what to expect with Plaquenil and Biaxin combination?

Because my rheumatologic-type symptoms (joint pain, joints swelling, fingers swelling) have gotten worse in the past month, my LLMD wants to switch me to Plaquenil and Biaxin. I had previously been doing pulsed tetracycline, with no apparent effect.

I was wondering if anyone had done this combination and what your experience was like? In particular, did you have any difficult side effects? Did you find it helpful? If you had any issues with joint pain, swelling, etc., did you notice any improvement?

(By way of background: I had been on Plaquenil before, starting in January, when my joint pain first started to get worse. It was prescribed by my rheumatologist (who doesn't believe my symptoms have anything to do with Lyme). I had some reasonably comfortable months, but really wasn't sure whether it was due to the Plaquenil -- my symptoms tend to wax and wane anyway.

I discontinued the Plaquenil in April at the LLMD's request. But starting in June, my joint pain got worse again, and the LLMD decided to resume the Plaquenil -- this time with Biaxin.)

I'd really appreciate hearing about others' experience with this treatment. Thank you!

Healing98,

Thank you so much for your reply. It gives me hope whenever I read about people who had symptoms like mine and improved with treatment. Some days, like today, I get so discouraged and worried, and a post like yours is like a lifeline. (Today a doctor looked at my cuticles with a little microscope thing just out of curiosity, and she said she saw capillary changes that are emblematic of some autoimmune diseases, such as scleroderma and psoriatic arthritis. So that left me feeling a little terrified.)

Can I ask what herbs you're doing? I was doing some of the Buhner herbs for a while, but never consistently and never at the frequency and dose that he recommends. (I bought alcohol-free tinctures, and I think they are weaker than the regular ones.)

Thank you again