OK, NOW I get it! My new med....

[Guest guest]

....is Plaquenil. Stupid pharmacy abbreviated, and put the

manufacturer in parentheses instead of the brand name, so I got

confused.

I'm still wondering if it is common for a doctor to prescribe

plaquenil and not methotrexate initially for RA? He was adament

that I did not have lupus, though my ds-dna autoantibodies are high

(ANA-negative). Now he's got me on Plaq. and not metho. which has

me wondering. This is also the guy who insisted that he only is

concerned about RA if your RF goes above 300, which I know is bull.

He's slowly gone from a diagnosis of " not enough sleep " to " maybe

RA " to " probably RA " , which I guess is progress. Sheesh.

Oh, and I started my prednisone up again last night, and the fatigue

and pain is much better, thank you . Not as good as when I was on

20 mg, but I can do some things, rest awhile, and do some more

without feeling like I'm about to die. My husband will be

happy...he's been griping that I'm not helping out enough, and that

my mom will have to move down with us if I can't do more.

(NOOOOOOOOO! We get along SO much better when she's 400 miles away!

A week every two months is plenty, thank you very much!)

[Guest guest]

, Plaquenil is considered a DMARD (disease-modifying antirheumatic

drug) for RA. It can be an appropriate first choice, especially if the

diagnosis is in question.

American College of Rheumatology

Patient Education

" Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) " :

http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/hydroxychloroquine.asp

Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

[ ] OK, NOW I get it! My new med....

> ...is Plaquenil. Stupid pharmacy abbreviated, and put the

> manufacturer in parentheses instead of the brand name, so I got

> confused.

>

> I'm still wondering if it is common for a doctor to prescribe

> plaquenil and not methotrexate initially for RA? He was adament

> that I did not have lupus, though my ds-dna autoantibodies are high

> (ANA-negative). Now he's got me on Plaq. and not metho. which has

> me wondering. This is also the guy who insisted that he only is

> concerned about RA if your RF goes above 300, which I know is bull.

> He's slowly gone from a diagnosis of " not enough sleep " to " maybe

> RA " to " probably RA " , which I guess is progress. Sheesh.

>

> Oh, and I started my prednisone up again last night, and the fatigue

> and pain is much better, thank you . Not as good as when I was on

> 20 mg, but I can do some things, rest awhile, and do some more

> without feeling like I'm about to die. My husband will be

> happy...he's been griping that I'm not helping out enough, and that

> my mom will have to move down with us if I can't do more.

> (NOOOOOOOOO! We get along SO much better when she's 400 miles away!

> A week every two months is plenty, thank you very much!)

[Guest guest]

, Plaquenil is considered a DMARD (disease-modifying antirheumatic

drug) for RA. It can be an appropriate first choice, especially if the

diagnosis is in question.

American College of Rheumatology

Patient Education

" Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) " :

http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/hydroxychloroquine.asp

Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

[ ] OK, NOW I get it! My new med....

> ...is Plaquenil. Stupid pharmacy abbreviated, and put the

> manufacturer in parentheses instead of the brand name, so I got

> confused.

>

> I'm still wondering if it is common for a doctor to prescribe

> plaquenil and not methotrexate initially for RA? He was adament

> that I did not have lupus, though my ds-dna autoantibodies are high

> (ANA-negative). Now he's got me on Plaq. and not metho. which has

> me wondering. This is also the guy who insisted that he only is

> concerned about RA if your RF goes above 300, which I know is bull.

> He's slowly gone from a diagnosis of " not enough sleep " to " maybe

> RA " to " probably RA " , which I guess is progress. Sheesh.

>

> Oh, and I started my prednisone up again last night, and the fatigue

> and pain is much better, thank you . Not as good as when I was on

> 20 mg, but I can do some things, rest awhile, and do some more

> without feeling like I'm about to die. My husband will be

> happy...he's been griping that I'm not helping out enough, and that

> my mom will have to move down with us if I can't do more.

> (NOOOOOOOOO! We get along SO much better when she's 400 miles away!

> A week every two months is plenty, thank you very much!)

[Guest guest]

OK, thanks. I'm just curious: why would it be a first choice if the

diagnosis is in question? Due to side effects of the other drugs on

the market?

So far I'm tolerating it very well. Absolutely no dizziness and

very little nausea which gets better each time. I'm anxious to know

if it helps. The dose of prednisone I'm on now has helped the

fatigue a lot already, and my wrists and ankles seem to do a little

better each day, though there is still quite a bit of pain. The

weakness is much better, though.

> , Plaquenil is considered a DMARD (disease-modifying

antirheumatic

> drug) for RA. It can be an appropriate first choice, especially if

the

> diagnosis is in question.

>

>

>

> American College of Rheumatology

> Patient Education

>

> " Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) " :

>

>

http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/hydroxychloroquine.asp

>

>

>

>

> Not an MD

>

> I'll tell you where to go!

