Plaquenil User Reviews & Ratings (Page 3)

• Sjo...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 23, 2013

For Sjogren's Syndrome "I have been on Ranbaxy generic Plaquenil for 11 months now. I don't think it helps me very much, but I continue to take it because I am not experiencing any side effects. My condition is not well-controlled with this drug alone, and I will soon start an additional DMARD after recently finding out I am intolerant of MTX. My battle with Sjogren's has been so much more than glandular issues. It has attacked my biliary system, causing me to lose my gall bladder and have complex issues with the pyloric valve, lower esophageal sphincter, and sphincter of oddi. This causes a variety of symptoms such as bile and acid reflux, bile salt diarrhea, nausea, vomiting up bile, and right upper quadrant abdominal pain. I have signs of kidney disease too."

• Anonymous
• June 25, 2016

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I have been taking Plaquenil for about 4 years, 200 mg twice a day. I have been having severe stomach cramps, nausea, and vomiting. I just now realized it's the Plaquenil because I didn't take it for 3 days due to the nausea and vomiting. I took it again today and got so sick that I had to throw up. Now, I realized it's the Plaquenil. I have been to a gastroenterologist and have done all kinds of tests. I will not be taking this medication again. My rheumatoid arthritis is nothing as bad as the nausea and vomiting. Maybe this will help someone. I don't know what I will take for this RA pain. I feel so sorry for anyone who has this RA. I was not diagnosed with this until I was 65 years old."

• Tay...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 20, 2019

For Sjogren's Syndrome "I’ve been on Plaquenil 400 mg once a day for 6 months now due to Sjögren's. If you are wondering how long Plaquenil takes to work, it took about 3 months before I started feeling better. Now at 6 months, I’m noticing more symptoms. I have a rash on my arms, and my face feels like it’s burning, but I don’t have a sunburn or anything. I’ve also noticed my eyebrows look like I have bleached them."

• She...
• December 4, 2011

For Sjogren's Syndrome "Plaquenil has given me back my quality of life. I think I've been on it for about 3 years now. However, I've recently stopped taking it as I am having flashes in one eye and don't have the money to see a retina specialist - or an eye doctor for that matter. Now that I have stopped the medication, I am back to having constant pain throughout my body - especially in my joints... and in my bones, and I am exhausted and sleep a lot without feeling rested. As soon as I get my eyes checked and if my exam shows good results, I will be back on Plaquenil immediately."

• Bab...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 9, 2016

For Sjogren's Syndrome "I have been on Plaquenil for several years, first the generic Plaquenil has no coating to protect your stomach lining. If you have side effects first, try brand. I know doctors say there is no difference. But the composition of the drug may not affect the effectiveness of the drug, but it will affect the way it is absorbed in your system, which will affect your side effects."

• lus...
• September 25, 2012

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in February 2012. Plaquenil has been the second medication we've tried. I've only taken it for 1 week and have a horrible rash on both arms and on the backs of my legs. It has caused diarrhea and headaches. I have stopped taking this medication and am currently waiting to see what medication we will try next."

• LGF...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 24, 2017

For Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease "I've been on and off Plaquenil for 13 years for Undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD). I have NEVER had a flare while on Plaquenil. The only times I've had flares were when I stupidly stopped taking Plaquenil. That is a mistake I will never make again, after a life-threatening flare in 2015. Now I am on Plaquenil for life, and 100% in remission. This drug has been absolutely amazing for me. I guess it just depends on individual body chemistry, but I love this drug so very, very much. Now, honestly, you have to give it 3-6 months to fully take effect, and it can cause GI upset and other side effects at first. You just have to tough it out and be strong-minded. Plaquenil is a game-changer for many UCTD patients but you need to be tough and patient!! Don't skip doses."

• Anonymous
• June 4, 2012

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I have had rheumatoid arthritis for 11 years and have been taking 400 mg a day. It is now causing skin discoloration in my lower shin, now grayish black. I will be going off this. Have had no eye problems while taking this medicine."

