Plaquenil for Rheumatoid Arthritis User Reviews (Page 3)

• Anonymous
• January 9, 2011

"I was diagnosed with RA in October 2010 and have been on Plaquenil (200mg 2x/day) and Celebrex (200mg/day) for 3 months now. I've noticed a slight improvement in my hands and fingers as far as morning/evening swelling goes, but the stiffness and pain still persist. I go back to see the RA doc next week and am hoping he can either increase the dose or add something else to the mix because I'm still not feeling all that great."

• kat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 1, 2018

"I tried this med for mild to moderate rheumatoid arthritis, and after a few days of stomach aches, I started getting severe stomach pain that had me doubled over. I realized it had begun when I started taking the Plaquenil. I called my doctor, and we agreed I should not be taking it. Less than 24 hours later, my pain was gone. Not for me! Never again... it was a terrible experience!"

• spu...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 27, 2017

"I am still trying to figure out what this drug is supposed to do because I still get the soreness in the joints and the swelling, especially in the shoulders and hands. Some nights, it's hard to sleep unless I take something for the pain in both."

• RRL...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 24, 2020

"This Plaquenil is one of the drugs my arthritis doc put me on. I was told by my eye care specialist that it was damaging my eyes and I needed to stop taking it. My eyes may never recover. I have been off Plaquenil for several years now, and my eyes still have not recovered. I didn't notice any positive results, probably since I took it such a short time, but it didn't take long for it to damage my eyes. DANGEROUS if you value your sight."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 18, 2022

"I was put on Plaquenil about 12 years ago and was told I could not take it for more than 5 years. I went to my eye doctor every year and was told nothing about the damage, nothing about damage to my eyes. Because I was on this, I was told to come every six months. Then all of a sudden, I was told I had macula degeneration from Plaquenil. I feel like neither my eye doctor nor my rheumatologist was watching out for my eyes."

• Geo...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 2, 2020

"I was diagnosed with RA just recently in 2019 when I was 32. It started with fingers and toes, then tender hotspots on arms and legs, and upper back pain involvement a month after. I took Plaquenil with full adherence of 300 mg/d dosage, hence a positive effect on fingers and toes and body tenders hit in only on month 6, however, it did not help me with upper back pain at all. AS was ruled out with HLA-B27(-), movement capacity, and clean spine MRI though. The side effects: skin rash (persisted during the first 3 months), stomach pain (a few times), diarrhea (persisted during the first 3 months, now occasionally), and muscle twitches (intensive first month, then milder, and I ignore them, maybe not due to HCQ). Nevertheless, I'm going to visit my rheumatologist in coming weeks to discuss my never relieved morning upper back pain."

• bat...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 25, 2019

"Been taking Plaquenil for RA for around 6 months. Then, about 3 weeks ago, started having muscular pain, not as bad as the joint pain I used to have but enough to be concerned. Muscle weakness, painful, as if I worked out for 2 hours. Praying it is a dosage problem."

• Ole...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 16, 2021

"My wife had sudden onset RA in 2000, and Plaquenil allowed her to go on to finish her military career. Twenty-one years later, she’s able to still work through occasional flare-ups. She gets her eyes checked and has seen no problems associated with some of the side effects. Her ophthalmologist says her eyes look great, and her RA doctor seems to have her RA under control."

• bja...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 13, 2022

"I developed sudden paralysis in my right leg about a year ago. After being hospitalized and subjected to a variety of medications, my condition deteriorated until I needed a walker to even stand up and was only staying awake about 3 hours per day. Finally, I asked to be tested for RA. Very positive results. On my first visit to the rheumatologist, she prescribed hydroxychloroquine. I had reacted severely to other medications, so I started with 1/2 prescribed dose - one 100 mg pill with supper daily. Within two days, I could stand and walk independently for short distances. Within a week, I was walking and driving and staying awake throughout the day. This was like a wonder drug...and then I started to get serious cramps in my intercostal muscles so that I felt that I was being crushed and could not breathe. I ceased to be able to feel my hands and feet. It took over two months for this to stop after quitting the pills, and I still show some liver/kidney damage."

• Nig...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 25, 2022

"I have been diagnosed with early-stage RA. Creaky and stiff joints in the knees mainly. Some pain in the wrist joints. After six weeks on hydroxychloroquine, I have been wonderfully surprised with the almost elimination in joint stiffness in my knees. Wrist inflammation has also been significantly reduced. Extremely happy with the results. No side effects as I can report."

• Olg...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 1, 2021

"I have been on Plaquenil for over two years now for my moderate to severe RA. Having tried multiple medications that made little to no difference, I was excited about the drug that finally helped. I am taking it in conjunction with a weekly injection of Actemra. Now I am dealing with vision problems that worsened in the past two years and an uncontrollable irritability and low mood. Things are so bad mentally that I lost all my social connections and am having a very hard time communicating with the closest family members. I am in my late thirties, and I feel like my life is falling apart because of the devastating effects this drug has on my mental health."

• She...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 23, 2022

"I have been on it for about 11 years. I haven't had any side effects at all. All I know is this: my disease is better. These reasons make me a fan of the drug. If you stop this drug, your disease can get worse. The Mayo Clinic doctor I saw says it works with my Enbrel, making it more effective."

• Lea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 18, 2021

"I've been taking Plaquenil twice a day for erosive arthritis. It seems to make me extra drowsy when I work night shift. When I sleep, I have very weird, detailed, and realistic dreams bordering on nightmares in a few cases, but just bizarre in the majority of cases. The dreams are so weird I don't share the details with anyone like I used to do. Last night's dream had me partially conscious and at one point I raised my arm to defend myself from an attacker (in the dream), and I was aware of doing it. Weird, huh? I've always had realistic dreams, but the Plaquenil really took them to the next level! Also, the dream seemed like it went on for hours."

• pat...
• March 2, 2016

"Helped with RA. It has affected my vision immensely, so much that I stopped taking it."

• att...
• January 21, 2008

"I was recently diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I have started to take Plaquenil. I am having extreme nightmares like never before. I looked up the facts on the drug, and it is a side effect."

• Evo...
• January 18, 2019

"I have been on Plaquenil since 2012, and my hair is falling out by the handful. The doctor says it's not the medicine, but I know it is."

• Anonymous
• September 3, 2011

"The doctor tried it twice for my rheumatoid arthritis, and it didn't help at all after taking it for 6 months."

• mam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 12, 2018

"Used Plaquenil for 6 weeks until I developed a terrible full-body rash. It was working for the inflammation and pain very well until the rash."

• Anonymous
• May 11, 2011

"Ineffective with my advanced disease. Tried it because I've run out of options."

• har...
• October 20, 2009

"This helped a lot at first, but I have been on this medicine for 7 years now. I think I may need something more now."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 13, 2018

"It is working for me."

• Ray...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 15, 2023

"Added to methotrexate and performed well with less stiffness and pain. No known side effects. Testing taken regularly for vision and kidney function. Dose 200 mg taken daily."