>

> Mayo Clinic in Rochester

> http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

>

> s Hopkins Medicine

> http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

>

>

> [ ] OK, NOW I get it! My new med....

>

>

> > ...is Plaquenil. Stupid pharmacy abbreviated, and put the

> > manufacturer in parentheses instead of the brand name, so I got

> > confused.

> >

> > I'm still wondering if it is common for a doctor to prescribe

> > plaquenil and not methotrexate initially for RA? He was adament

> > that I did not have lupus, though my ds-dna autoantibodies are

high

> > (ANA-negative). Now he's got me on Plaq. and not metho. which

has

> > me wondering. This is also the guy who insisted that he only is

> > concerned about RA if your RF goes above 300, which I know is

bull.

> > He's slowly gone from a diagnosis of " not enough sleep " to " maybe

> > RA " to " probably RA " , which I guess is progress. Sheesh.

> >

> > Oh, and I started my prednisone up again last night, and the

fatigue

> > and pain is much better, thank you . Not as good as when I

was on

> > 20 mg, but I can do some things, rest awhile, and do some more

> > without feeling like I'm about to die. My husband will be

> > happy...he's been griping that I'm not helping out enough, and

that

> > my mom will have to move down with us if I can't do more.

> > (NOOOOOOOOO! We get along SO much better when she's 400 miles

away!

> > A week every two months is plenty, thank you very much!)

[Guest guest]

OK, thanks. I'm just curious: why would it be a first choice if the

diagnosis is in question? Due to side effects of the other drugs on

the market?

So far I'm tolerating it very well. Absolutely no dizziness and

very little nausea which gets better each time. I'm anxious to know

if it helps. The dose of prednisone I'm on now has helped the

fatigue a lot already, and my wrists and ankles seem to do a little

better each day, though there is still quite a bit of pain. The

weakness is much better, though.

> , Plaquenil is considered a DMARD (disease-modifying

antirheumatic

> drug) for RA. It can be an appropriate first choice, especially if

the

> diagnosis is in question.

>

>

>

> American College of Rheumatology

> Patient Education

>

> " Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) " :

>

>

http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/hydroxychloroquine.asp

>

>

>

>

> Not an MD

>

> I'll tell you where to go!

>

> Mayo Clinic in Rochester

> http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

>

> s Hopkins Medicine

> http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

>

>

> [ ] OK, NOW I get it! My new med....

>

>

> > ...is Plaquenil. Stupid pharmacy abbreviated, and put the

> > manufacturer in parentheses instead of the brand name, so I got

> > confused.

> >

> > I'm still wondering if it is common for a doctor to prescribe

> > plaquenil and not methotrexate initially for RA? He was adament

> > that I did not have lupus, though my ds-dna autoantibodies are

high

> > (ANA-negative). Now he's got me on Plaq. and not metho. which

has

> > me wondering. This is also the guy who insisted that he only is

> > concerned about RA if your RF goes above 300, which I know is

bull.

> > He's slowly gone from a diagnosis of " not enough sleep " to " maybe

> > RA " to " probably RA " , which I guess is progress. Sheesh.

> >

> > Oh, and I started my prednisone up again last night, and the

fatigue

> > and pain is much better, thank you . Not as good as when I

was on

> > 20 mg, but I can do some things, rest awhile, and do some more

> > without feeling like I'm about to die. My husband will be

> > happy...he's been griping that I'm not helping out enough, and

that

> > my mom will have to move down with us if I can't do more.

> > (NOOOOOOOOO! We get along SO much better when she's 400 miles

away!

> > A week every two months is plenty, thank you very much!)

[Guest guest]

Plaquenil is a good choice because it is an effective treatment for several

rheumatic diseases, has a good toxicity profile, and is relatively

inexpensive.

Glad you're getting some relief from the prednisone.

Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

[ ] Re: OK, NOW I get it! My new med....

> OK, thanks. I'm just curious: why would it be a first choice if the

> diagnosis is in question? Due to side effects of the other drugs on

> the market?

>

> So far I'm tolerating it very well. Absolutely no dizziness and

> very little nausea which gets better each time. I'm anxious to know

> if it helps. The dose of prednisone I'm on now has helped the

> fatigue a lot already, and my wrists and ankles seem to do a little

> better each day, though there is still quite a bit of pain. The

> weakness is much better, though.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Plaquenil is a good choice because it is an effective treatment for several

rheumatic diseases, has a good toxicity profile, and is relatively

inexpensive.

Glad you're getting some relief from the prednisone.

Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

[ ] Re: OK, NOW I get it! My new med....

> OK, thanks. I'm just curious: why would it be a first choice if the

> diagnosis is in question? Due to side effects of the other drugs on

> the market?

>

> So far I'm tolerating it very well. Absolutely no dizziness and

> very little nausea which gets better each time. I'm anxious to know

> if it helps. The dose of prednisone I'm on now has helped the

> fatigue a lot already, and my wrists and ankles seem to do a little

> better each day, though there is still quite a bit of pain. The

> weakness is much better, though.

>

>