Polymyalgia Rheumatica :: Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine) Withdrawal Pain
Jul 12, 2015
I saw my Rheumy last week and he is concerned about my being up to 9mg of pred for the past 5 months (from 4mg). I've been on pred for 28 months. Starting decreased to 8mg using DSNS method but notice the difference. It has been a week and it's not getting worse so I think it is withdrawal pain, not flare. Will try week two and see what happens.
My Rhuemy said he'd like me to try Plaquenil along with pred to see if I could decrease easier/faster.
Does anyone have experience with this and if so what dose of pred and plaquenil did you take?
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Doe anyone know anything about this med or have taken it?? Have gone from 15 mgs of pred to 10 to 7.5 mgs since December when I was diagnosed with pmr. 7.5 was not cutting it and dropped it back to 10mgs and also started me on hydroxychloroquine. The hope is to get off of the pred all together. I'm taking both meds for now until my next appt. in July. Has anyone had experience on this med?
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Has anyone been changed from Plaquenil to generic form
under name of hydroxychloroquine (zentiva)? It's supposed to be exactly the same as Plaquenil, I've been taking it for 10 days and I've developed a prickly feeling in my legs along with a light rash.
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I was diagnosed with this condition a few years ago in my left hip. I was given a steroid injection in my thigh and to be truthful, I completely forgot about the pain. I still get niggly pain, but nothing I can't cope with. In January this year, I was diagnosed with it in my right hip and was given a steroid injection in March. It worked for a couple of days, but after that, the pain is worse than before. I am due a follow up in September. Painkillers don't seem to help at all. Any other sufferers out there?
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How is it that most of you say walking helps you get rid of the pain? If I walk for 20-30 mins I have pain which takes ages to clear up - sometimes into the next day, or even the day after (and it has since the PMR started). Exercise is good for you! OK, I know that, but what do you do if you get more and more pain by doing it?
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Have any of you had more problems with your teeth, pain, cavities etc since taking pred? Also why wouldn't my dentist like to open out a tooth to crown it while I'm taking 15mg of pred?
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Since we've gotten off into subject of the awful pain of sciatica and the fact that it can last so long....does anyone besides me have trouble telling the difference between sciatica or low back problems and PMR? I'm not sure which is which sometimes and hesitate to increase the pred for what might be different pain.
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The thing I don't get yet is how come people still get pain and fatigue etc if you are taking pred? If you are taking the appropriate dose then why are you still suffering? I thought the whole idea was that you take the minimum dose to control the symptoms. I understand that you might/will get flare ups but surely it's just a case of increasing the dose and not just putting up with it?
I am still adjusting my dose and had a flare up last week because I dropped it too quickly, but I get that. What I don't get is why people are suffering when it seems a simple fix to up the dose when you get a flare up.
Or have I just missed the point?
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I am a 54 yr old female ,had PMR for 2 years now ,started on 20 now I am on the reduction and on 5 mg of pred .like every one else I am still in lots of pain ,especially in the mornings and after tea time when I tend to sit down and relax .every day my pain is somewhere different , but most commonly in my hips,knees ,arms and shoulder and neck .some days it really hurts when I sneeze or take a big breath in ,like my ribs are going to crack ,.oh and my husband says I have this funny little waddle like walk in the morning till I get used to the pain .My rhumy is pleased with my reduction .......but just keeps saying to me well !you will still have a little pain as you cut down on your PRED ........
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I was diagnosed with PMR July 2012, with ESR 62, put on 15 mg Pred, 11 days passed before I was free of pain. 1 month later Doc reduced me to 10 mg. ESR than 10. Then later to 7.5mg and finally to 2mg by Oct 2013. Relapse started Dec 2013. Doc started to increase Pred. to 6mg.but pain persisted so Doc increased me in stages to 15 mg, (pain persisted) so Doc said go to 20mg or even 30 mg if pain still persists. Pain is persisting. Meanwhile, a full blood test was done and all came back normal, ESR now 12. Just to complicate matters, there was a moment 12 days ago when for 4 days I mixed up my tabs and was taking only 4 x 1mg, when I should have been taking 4 x 5mg. I am now on 3rd.day at 30mg. but pain still persists.Does anyone have any comments please?
The only other query on my mind is the fact that I was given a Pneumonia jab 3 weeks ago, could this play a part.?
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I am presently on 7mg, and worry if GCA is starting: the dull pain I get is not at the sides of my eyes but about an inch above and slightly back. I do not have other indicators, such as jaw pain or sore head to touch, and am unsure whether all symptoms are likely to be present or only one. My GP seems to think I am OK- any advice as to whether the temple pain in GCA is by the sides of one's glasses or an inch or two above this?
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On 25th Dec I reduced the pred from 7/8 mg alternative days to 7 every day, with a view to reducing to 6/7, but I had foot swelling and pain so I left it at 7 every day. I have been to the podiatrist who has said I have a bunion which has dislocated my toe next to the big toe, very painful ( ouch ).
