Gena I too have lupus for many yrs. I am on prednisone, plaquenil, and ecoated asprin, lorecet plus, I also taked vitimans. Mine are calcuim.Magnisum and zinc,c and e. My lupus Dr. Also has me on vitamin d 50,ooo units monday and friday only. This is just a few. I have been on plaquenil for many yrs. It is for fatuque,jiont pain and muscles aches. The only thing about this med you have to have your eyes ch. Every 6 mos. My doctor will not renew your give me a refill untill this is done. It takes 3mos for it to get totally into your system. I took myself off of it a few yrs back after 1 month I was haveing joint pain, my skin hurt to rub it and I was tired. I attened a lupus support group and 1 woman had done the same thing and experence the same systoms that I had to come back. I started back on plaquenil and within 1 month I felt better. First of all dont ever stop a med without the permission of your Dr. This helps me the plaqunil it comes in different strenghts you might want to discuss this with your Dr. Good luck!!!!!!!!! And also talk with him about your exercising. Brenda foreman

Hi brenda and thanks for replying!!! I'm so glad that I finally joined this forum. Reading all the topics have been so informative. Well, when I was diagnosed....The first med they put me on was a generic of plaquenil called hydrochloroquine. It worked well but then I was having hair loss and mood swings. So, they switched me to methotrexate.....It hasn't helped as well and now again....I'm losing hair. So, not sure what's going on. I'm probably losing hair due to the lupus and not meds or from stress. I might go back to the hydrochloroquine or try the iv therapy. I'm not sure what kind of meds go through the iv yet, i'll have to find that out. Since the beginning, I have refused prednisone. I do not want the side effects especially the swelling and weight gain. I may change my mind if I get enough people to talk me into it saying it's worth it. But, at this point....No way!!! Well, hope to hear from you and others soon! Thanks again!! Gena

i, too, have mood swings and some hair loss, but I thought they were due to the presnisone. I have been on prednisone since 10/05, and plaquenil (generic), for about 1 month. Although the prednisone kills me, I need it for other symptoms of sle. Hope I will lose the weight I gained once I am off of it. Hope this info is of some help.

Gena i'm losing hair too a lot of it did they tell you anything special to do about it?????

Gena i'm losing hair too a lot of it did they tell you anything special to do about it?????

Hi and sorry to hear that you're experiencing this stupid hair loss thing. Just remember that it happens to the best of us right? Well, i've spoken to my Dr. And he said that if your hair loss is overall 'thinning' it's more than likely a side effect from your meds. If it's in 'patches' then it's from lupus. If your patches scar, then more than likely your hair will not grown back there. I was told that I shouldn't perm or color as the chemicals can be more damaging to your hair and cause more breakage or hair loss. Cutting your hair shorter can help as well. The longer it is the heavier which can cause breakage. Plus, the more tangles you fight with which causes breakage. Make sense? My hair was down past my bra line and I just cut it to above my shoulders! What a difference it made! Hope this helps, it's all I know! Take care, gena

Thanks gena that really helps the thinning is on the top of my head its just getting so thin no matter how I cut it you can still see my scalp, but I guess its just something I have to live with like everything else that goes with lupus thanks for replying.