Aa
Plaquenil (Hydroxycholorquine)
My doctor wants me to start taking Plaquenil.
I have chronic inflamation of my stomach and esphogus. The doc stated that Plaquenil is easier on the stomach so I shouldn't take the hydroxycholotquine. Can someone tell me if either med causes heartburn? Also, I would appreciate if you can tell me what side effects you have from it and how long you've been on it. I heard that it effects the eyes and makes your hair fall out.,etc..
I have to be honest..I'm SOOO scared of this medication!!! Does a person have to stay on it for life?
Thanks.
I have chronic inflamation of my stomach and esphogus. The doc stated that Plaquenil is easier on the stomach so I shouldn't take the hydroxycholotquine. Can someone tell me if either med causes heartburn? Also, I would appreciate if you can tell me what side effects you have from it and how long you've been on it. I heard that it effects the eyes and makes your hair fall out.,etc..
I have to be honest..I'm SOOO scared of this medication!!! Does a person have to stay on it for life?
Thanks.
My goodness! So glad you are finally getting your answers. I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when I was 21 and as much as I had a bad case of it (have had my colon removed and a j-pouch created since) I can't imagine all that you have going on. It certainly sounds odd to have osteo in every joint. I doubt very much that the Plaquinel will help in the intestines. There are some other types of anti-inflammatories that get used with inflammatory bowel diseases in addition to prednisone to initially manage the flare and they are having really good results with immune suppressants. My son has colitis and is on Imuran and is doing so well. Sure wish the treatment options were around when I was younger. Crohn's can be tougher to treat because it goes much farther in the body than colitis.
My thoughts and prayers are with you that you can quickly get things solved and under control.
My thoughts and prayers are with you that you can quickly get things solved and under control.
Update:
My internest wanted me to go to,(I'll call him Dr.R)1 1/2 yrs. ago. He's a top Rhuemy. Unfortunately, Dr.R didn't take my insurance so I went elsewhere. I just changed insurance & Dr. R takes that. My internest told me last month to see him and that he totally trusts him. So I did. He ordered MRI's of joints and more blood work. Went to see him yesterday. I took all the tests so this visit was "whatever he says I have, then that's it". He spent close to 1/2hr. looking at the CD's of the MRI's. This was my second visit with him. He came back in and gave me an exam. He said that he had taken tests for any possible bacteria or yeast in my intestines. My Gastro doc never did that. One of them came out high postive. Last year I had bleeding ulcers in my colon. I took meds and it cleared up. Gastro doc said I had colitis at the time (no diarreha). Then he said it might have been an eschemic attack of the colon. I just had a colonoscopy this March and the colon looked clean. So now the Gastro doc doesn't know what's what with me. It took my Rhuemy to diagnose me with Crohns disease. He said that I don't have RA but have oseoarthritis in every joint which are all inflamed. He said I have inflamation in my intestines (I do hurt there) and it's causing inflamation at times with my liver and joints. But then I also have the neurological problems. Dr.R is calling my Gastro doc. He said Crohns and Colitis is autoimmune and said I'm systemic. He said my veins are inflamed. He knows I have Plaquenil at home but didn't tell me to take it. He want's me to see him in 3 weeks. He also wants to speak with my neurologist and I have no idea why. Dr.R may tell me in 3 weeks to take the Plaquinel. I have no idea and now I'm more confused than ever. My RA Factor is 140 and my C Complements are a bit high. My CRP and Sed Rate are normal. The high numbers would make me think that would mean I have RA but he said that's an idication of inflamation and it may be coming from my intestines. But then....How can a person have OA in EVERY joint??? Is this possible? Oh..he also said that my skin gets inflamed and that it's the largest organ in the body. Last year my ANA was 24 and has been creeping up. Now it's 88 and could go positive over 99.
Really asking for a reply and adivse that I need. Could also use any comments and thoughts. Do you think that Plaquinel would be good to take for my intestines as well? I'm all inflamed. Ugg!
My internest wanted me to go to,(I'll call him Dr.R)1 1/2 yrs. ago. He's a top Rhuemy. Unfortunately, Dr.R didn't take my insurance so I went elsewhere. I just changed insurance & Dr. R takes that. My internest told me last month to see him and that he totally trusts him. So I did. He ordered MRI's of joints and more blood work. Went to see him yesterday. I took all the tests so this visit was "whatever he says I have, then that's it". He spent close to 1/2hr. looking at the CD's of the MRI's. This was my second visit with him. He came back in and gave me an exam. He said that he had taken tests for any possible bacteria or yeast in my intestines. My Gastro doc never did that. One of them came out high postive. Last year I had bleeding ulcers in my colon. I took meds and it cleared up. Gastro doc said I had colitis at the time (no diarreha). Then he said it might have been an eschemic attack of the colon. I just had a colonoscopy this March and the colon looked clean. So now the Gastro doc doesn't know what's what with me. It took my Rhuemy to diagnose me with Crohns disease. He said that I don't have RA but have oseoarthritis in every joint which are all inflamed. He said I have inflamation in my intestines (I do hurt there) and it's causing inflamation at times with my liver and joints. But then I also have the neurological problems. Dr.R is calling my Gastro doc. He said Crohns and Colitis is autoimmune and said I'm systemic. He said my veins are inflamed. He knows I have Plaquenil at home but didn't tell me to take it. He want's me to see him in 3 weeks. He also wants to speak with my neurologist and I have no idea why. Dr.R may tell me in 3 weeks to take the Plaquinel. I have no idea and now I'm more confused than ever. My RA Factor is 140 and my C Complements are a bit high. My CRP and Sed Rate are normal. The high numbers would make me think that would mean I have RA but he said that's an idication of inflamation and it may be coming from my intestines. But then....How can a person have OA in EVERY joint??? Is this possible? Oh..he also said that my skin gets inflamed and that it's the largest organ in the body. Last year my ANA was 24 and has been creeping up. Now it's 88 and could go positive over 99.
