Please all of you ...try this! | Arthritis Information

 

All of you .....I implore you to ask your doc for Plaquenel. Try it for a few weeks .

My second (milder than before) bout with PMR went COMPLETELY away within 2 weeks of this drug. What have you got to loose? TRY IT.

I can't be more adament. Wish someone would have told me about this !! I took this drug for my hands and wrists because of suspected RA brought on by PMR .

My doc was flabbergasted about my condition.  I am completely pain free and take no more plaquenel or any other drug.

 

Going tomorrow... will have the conversation
pgr

Marianne,  My doctor  put me on Plaquinil (generic form Hydroxychlor) 200 mg twice a day to see if it would help my hands.  Been on it 10 days and so far no significant progress.  Hands and fingers still swollen, particularly in the morning, and painful to make a fist.  Bit better in the afternoon, but no cure yet.  He gave me enough for a month, so I'll stick to it and hope it works as well for me as for you.

My blood work doesn't indicate RA, but who knows?  Glad it worked so well for you and hope it will work for others.  Couldn't hoit to try.

googled mayoclinic.com and they advise good results in few weeks but not until 6 mos.    they advised not good for vision....good luck

rose

 

Hello! New to this Forum, but seems as though it can be very helpful already! I have been on 10mg Pred for a little over a year for my Polymyalgia and I started weening myself to 5mg, then went cold turkey because of the weight gain & side effects-BIG MISTAKE! I started myself on Evening Primrose, Fish Oils, Vitamin E & C(w/ Flavoniods) and B Complex hoping to do it naturally. I have been barely able to get out of bed the last week. My sister gave me a few of her Relafen(500mg) to try, but I think they might take a few weeks to kick in; i'm going to my doctor today I will ask him about Plaquenel. Is it a anti inflamatory and/or pain reliever? I will look it up- Thanks for info and any more is greatly appreciated!

Brenda

Brenda,

Welcome to the forum. Sounds like Marianne had a great response to plaquenil. I took it once for about 6 months, and didn't notice much improvement, although I've read that it can take 6 months to kick in, as it has cumulative effects. You don't notice improvement all at once. It has anti-inflammatory qualities similar to pred. - just takes so darned long to work. It was originally intended for malaria, but seems to work well for rheumatic diseases. Yes, look it up and be aware of the side effects if you do take it - and make sure to have your eyes checked regularly (get a referral to an opthalmologist, so your insurance will cover it). I think you are right about relafen taking a while to kick in also. Many of those other drugs do take time, and when you've got bad PMR pain, you don't necessarily want to wait months to get relief. That's why they call the alternative drugs like plaquenil, methotrexate, etc. "steroid sparing drugs" - you can wean slowly off the pred. while you are taking them waiting for them to work.

You should NEVER go cold turkey with the pred. when you have been taking it for so long. Your adrenal gland can go into crisis, and it can be an emergency situation. Your adrenal gland needs time to start producing cortisol again; that is why one has to taper the pred. very slowly (plus, not to have the symptoms come back with a vengeance).

Good luck with the supplements. About all I've been doing is the MSM, and that has seemed to help me. I made a mistake day before yesterday of having way too much sugar, and I had a terrible night. Otherwise, I'm doing pretty well.

Again, welcome. You'll find a lot of info and help here.

Reni

Brenda -

I second Reni's caution: never quit prednisone cold turkey if you have been on it for over 3 months or so!  It can be a potentially life threatening situation!  Taper off gradually, preferably under a doctor's supervision.

I  second Reni's caution aswell!! Never ever ever quit prednisone cold turkey. Very very dangerous! A good doc would have told you this.

As far as the plaquenel.  I don;t understand that i t kicked in in 2 weeks for me and can take months for others. I guess it depends on the severity of the desease. I was on it only for 2 weeks when I quit because it gave me headaches. Have not been on it since and still fine. And yes very important to have your eyes checked if on it long term. If no change after a few months better off to stop taking it. Wouldn't it be great if it does for you what it did for me...

WElcome Bren, you will find helpful people here! I couldn't believe you quit pred cold turkey! No wonder you feel terrible! Hope you get it all sorted soon. Marianne, so glad you feel better, it's wonderful that this drug has helped you. Brenda, welcome to this very helpful and caring forum. Sorry you have
need for it. I have been diagnosed and on pred about as long as you but
my highest level was 10mgs. I have been up and down and am settled at
6mgs for a while. I too have been impatient to get away from pred and
its insidious side effects---the weight gain, moon face, sweats,etc. but
mostly concerns about bleeding ulcers because I take a high dosage of
prescription nsaids too.
I had to learn by research on the net the reason we are told to taper
slowly, which is to allow our adrenals to begin functioning normally on
their own after pred has been supplying cortisone at higher levels to
(hopefully) tamp down inflammation. Otherwise the adrenals can go into
crisis as others have advised.
However slowly you go, esp. below 10mgs, there may be withdrawal
symtoms. So please take care and get some good medical advice about
this.

And let us know how it's going.

Geralyn

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