totally shot. I came down with the flu shortly

after starting Plaquenil, and I ended up in the hospital with

pneumonia over Easter, but I still don't think it was the Plaquenil

that was suppressing my immune sytem. From what I've been told by my

doctors, it suppresses inflammation, but more like an anti-

inflammatory would, like Advil, just better. So, it's an

immunomodulator, but not an immune-suppressant like prednisone is.

I don't feel like I've been any sicker this fall than usual for me

and having two kids. Little colds here and there, but I've found

sleep to be the best cure for when you're falling sick. You need to

support your immune system in any way you can-- sleep, eating well,

vitamin supplements, exercising (a huge one for me, since I couldn't

do it for nearly a year pre-Plaquenil). Someone once told me that

for every month you're on prednisone, it takes 1 month for your

immune system to heal. If that's the case, then I'm still under the

influence, but I feel a million times healthier than I did a year

ago.

Good luck, and I hope you find something that works for you. Just

remember, prednisone is a horrible drug for your body long-term.

It's a wonderful drug short-term. You really need to find something

else that will allow your immune system to settle down. You can be

on Plaquenil indefinitely, but it may affect your vision long-term.

As for me, I'm hoping to start backing off on my Plaquenil dose, and

see how I feel. I have a severe mold allergy that is triggering my EN

(but probably didn't originally initiate it), so I'm not sure if I'll

be able to get off completely without moving first!!

Good luck and enjoy the holidays!

April

>

> Hey guys - got a question for you Plaquenil users.

>

> I am dosing down on Prednisone, and I was prescribed Plaquenil

about 1

> month ago. My dr. said that both medications suppress your immune

> system, so I had to be careful during cold and flu season, which of

> course was going on when I got prescribed it.

>

> I went on the plaquenil, and I was sick 8 out of 14 days (fever,

> stomach virus). Because I kept getting sick and I had some very

> important responsibilities I couldn't miss, I took myself off the

> plaquenil. Now, I'm getting ready to go back on it and am a bit

> worried. Do you guys experience vulnerability to illness while on

> plaquenil, or do you think that was just coincidence? I feel

already

> like I'm starting to get sick (again) - would it be a bad idea to

go

> back on the plaquenil now? I'm not sure what to do here, and any

advice

> would be GREATLY appreciated.

>

> Thanks,

>

>

[Guest guest]

April,

Thank you so much for sharing your experience - it's good to hear that.

I went to my rheumatologist. For now, he's having me stay off

Plaquenil as I wean off Prednisone (which I've been on since July).

I'll get off of it completely in January, and I'll see him again in

February. Though my flareups had initially started as I dosed down,

they've disappeared, so hopefully I won't need either medication. If I

do, though, it's really helpful to know that your illnesses weren't

connected - makes me feel a lot more hopeful.

Thanks again!

> >

> > Hey guys - got a question for you Plaquenil users.

> >

> > I am dosing down on Prednisone, and I was prescribed Plaquenil

> about 1

> > month ago. My dr. said that both medications suppress your immune

> > system, so I had to be careful during cold and flu season, which of

> > course was going on when I got prescribed it.

> >

> > I went on the plaquenil, and I was sick 8 out of 14 days (fever,

> > stomach virus). Because I kept getting sick and I had some very

> > important responsibilities I couldn't miss, I took myself off the

> > plaquenil. Now, I'm getting ready to go back on it and am a bit

> > worried. Do you guys experience vulnerability to illness while on

> > plaquenil, or do you think that was just coincidence? I feel

> already

> > like I'm starting to get sick (again) - would it be a bad idea to

> go

> > back on the plaquenil now? I'm not sure what to do here, and any

> advice

> > would be GREATLY appreciated.

> >

> > Thanks,

> >

> >

>