• sma...
• May 28, 2014

For Lupus "I have been on this medication for about 12 years now. It seems to work very well, but as the years have gone on, it doesn't work quite as well as it used to. That's why I only rate it at an 8. There was a time when my insurance was messed up, and I didn't have the money to pay for my medications. I could definitely tell the difference when I was not on this medicine. I would definitely recommend it."

• Vet...
• May 1, 2015

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I started this medication a week ago and have had very vivid dreams. I used to wake up with rib and hip pain/stiffness. I also couldn't relax and lay in bed because my body just felt restless. I would say that on day 2, I woke up almost completely relaxed and nearly no stiffness. I also started taking Celebrex on the same day, so I'm not sure if it's the combination of the two or one or the other, but I feel so much better. I am a 31-year-old female and a mom of a 1.5-year-old."

• Sea...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 21, 2015

For Sjogren's Syndrome "I have been on this medication for approximately 8 years. Before I started this medicine, I was in terrible shape. With Sjogren's syndrome as my primary autoimmune disease and rheumatoid arthritis as my secondary autoimmune disease, I was in terrible persistent pain, had terrible joint ache, and was incapacitated for about four months before finally being diagnosed and given this. Along with steroids, this medicine, and some regular doses of ibuprofen, I found I was able to be mobile again, to go back to work, and have a quality life again. I have not found that being on the same dosage has lessened its effectiveness over the last 8 years. During major flares especially, it would be near impossible to have a good, healthy life."

• Mel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 22, 2019

For Lupus "Several years ago, took Plaquenil for over two years. Took about 6 months before it was effective. I have now restarted, again, this time it has become effective in about 10 weeks, no measurable side effects, and less pain."

• Gle...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 19, 2019

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "When first diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Plaquenil worked after a couple of weeks. I was in remission, so I stopped, but the doctor was upset as he said it was important to keep damage to joints down. Anyway, the RA flared, and I'm back taking one a day. Hoping to feel better again, but it seems slow. Not sure if it is due to the generic that I'm receiving. Also, please get eye checkups. Had a scare, but it is fine. This drug has fewer side effects than others! Good luck."

• Not...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 20, 2019

For Lupus "Started taking Plaquenil 5 days ago for bad butterfly rash caused by dermal lupus. I’m extremely dizzy, bad stomach pain, ringing in the ears, etc. I’ll deal with the rash, this is way too harsh. This is why pharma scares me so much. In bed on a beautiful sunny day, can’t even walk my dogs, so dizzy."

• Bac...
• November 4, 2017

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I am a 72-year-old female, diagnosed with RA 6 years ago. I took Plaquenil (200x2) from 2012 to 2016, along with Prednisone to start. Due to the fact that I could not use my hands because of the swelling, I risked the possible vision problems. By 2012, I was symptom-free and still fearful of vision loss, so I stopped the drug. I was pain and symptom-free for one year, but now symptoms have returned, and I have been told to restart the drug (no Prednisone). In the 4 years that I took it, I went from 95 lbs to 85 lbs, lost a significant amount of hair, had cataract surgery, and now have macular degeneration. The decision to restart is extremely emotionally stressful, weighing the benefits against the risks. (Dr. says neither eye problem was caused by the drug.)"

• CTT...
• October 13, 2015

For Lupus "I started this med as I have both RA and Systemic Lupus. It did nothing for me, and we added Methotrexate, still no benefit. Added Enbrel, no better. My eyesight was beginning to fail, so I stopped all of them. My weight ballooned up by 25 lbs! I have found no mainstream meds to help and had to turn to Traditional Chinese Medicine for relief. Works great for me. I am still hoping to find something in the regular vein of meds to help and not hurt me. My insurance will not cover the help of the Traditional Chinese Medicine that is helping. What's up with that?"

