I just completed a virtual visit with my Cleveland Clinic rheumatologist. The appointment went well but she is changing how I take my daily Plaquenil and I wondered if anyone else had this happen. I am on 300 mg a day so I take one tablet with breakfast and 1/2 tablet with lunch, this was recommended by my doctor a few years ago when they lowered my dose from 400 mg to 300 mg.
Anyways, she now recommends taking 200 mg (1 pill) one day and 400 mg (2 pills) the next day because they said cutting the pill is not suggested because it can effect absorption.
Has anyone else heard this or has anyone else been cutting their pills in half?
Just curious! Take care everyone! Carie
Wow! I hadn?t heard this about cutting the pills in half. I take 300 daily and take one pill in AM with food (can?t take it on an empty stomach!), and one half pill PM with food. I break the pills in half by hand, and they are easy to break. I notice that sometimes one half is larger than the other, but I figure it will all balance out in the end.
I?ll have to ask my doctor about this next time I see him. I feel like I am getting good results from what I?m doing. I wasn?t aware of it affecting absorption. I do know that I can?t take it on an empty stomach or I?ll be sorry!
Kathy
Hi :)
I haven't been on Plaquenil for awhile now but I was on it for six years.
My Rheumatologist told me to wean onto it slowly. I/2 a pill one day ... half a pill every other day for a week and then a whole pill every other day for a week and onto a pill every day and so on. That was how I was advised to get onto it.
Eventually I was on 2 pills per day.
Take care - Scottie :)
Kathy, I was doing the same thing for years now, 1 in morning with breakfast and 1/2 at lunch. I cannot take later than lunch time or it gives me horrible nightmares. But she said this is newer information and it shouldn?t effect how I feel. So far take 1 pill one day and 2 the next hasn?t changed how I feel so I?m glad for that.
Scottie, I don?t remember weaning on it at all. When I started it, I was taking 2 pills, 400 mg. My symptoms were debilitating so I was worried about this change but it hasn?t been a problem.
She was pretty adamant about not cutting the pills in half anymore even though I?ve done it for years!
Thanks for your replies ladies :) Carie
Hi :)
I guess different rheumatologists suggest different things.
take care - Scottie :)