getting a plaquenil rx?

[waif]

hi all

i'm going to my rheum for low c3 c4,,i've only had it tested twice, once they were both completely out of range and the other time they were in range but at the very bottom

i have severe 24/7 unexplained peripheral neuropathy, stiffness, DES, nose bleeds, exhaustion, anemia of chronic disease, hairloss etc since 2009. one major sx i don't have is a dry mouth *knock on wood* but the schirmers test i absolutely fail

i'd like to take plaquenil because i believe i have sjogren's. however, all my bloodwork is negative, including lupus tests. i need a lip biopsy but it'd have to be approved by insurance, etc. i'd like to try a very low dose of plaquenil NOW.

does anyone know if a rheum will rx this while i wait for a lip biopsy? i think i could use it as a tool, work backwards to see if i have a an AI disease..if i don't, it won't provide relief, correct?

 

[andyguitar]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Seems unlikley you have sjogrens. Plaquenil is powerful stuff. Why not wait a while until you are sure it will help?

 

[waif]

not sure why you would say that considering the high percentage of people who are seronegative and positive on a lip biopsy

 

[andyguitar]

I was suspected of having sjogrens but when the tests I had were negative that was it. No more investigation or Meds. Mind you that was about 7-8 years ago so maybe things have changed. Interesting what you say about some being seronegative. Anyhow my symptoms- dry mouth and eyes- went away on their own, so even if the test I had was defective at the end of the day it didnt matter! Like your cat pic

 

[waif]

I have 24/7 debilitating pain, possibly small fiber neuropathy for almost a decade now. If I only had dry eyes I'd be like whatever.

 

[rel8ted]

I am on Plaquenil and I can tell you that if you are looking for it to be a pain reliever, you will be disappointed. This particular drug can also accumulate in your eyes and cause permanent visual problems. Yes,it is a less common side effect, but I sure did everything possible to avoid taking it. My rheumy will NOT prescribe it without a yearly eye exam including retinal scan.