I'm scared to take plaquenil......

I was just reading that it is an immunosuppresent. I thought that people with LD should not take immune suppresants. Now i'm really confused. My LLMD has LD and she has given presentations on LD so there must be a very good reason that she has prescribed this to me. 

Also reading about the side effects have gotten me really anxious about taking this. I already have ringing in my ears and flickering in my eyes, I don't want this to get worse. Also I just had a very bad reaction to a zoloft pill that I took, that doesen't help things at all . I also read that plaquenil has caused death in children that accidently took 3 or 4. Yikes! I am so sensative to meds. 

I don't want to call the LLMD because I have called her 2 times lately about the zoloft episode and also about bactrim hurting my stomach. She charges me when I call her.

How many of you take plaquenil and what does your doctor say about it being an immunosuppresant?

Can someone please explain this to me???

Thanks, 

 GG

Post Edited (georgiagirl) : 12/7/2009 7:53:56 PM (GMT-7)

Thank you Razzle. I'm really concerned that it will weaken my immune system. I went and picked iit up today but i'm a big chicken and have not taken it yet. Why is it ok to take this if we can't take steroids? It makes no since. I wish that someone could explain this to me.

Hi GeorgiaGirl,  I have been taking plaquenil for about 4 years now.  When I was first prescribed it I was scared to death to take it as well.  I read about all the eye problems and I was worried I would go blind.  After things got so bad with me I started taking it and I went thru what I know now to be a really bad herx.  It takes about 3 months to really kick in and start working, but it has done alot for me.  I haven't had a cold in the last 4 years either. I know its an immune suppressing drug but I think it may have the capabilities of killing off flu viruses...haha. Anyway I just wanted to say that it worked for me and that if you go and get your eyes checked every six months things will be fine.  My opthomoligst told me that in all his years of practice he had only ever seen one patient have the visual side effects from the plaquenil.

Plaquenil is more specific in its effects on the immune system, therefore the entire immune system is not disabled by it. Prednisone, on the other hand, shuts down a major component of the immune system (by interfering with fatty acids, hormones, etc.) and also suppresses the adrenal gland...thus, steroids have a much greater impact on the immune system (and many other things in the body...skin, eyes, joints, bones, etc.).

Good luck,

I've been on Plaquenil for just over a year ~ no vision problems, no side effects.

My LLMD prescribed it as a cyst-buster for Lyme disease.

Remember, the likelihood of developing Plaquenil toxicity (severe visual problems) is very, very rare.

PS - I had a severe adverse reaction to Zoloft in 2006, even though I had previously tolerated it very well. Our tolerance can change.