• RA ...
• October 6, 2017

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I primarily treat my RA with CBD paste. While it does pretty good alone, my doctor suggested that Plaquenil might zero out the rest of my symptoms. Even though I have a fairly severe case of RA, the CBD paste manages about 80% of the disease. But I've been taking the Plaquenil for about 3 weeks, and honestly, I think I have more swelling. I've decided to stop for now and am wondering if Plaquenil can actually make the symptoms worse?"

• PBH...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 29, 2014

For Lupus "I have been taking 200mg of Plaquenil daily for 2 years now. I still have many days a week when my entire body hurts. My eye doctor cautioned me not to go to a higher dose for the protection of my eyes. Recently, my daughter noticed a film over half of one eye, which I could not see, and my vision is generally not as clear. May not be the right medicine for me."

• Dan...
• September 9, 2015

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I had Lyme disease and a subsequent RA diagnosis. I have been on Plaquenil for 7 months: 200 mg 2 times a day and now 1 time a day. It has helped a great deal. I was also taking collagen and a few herbs for inflammation. I am doing much better and able to do a lot of things I thought I never would again. I have occasional stiffness, but it's hardly an issue. On the downside, I do have bad nightmares-not all the time, but they are something I am not happy about. Anecdotally, they may be correlated to alcohol. I occasionally get nausea and headaches as well, but the headaches are mild and only once a week or so. Fingers crossed that the side effects diminish and that this drug keeps on keeping on. I am 55. Best to you all."

• Tjm...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 28, 2019

For Lupus "I am African American, 55 years of age. I developed sores on my leg, hearing loss problems, heart rate increased, dizziness all the time, balance problems while walking, mouth sores, weakness of lower legs. I had to use a mobile chair, I became so weak, made quality of life worse."

• Ros...
• July 23, 2014

For Lupus "This medication worked great for me except for some stomach upset, which I was tolerating because I wanted to stay off Prednisone. However, three weeks into taking the medication, I developed an allergy to it and broke out in hives all over my body. So, I had to discontinue, sadly. Very sorry not to be able to take this medication as it seems the best one for controlling my Lupus with the least side effects."

• Amb...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 23, 2018

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I started on Plaquenil for psoriatic arthritis in 2015 (200 mg twice daily). I didn’t feel too bad, but a huge bout of stress made my symptoms worse. I then started methotrexate in addition to Plaquenil. My rheumatologist suggested once daily Plaquenil, and that seemed okay. After a while, he said I could stop it as he was not sure if it was working. I tapered off the dose, and I slowly began feeling dreadful. The fatigue was awful, and I had weird signs akin to severe fibro. I then started back on twice daily Plaquenil. Within two weeks, I began to feel more human, and six months later, the fatigue is greatly improved. The small joints in my hands and my wrists are less sore, still painful but improved. I can do more now and feel like doing more. I still have some bad fatigue days, and the rheumatologist is still talking about biologicals, but for the moment, I’m happy to see how I go. None of these drugs are perfect, but at this stage, Plaquenil is really helping me."

• Ang...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 1, 2019

For Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease "I have been taking 200 mg of Plaquenil twice a day for 10 years. I get my vision checked every 6 months. I have had some thinning of my hair and can be nauseated in the morning if I don’t eat, but these are minor side effects compared to the symptoms it is treating. Switched to a new rheumatologist (mine retired), and the first thing he did was start weaning me off Plaquenil, saying I’ve been on it too long. I’m down to one pill once a day and absolutely miserable. I’m easily fatigued, achy, and feel exhausted. Started going to bed earlier and earlier but not feeling rested. Don’t want to get out of bed. Now I’m depressed because I felt great on the drug he says I can’t have."

• RIN...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 28, 2019

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I take it for rheumatoid arthritis, it has been good for me, but the generic form of it caused me problems, so I have to take the brand name. The brand name is extremely expensive, and I cannot afford it. I stopped taking it because it is too expensive. I need help in order to keep on taking it, I don't know what to do? Any suggestions?"

• 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!"