Plaquenil weakness

[Spiffy]

I was planning on starting Plaquenil in March to help ease my symptoms. However, muscle weakness right now is more of a concern than pain. I am sad to see that a side effect of this drug is muscle weakness. What is your experience? Is there anyone out there whose muscles benefitted from the drug?

DR4/DQ8 HLA, bio toxin illness
Flare fall of 2014...muscle aches, joint pains, fatigue, hair loss, rashes
Positive RA factor was 71 in January 2015 down to 28 as of September 2016
IGG food allergies wheat, egg, dairy
supplements: C and D, probiotics, milk thistle, Turmeric, cod liver oil, methyl b 12 & folate, digestive enzymes, Moducare, chlorella, berberine, LDN, monolaurin, Triphala, Patriot Greens
MTHFR compound heterozygous
Igenex IGM Lyme positive
Minocycline 100 BID MWF

[Trudi]

Plaquenil antibiotics are part of the fluoroquinolone antibiotics. Muscle weakness is a side effect. I would be very cautious! Quinolone antibiotics are chemotherapeutic and late side effects (months to years later) are common. The herb Cat’s Claw is a chemotype herb and can also have similar side effects as the quinolones; quinovic acid is the common denominator of the antibiotic and the herb.

Take care,
Trudi

Lyme/RA; AP 4/2008 off and on to 3/2010; past use of quinolones may be the cause of my current problems, (including wheelchair use); all supplements (which can aggravate the condition) were discontinued on 10/14/2012. Am now treating for the homozygous MTHFR 1298 mutation. Off of all pain meds since Spring '14 (was on them for years--doctor is amazed--me too). Back on pain med 1/2017. Reinfected? Frozen shoulder?

[greypilgrim256]

I’ve been on 400mg plaque nil for about a year. I feel that is has helped with my joint pains. It is a very mild drug and side effects from it are rare. One of the only serious side effect from Plaquenil is retinal toxicity, which can result in vision impairment, but this is rare and generally only occurs after YEARS of use. It is highly dependent on body weight.

I have never had any muscle weakness from it.

[BG]

I have been on hydroxychloroquine, the generic version of Plaquenil, for almost 6 years, without any problems that could be attributed to it.

I have muscle weakness that constantly waxes and wanes in severity but I had it long before I was prescribed hydroxychloroquine and the hydroxychloroquine hasn’t had any effect on it i.e. it didn’t make it better or worse.

My muscle weakness seems to be nerve related (radiculopathy), caused by inflamed tendons and ligaments impinging on nerves. It affects my arms, wrists, hands, hips, legs, ankles, and feet. At times, my left leg collapses under me, I can’t rise from a sitting position without using my hands to push or lift me up, I will drop things, be unable to open things and, around 1991, I couldn’t hold a pen to write for a while.

Prednisone seems to be the only thing that helps but I can’t take more than 2-3 mgs per day due to chronic infections.

Barb

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