Comment

Comment by Kath UK on February 18, 2013 at 12:52pm

Hi everyone. I'm new to the group and have been following this discussion with interest. I'm seeing a dermatologist in a couple of weeks after a gap of two years during which I've been using Dermovate. Last time I saw a consultant dermatologist he suggested I take a course of Cyclosporin but when I read about possible side effects I decided against it. I wonder if this new dermatologist might suggest I might take plaquenil?

Comment by Kath UK on February 18, 2013 at 12:45pm

Comment by Liz on February 18, 2013 at 11:45am

Hi Simone. I was prescribed Doxycycline and Steriods. The Doxycycline was the alternative to the plaquenil. The steriods were prescribed for 8 weeks for a boost. However I have now decided that I am not going to take anything further until I have spoken to another doctor. I was a nurse for many years and I always err on the side of caution when it comes to medication. When it comes to my eyes I prefer to take the advice of the eye hospital and not of a dermatologist.
x

Comment by Simone NJ USA on February 18, 2013 at 11:26am

Hi everyone:
Liz, can you telle what meds you are taking now?

Comment by PamW San Diego, CA, USA on February 18, 2013 at 10:12am

Rebecca, the reason why you have an eye exam is so they can get a baseline to use as a basis for comparison. My eye doctor said problems are very rare and are reversible should anything go wrong. I believe they are looking at your retinas, and not vision issues. So, if you had an exam recently and they have the records, it is probably ok to use that exam as your basis for comparison. Plaquenil can take 3 to 6 months before it begins to work.

Comment by Liz on February 18, 2013 at 9:56am

Hi Rebecca. I was prescribed Plaquenil and I wont take it. The eye hospital said that they would keep an eye on my eyesight if i do choose to take it but I am very short sighted and to be honest I would rather be bald than have any further eye problems. I have been told by my optician that any problems are not reversible and that the drug can interfere with colour vision which is another thing I would rather not risk.
x

Comment by Susanne on February 18, 2013 at 8:11am

Rebecca - I know this can all be so overwhelming. I struggled with the decision as well. I did not have an eye exam before starting it, but was told to be sure to have my eyes checked every six months from here on out. I did have a liver function test before starting and my derm took one again when I had been on it two months. It is interesting to see what different doctors recommend. My doctor did say that it is quite safe for the most part. Almost all drugs have some sort of side effect, but as far as plaquenil goes, the extreme side effects are very rare, from what I understand.

Comment by Alice on February 18, 2013 at 8:08am

My opthalmologist said she had seen only 1 case of retinal problems resulting from to plaquenil. It was a 80+ year old woman who had been taking it for over 20 years and it reversed itself once she stopped taking the drug. She also told me that a lower dose is being used now than in the past, so the danger is lessened. I tried it for a while, went off when I didn't think it was helping but am thinking about going back on it for the long haul. My internist also told me that it was generally well-tolerated. As long as you get regular eye exams, I think it is safe. But I would recommend getting a baseline exam before starting it, just to be on the safe side.

Comment by Lorn. New York, USA on February 18, 2013 at 7:44am

Hi Rebecca. I had an eye exam before I went on placquenil and the eye exam included my eyes being dilated and the field vision test. My eye dr didn't think that placquenel is bad. He told me his mother has been on it for years and he had quite a few patients on it. He did have one patient who had some sight loss because of it but she knew she was having a problem and waited too long to see him. He told me if there is a problem and it is stopped early enough,it is reversible. I have been on it for seven months and had a six month eye exam recently and my eyes haven't changed.

Comment by Jules UK on February 17, 2013 at 5:02am

I wonder if there's any correlation between loss of body hair and the amount of hairline we stand to lose? The derm I saw privately thought he could do something for me because I had only lost underarm hair as well as hairline. Dr Harries expressed no such optimism, and I can't afford to see Dr Rajpar again. No improvement since startng homeopathy - but I'm not really surprised!

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