Sjogren's Syndrome Support Group

I have been on Plaquenil for almost 3 months now. This is my second go round with it. The first time it made me so deathly ill I couldn't take it and stopped it without any good things coming from it. This time, with a new rheumy we started at a lower dose and I didn't have those horrible side effects.

The thing is, I don't know what it's supposed to do for me. Really. How's it supposed to make me better? Do you all know? I've tried to find it on the internet and couldn't. But I think it might be doing a few good things for me. I'll list them and you can comment on what you think Plaquenil has helped for you or hasn't helped or whatever. Here's what I think it's done for me:

1. My eyes are not quite as dry and have actually even watered some.

2. My hands don't hurt as much. I didn't realize this until they hurt one day and I realized that this was unusual.

3. My jaw used to hurt all the time. I thought it was my salivary glands but couldn't get any dr. to agree with me. My jaw does not hurt as often or as extremely as it used to. (Thank goodness!)

4. I might not be as tired. I also started a new antidepressant at about the same time and am not as depressed so I don't know which one to accredit this wonderful effect to.

That's my list of things I think Plaquenil is helping me with. What about all of you?

Rhonda,

all four of your points are things I noticed when I started taking Plaquenil again after being off it for 2 weeks.

My hands really swelled up after I stopped taking it, as did my knees and even my feet,

A day or two after getting back on it my eyes actually watered. Pretty unusual for me.

I noticed an increase of energy when I started back on it.

I hope you can tolerate the lower dose.

It sure helps me.

DRV

what is your lower dose?

im on 200mg twice a day, and have been on that from the start now, which is approx 3-4 years. dont know what i would be like without it? and dont really want to find out?

I just asked you if you were on Plaquenil in another post. Guess I should read all the posts before I start running my mouth...err, fingers. LOL.

I'm only on 200mgs once a day. It's working great but I have been wondering if I could go up because my salivary glands still hurt and hurt BAD sometimes. Like today, they hurt and I know that by bed time I'll be wrapping the heating pad around my face even though it's 90 degrees and humid as heck outside. I'm like you I wouldn't want to find out what it's like without it. Can it stop working? Does anyone know? You've been on it for quite a while, huh? Did it help your fingers any when you first started taking it? Here I go talking about another post in this one...