Plaquenil and Itching: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• November 10, 2019

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Been on Plaquenil for 30 years for rheumatoid arthritis. I don’t know if I have side effects from this drug as they are intermittent. Itching - weird times, not consistent. Eye watering - constant. Headaches - hormonal, RA related. Always had thin hair - never fell out. No stomach issues ever. Get eyes checked 1x a year. My eye doctor puts me through an hour+ battery of tests (4?) and takes a picture of my eye every year (cool machine, don’t have to dilate). Blood work every three months to monitor kidneys. Starting to wonder if I need to increase because my shoulders are starting to lose range of motion and had bursitis a few weeks ago. Or maybe I need to increase prednisone (also 30 years - 5 mg once a day). Been off the anti-inflammatory diet though, will get back on it, too. Starting the gym on Tuesday. Stay healthy folks!"

• che...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 13, 2022

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I thought it might be helping, I thought I tolerated it well because my eyes were okay. I was wrong. My heart rate went up a couple of years into taking it. Doctors blamed pain, then fatigue got worse to the point that I lived in my recliner. Then I developed more problems that slowly got worse: dizziness, extreme fatigue to the point that I couldn't concentrate on basic tasks, racing heart and near fainting, uncontrollable sinus infections, daily migraines, and my skin was all messed up with rashes and rosacea. I started dropping weight fast, food went right through me. The heart had problems not caused by the heart, the gut had problems not caused by the gut. Finally, the blood doctor's tests showed hemolytic anemia was bad, I was reacting to the Plaquenil in other ways too. Three months off and I'm near recovered. Watch that stuff!! Eight years, GONE, I was near death with doctors blaming RA and misdiagnosing as other things!"

• C W...
• December 9, 2017

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I have been on Plaquenil for about 15 years without apparent side effects until this year. But this year, I have developed severe swelling of the face and a red rash on the upper half of my face. This also includes very difficult itching in odd places on my body, my eyebrows and eyelashes, my earlobes, my lower legs and lower arms, my scalp, and of course where the red rash was. This was twice cleared up with heavy doses of antibiotics and cortisone. However, my rheumatologist took me off all arthritis drugs, and we added them back little by little. When Plaquenil was finally included with the other drugs again, it took about three days, and my face started swelling, and the rash and itching. I can only assume that this was the cause of my allergic reaction, even after all the years of use."

• CLa...
• March 30, 2020

For Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease "Took Plaquenil for two months, had to stop because of the reaction I had. Started getting very itchy. I didn't realize what it was at first, it was just my back that would last 20 minutes. Then, the longer I took it, the worse it got. Ended up with stinging itch all over that was lasting over an hour and a half. Unbearable, nasty drug, I will never take it again."

• ang...
• February 11, 2015

For Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease "For the past 2 years, I have had itching on my head. Can be any area of the scalp. None on the face. I take 50 mg of antihistamine every day, just to keep it mild. But it doesn't stop it. No redness, no dry scalp."

• Sta...
• February 10, 2017

For Sjogren's Syndrome "This was not the answer for me. I developed a bad rash and itching over my entire body, and now my ears ring, and that will never go away. Just from taking it for under a month."

• Pja...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 13, 2020

For Sjogren's Syndrome "I didn't have any side effects. I have been on for 1 year and 4 months. I'm not sure it is helping. Still have horrible dry mouth and eyes, leg muscle pain, itchiness."