do i start hydroxychloroquine? is it any good?

hi my name is Carrie and i am 21 yrs old i have arthritis in my hands and knees for about a year now and i was  on sulfasalazine but then the doctors said that its hasn't made any differences to my joints which i believe  to be true.... but he now wants to put me on hydroxychloroquine but i would like to no that has anyone had this med and has it helped any1 else???       Thanks for taking the time to read and your advice.....

[carolanivey]

Hi Carrie,

Hydroxychloroquine (aka Placquenil), along with sulfasalazine, is one of several "first line" medications for RA and related auto-immune disorders. As you're already finding out, no one medication works for all patients. There's a ton of trial-and-error involved until you find the right medication, or combination of medications, that will work for you.

Hyd. didn't do much for me, but I know others for whom it has worked *very* well, so you really don't know until you try it. Unfortunately for us, we often have to be on a medication for weeks or months before we determine if it's going to work. If not, it's on to the next and another weeks/months wait.

Whatever you do, try as hard as you can to stay away from a medication called prednisone. It may seem like a "miracle" drug, but in reality it only masks symptoms, it doesn't stop the progression of your disease and it's short and long term side effects aren't worth it. Having said that, it can be useful for occasional use until the disease modifying medications kick in. But don't rely on it as your main medication. I say this from hard experience, and I see that you're only a year into your RA journey so I just wanted to save you from what I've been through. :)

Anyway, I hope this helps and don't hesitate to let me know if you have other questions.