Today I thought I would try to cut down to the 6/7 every other day, but would like your advice before doing so please, I am still in pain and my foot swells after being on them even though I am wearing the insoles the podiatrist gave me.
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I was diagnosed with PMR almost two years ago , now down to 4 mg of prednisone a day. I generally am feeling very good except I have some chest pain when I breath deeply and cough. At times it feels like I have a lung problem caused by smoking except I never did smoke. I have been fully checked out by cardiac specialists and they tell me my heart is excellent. I am careful regarding diet and exercise regularly. Have anyone had similar pain ? Thanks
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I have had classic PMR symptoms (shoulders/upper arms/hips) and was diagnosed on March 2015... I am now reduced to 6 MG pred daily.
Have for the past two weeks or so had SEVERE wrist pain... not sure if it is pred withdrawal or PMR.
Anyone else have PMR pain hit their wrists? Cannot stand to bend them... Cannot remove a lid from a jar, etc.Gets better as the day wears on. Worse in the night/early morning.
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I love fruit and eat plenty,also i have Manuka honey, my question is as we have to be aware of diabetes should we be aware how much we eat, does our body process natural sugar in a different way to processed sugars.Just a thought, been awake and up since 5.30( and was hungry so thought have some fruit before breakfast then thought am i having too much)
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I've been experiencing some aches and pains over the past few days, it started off with aching in my wrists up to my elbows, now my joints in my legs and ankles are aching, also a bit of a stiff/ sore neck and top of spine is sore. In general my whole body is aching, feels sore to touch, throbbing and from time to time can get sharp pains. I don't have any rash as yet.
I have been in contact with chickenpox lately so didn't know if Id caught anything from that at.
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I was thinking about PMR and although I am very nearly stable on 10 mg Prednisolone it is a knife edge dose. I still have many side effects from 4 years use of the steroid. In some kind of order they are:-
Muscle wastage, fatigue, lassitude, thinning of skin, easy bruising, cuts which take an unusually long time to heal, glaucoma, dry eye, exacerbated and premature cataracts which necessitated operations on both eyes to replace the lenses, virtual permanent stiffness and loss of motion in neck, constant shoulder and back pain, balance problems and now a recent discovery which I believe to be bronchiectasis. The last manifested itself with a slight productive cough I have had for about a year, with a shortness of breath which is steadily getting worse. Initial exam by GP showed no ‘crackle’, X-ray was ‘normal’ blood ‘normal’, whatever that is. Have seen this GP who gave me a course of amoxicillin (5 days) which did nothing. Then just left me to get on with things, no follow up, nothing. Not sure what to do next. I can see any one of the other doctors at this particular practice and am thinking to see one of them soon; well at least I can try for an appointment, currently 2 weeks!
Now the latest manifestation…..Shingles. Or to give it its proper title
Herpes Varicella-Zoster. A particularly painful affliction caused by the chicken pox I must have had as a child. It has affected the left side of my scalp, my left forehead, eye and face; I am not a pretty sight! By the time I knew what it was it was too late for any anti viral medication so will just have to let it take its course. Existing on Paracetamol, Codeine, Neurontin and the occasional Tramadol. All of these analgesics are for a short time only, don’t want to get hooked. Managed to see a doctor reasonably quickly about my eye who sent me to the eye unit at my local hospital, ophthalmologist examined the eye and gave me the all clear, phew!
On top of all this I have the daddy of all flares I put the cause of this down to the trauma of my new affliction. My immune system is compromised due to the daily use of 10mg. Prednisolone which I have increased to 15 mg. for a short time. It appears that any kind of trauma either emotional or physical will set off a flare.
I wondered what causes a flare in other sufferers from PMR/GCA and do they do as I do and increase the dosage of steroid and try to rest? Or is there a magical cure I should know about?
Long ramble I know but strangely feel better for writing it, apologies if you think I’m wasting your time, or a hypochondriac. (I’m not).
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To my knowledge I have never had chicken pox. I have been taking Pred for three years and am now down to 3mgs from 15. My granddaughter is with me with chickenpox. Should I be worried please?
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I was told years ago i haf fibromyalgia but now my blood work shows a high sed rate
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Background: I am 66 years old and have suffered first attack in mid November 2015... I have been fairly active person and have done some triathlon in the past, so not being able to get out of the bed on my own was pretty shocking to me... It took about one month to diagnose PMR and I started medication (prednisone) at 15 mg/day mid December.
If there is an interest, I would like to post about the progress in recovery, with special attention to exercise. I am seeing specialist every 2 weeks and complete blood work is done to monitor inflammation caused by PMR.
I would like to post what I have done thus far and future progress in (hopefully) successful recovery.
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Has anyone tried Q10 supplements, and are they alright to take with pred.
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