Hiya,

i started taking 400mg about 6 months ago and it didn't really take effect until two months later but my joints in my hand very rarely swell up now.
I have now been reduced to 300mg with no known side effects.

The biggest concern with plaquenil is the possibility of eye problems so it pays to be monitored by an opthamologist although the concern was largely with a older chloroquine medications as opposed to hydroxycholoroquine (plaquenil). Ask your rheumy if they think its necessary to have eye checkups.

I also take 7.5mg prednisone to help me through the day )

I've been taking plaquenil everyday since I was diagnosed a couple years ago. Unfortunately, I continued to have regular flare-ups in my hands, wrists, ankles and feet until my doctor decided to change my medication to quinacrine. I've been taking it with the plaquenil for about two months now and my flare-ups are getting better. Apparently, the quinacrine works better for me (it can have a strange side effect of turning your skin yellow, but luckily that didn't happen to me). My doctor is slowly tapering me off the plaquenil now just to make sure my system doesn't get jarred. I also take an anti-inflammatory everyday called mobic.

I know different medications work differently for different people, but that's my situation.

Thanks for your replys

Placquenil worked very well for me for about 2 years and then I started having regular flare ups which became increasingly intense. But it worked very well for those two years though and that's not a bad thing at all. Just follow your doctor's orders on when to take the medication and what you need to do to check on any potential negative side effects.

Hope everything works out for you! Hang in there!