Really asking for a reply and adivse that I need. Could also use any comments and thoughts. Do you think that Plaquinel would be good to take for my intestines as well? I'm all inflamed. Ugg!
This is a great sight for research on any medication your looking for info on. The info is listed by patients who have experience with the drug.
http://www.askapatient.com/
http://www.askapatient.com/
Kudos to you for making sure all your docs know what meds you are taking and for getting them to work as a team! Drug interactions are a very real problem and have to be considered with every script. I am glad you waited. One suggestion, make a list of all the drugs you are taking and, if you know of meds you cannot take as a result of one you are taking, note it. I keep a list to take to every doctor appt I have, dental too, and I maintain a list in my purse with my ID in case I am ever in an accident. It can be a pain to update it all the time but I figure one day it may save me.
Please keep us posted on how you are doing, what treatment plans you get etc. We will be here for you through the rough times and want to join you to celebrate any good news you get.
Please keep us posted on how you are doing, what treatment plans you get etc. We will be here for you through the rough times and want to join you to celebrate any good news you get.
Well, Ok, this does sound like an acceptable excuse.... We'll let you off the hook until you get through this. I will keep you in my thoughts as you do the INH. Life can definitely get quite complicated!
I CAN'T STOP LAUGHING! You two have me hysterical.
You have to believe me..LOL...I was going to pop the pill into my mouth..but then I stopped. Went to see my internest with my husband. My internest subspecializes in infectious diseases. I think I've mentioned this before. In 1996 someone, someplace, stood next to me who had TB. When I was getting my physical, I was tested for it and it came out positive. It wasn't active but I am infected by it and is "latent" (sleeping). The prodical at that time was anyone over the age of 35 should not take the 9 months of the TB antibiotic called INH for short. The reason being that INH is so very toxic to the liver, and can cause lots of very bad side effects. As a person ages, their organs work slower, therefore the INH gets out of the liver and system slower making it more toxic. Then the medical community changed the prodical to 50 because so many people were getting activated with TB. I'm 58 but have to start the INH since what I have can activate the TB since my immune system is surpressed as is because of the inflamation I have. My internest said that he doesn't think it's a good idea to start the Plaquenil and the INH at the exact same time since in case there's side effects, which drug would you blame it on? Also, they're both toxic. I'm now in the middle of taking MRI's of different joints and more blood work from my rheumy. The internest said he wants to wait until all the tests come back and he'll speak with my rhuemy and they will decide what to do about the Plaquenil.
At this point, I'm so worried about the INH and not worried about the Plaquenil. I'm not making excuses now as I was last week for not taking the Plaqunel.
Waiting for your replies. LOL I like the two of you.
You have to believe me..LOL...I was going to pop the pill into my mouth..but then I stopped. Went to see my internest with my husband. My internest subspecializes in infectious diseases. I think I've mentioned this before. In 1996 someone, someplace, stood next to me who had TB. When I was getting my physical, I was tested for it and it came out positive. It wasn't active but I am infected by it and is "latent" (sleeping). The prodical at that time was anyone over the age of 35 should not take the 9 months of the TB antibiotic called INH for short. The reason being that INH is so very toxic to the liver, and can cause lots of very bad side effects. As a person ages, their organs work slower, therefore the INH gets out of the liver and system slower making it more toxic. Then the medical community changed the prodical to 50 because so many people were getting activated with TB. I'm 58 but have to start the INH since what I have can activate the TB since my immune system is surpressed as is because of the inflamation I have. My internest said that he doesn't think it's a good idea to start the Plaquenil and the INH at the exact same time since in case there's side effects, which drug would you blame it on? Also, they're both toxic. I'm now in the middle of taking MRI's of different joints and more blood work from my rheumy. The internest said he wants to wait until all the tests come back and he'll speak with my rhuemy and they will decide what to do about the Plaquenil.
At this point, I'm so worried about the INH and not worried about the Plaquenil. I'm not making excuses now as I was last week for not taking the Plaqunel.
Waiting for your replies. LOL I like the two of you.
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