I am 20 years old and was just diagnosed with Sjogren's Syndrome in April. I was just wondering if Plaquenil has helped anyone? My rheumatologist mentioned it in a previous appointment but has not put me on it. Does it help with all of the joint pain, muscle pain, or fatigue? Whenever I am in a flare I am just down and out for days and nothing seems to help.
I have been on it only a month and a half and still waiting for it to kick in which can take up to six month!
I am very new to Sjogrens but I have been taking Plaquenil for a couple months now. It has helped my joint pain soooooo much. I was at a point where I was having trouble using my shoulder and now I have pain but it doesn't restrict my movements. Heat and ice is also something that helps me get through the pain since OTC pain relievers don't really help much. What kind of symptoms are you having?
I was diagnosed with sjogrens in January of this year and was so miserable and sick for so long. I started plaquenil about 4-5 months ago now and am starting to see the positive effects of it. I have been suffering with the stomach/gastrointestinal issues that it can cause but think I am getting it under control. It has helped the fatigue the most at this point and definitely with the joint pain and aches...but I understand it can take 6 months or more to see full effects.
You may want to try it if your rheumy is recommending it to you...it may make a big difference with you.
Sorry to hear that you have been diagnosed with sjogrens, but you have come to the right forum. You will find very knowledgeable, compassionate people here.
Best of luck to you.
I am on month 5 of plaquenil and I am just starting to notice a difference. I am hoping to get off my other meds so I don't ruin my kidneys which may or may not be an issue right now.
Please make sure you get your eyes tested every 6 months while on plaquenil. My friend that is on it missed one eye dr visit and the next time she went they found the macular denegeration had progressed more than it normally had but they may have stopped its progression earlier had she stopped the plaquenil.
It's helped me enormously. It took between two and three months and then I started to feel much, much better - joint aching is virtually gone and fatigue is much improved.
I do have a problem with gas that may be a side effect - I'm always leery about assuming what's causing anything I feel. I'd have to stop taking it to prove it and I'm not willing to do that since it takes so long to ramp it up. Other than that, I have no problems with the drug. I'm taking the Ranbaxy generic.
I noticed a change for the better after just 2 weeks on Plaquenil. The fatigue has improved, and the greatest improvement I noticed was the joint pain. Before going on Plaquenil and during a flare I would wake up and everything hurt. The joint pain is so much better. I have been on Plaquenil for 8 mo. with no apparent side effects. Everyone is different, but I give plaquenil a thumbs up.
I too am waiting - on it for a month. I think it might have helped fatigue a bit but still dealing with a lot of joint pain & aches...and lung issues.
:-\ We are having very wet & rainy weather....so not helping.
It took about four to six months for the Plaquenil to kick in and a good year to have full effect.
I used to feel as though I had the flu -- and a bad case of it -- at least three days out of the week -- bad headache, nausea, earache, actually throwing up in my trashcan here at work, diarrhea. I was exhausted and cried all the time, dragging myself to places like work or church. I slept ten hours a night during the week and as many as 15 to 18 hours at a time on weekends. My life was terrible.
I was actually hoping I had something deadly because I didn't want to live anymore.
Like I said, it took a while before I started feeling better, and I still have "those days" a couple of times a month, but I would NEVER stop taking Plaquenil.
I take two tablets a day to total 400 mg., and I take both tabs at once with my largest meal of the day -- actually along with a bite of food to make sure it goes all the way down. (Generic is even dryer than brand-name.) It also helps to have a big drink of water before taking the medicine to wet down your esophagus.
So my vote for you, desi, is to give Plaquenil a try! But don't be discouraged if you don't get relief right away. Give the stuff a chance, though, and my hope is that you'll have the same great result that I've had.
Love,
Abbey.
As you are seeing, a wide range of outcomes. I took it for two years, and felt I had little benefit. I've been off for about 9 months, and my rheumy has asked me to try again, as a variety of other things have changed for me. I'll give it a try, as I tolerated it well enough, and hope for some improvement.
Yes, been on it for four months and it has already significantly enhanced the quality of my life. Less pain, less dryness, less fatigue=more "normal" life.