Good morning I started taking Plaquinel 4 days ago. Was wondering if anyone has had these symptoms after starting. I have horrible sore throat (i could’ve caught a cold) and my hips and knees are so painful and I feel just swollen. I don’t want to ask the Dr just yet because I need this med to work, I need to function and be able to work.
Could you have picked up a virus?
I was not able to tolerate generic plaquenil but am doing fine on name brand
I have been currently takn this medication for over a month, and with it it does not work fast it takes at least a good month to notice results. Meanwhile you should see if they can get you on some prednisone until the other medication kick in…I take them both at the same time and they upped my dosage so the plaquenil can work faster and they can taper me off the prednisone(it helps but causes not so good side effects). Hopefully this was helpful;)
Hi Michelle, sorry to say that it takes Plaquenil months to really work. When I first started taking it I felt so terrible because I was in a major flare. I was swollen and every part of my body hurt. I also take Cymbalta, Celebrex, Vicodin and muscle relaxers when needed. I have other issues besides lupus as many of us do. I will be 67 in July so agoing is in the picture too. Don't give up on the Plaquenil it will protect your organs and keep your lupus from getting worse.
Do you take any other medications and were you just diagnosed?
Actually it took over 6 months to work for me and I didn’t have the side effects you’re talking about. You may want to look up the side effects by googling plaquinel. I think you’re right to give it time as it works miracles for many. Again you need to be patient with this one as it often takes months to kick in fully. Hang in there.
I think Plaquenil is one of the medications that has the least side effects compared to the rest of the lupus medications. It definitely protects and supresses the symptoms from lupus. Nobody knows how it works but it does. Believe me, it has the least side effects. You need to check your eyes every year just as a precaution. My daughter has been taking it for the past 7 years.
Take care,
Avanch
Ive been on it for 2 years. It took 6 months for it to start working and i had similar side effects. I started taking it at bedtime because it made me so tired and nascious. Now i have no side effects and can’t live without it!
Those don’t sound like Plaquenil side effects to me… The hip and knee pain could be from lupus.
I agree with Taela, see if you can get prednisone for the pain. I had to be on prednisone plus Plaquenil for 8 months before the Plaquenil was able to work on its own.
I’ve been on Plaquenil for 18 months now and it’s effectively keeping my Lupus in control (no pain, no organ involvement).
I was finally able to get into see a Rheumatologist it only taken a year. Tests came back positive. I am new lupus patient. Just diagnose with Lupus not so long ago. Not on any medication yet for the doctor called for more blood tests and other tests but I have trouble with my knee and left hip and circulation problems.
Could there be something else going on, Michelle? Like maybe you picked up a virus? Have you looked at all the info the pharmacy give you when the med is dispensed? Maybe talk to a pharmacist. Hope you feel better VERY soon. LupanCatwoman
That doesn’t sound like the Plaquenil, but possibly a virus that has caused a flare. The Plaquenil took about 2 1/2 mo the to really work for me. I would give it some time to see if you have a bug, but keep an eye on it.
That doesn’t sound like the medication. That just sounds like a flare.
I was diagnosed in November with lupus and fibromyalgia, I’m taking melixicam,flexeril, anti depressant, vitamin D, xanex
geneva21 said:
Hi Michelle, sorry to say that it takes Plaquenil months to really work. When I first started taking it I felt so terrible because I was in a major flare. I was swollen and every part of my body hurt. I also take Cymbalta, Celebrex, Vicodin and muscle relaxers when needed. I have other issues besides lupus as many of us do. I will be 67 in July so agoing is in the picture too. Don’t give up on the Plaquenil it will protect your organs and keep your lupus from getting worse.
Do you take any other medications and were you just diagnosed?
Thanks everyone it does sound like a flare up. I’m trying to be patient but as everyone else I’m thinkn there s a quick fix out there…guess not. This is so frustrating zero energy and trying to function gets harder by the day.
Sounds like the plaquenil is the best for you now. You could have a cold added to everything else. Chronic fatigue is also part of a flare.
Hang in there it will get better!
Hi Michelle
I have been on plaqenil since 1992, at that time I was told it could take up to 6 months to work and they were right just about that time frame. My eyes are checked every 6 months due to possible damage to eyes but never had issue with eye check ups. until it kicked in I had a lot of bad flares and since then occasional flares where prednisone was needed. stick with it, it will kick in.....I was in remission for years until recently the past 2 I have also developed Discoid Lupus on top of SLE, so good luck on your Lupus journey, stay positive hopefully you have loving family and friend support which is what got and gets me thru...
Tomorrow will be better.
My plaquenil didn’t start for months I think 4 days is a little early I get my eyes checked every year or less so far know issues. Their are so many side effects from these meds we have to endure sometimes they make you feel worst then the lupus side effects but it takes a special kind of person to handle lupus you will be fine just learn your body when it speaks to you.
I have been on 200mg of plaquenil for a little over a month my doctor wants me to move up to two pills a day now. I was feeling better on 1 pill a day but the 2 a day brings back the headaches, tight chest, tiredness. Has anyone else experienced this? Did you keep going on the 2 pills or go back to the 1?
I didn't think about the correlation until I read this post, but I did start getting sore throats after I started taking plaquenil. I thought it was weird and I get nervous every time that I'm getting sick because I don't want to end up in the hospital again.