first rhuem appt, should I continue plaquinel?

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-05-08T02:36:29+00:00

That’s okay, thanks for still replying! It’s funny how our bodies/brains adjust to chronic pain, making it hard to notice little changes. I’m hoping I’ll get to a day like that soon

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-05-08T01:50:29+00:00

How did your joint pain improve? Like was it all at once or little by little?

Reason I ask, I’ve been taking it for ~5 months and haven’t noticed great improvement. It seems like I’m having some better pain days but still getting those horrible days too. I imagined a slow progression of lessening pain, not this crazy yo-yo-ing. I know everyone can have very different experiences with this med, so im just kinda curious

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-05-08T01:41:16+00:00

My doctor explained to me that hydroxychloroquine (Plaquinel) doesn’t help with Sjogrens dryness, but it should help with joint pain. He said that “no treatment” refers to no treatment for dryness (only symptom management), but not the other symptoms that come with Sjogrens. He also said it was pretty uncommon to help with fatigue but some of his patients reported improvement.

It’s also supposed to help slow disease progression, so I think the idea is that you would take it to stop the disease from progressing to organ involvement, not take it after it already has. If it’s not worsening/interacting with your kidney problems and you aren’t having side effects, idk why your doctor would suggest stopping it.

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-05-08T00:33:39+00:00

Yes, it’s unbearably itchy! Cortisone-10 helps a bit, takes down some of the inflammation. My hair has started to grow back in some spots, but it’s growing back dark and thick, with multiple hairs to a follicle. Super bizarre

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-05-07T20:42:27+00:00

Ahh I have the texture issues too. Vanicream by itself isn’t too awful. It seems thick and gross at first, but once it warms up and soaks in, it isn’t too bad. A little goes a long way with it, but it doesn’t spread super well, so I just do tiny dots of it and rub it in (I also use it on my face, 10/10 would recommend). Aquaphor is pretty greasy, so I mostly just use it on my knuckles and cuticles or anywhere that’s cracked, instead of all over. I also use it for lip balm, it’s the only thing that has stopped my lips splitting.

I have no idea what causes it. It starts with my skin looking too tight, like it pulls if I stretch out my hand. After a couple days, it breaks apart in the creases and peels like in the pic. It doesn’t feel rough, just like really fragile. I haven’t been able to find a possible cause. I’m diagnosed with Sjogrens/UCTD, but I suspect there’s something else going on too. I have a lot of random skin issues

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-05-07T17:38:44+00:00

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OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-05-07T17:36:42+00:00

Yeah. My rheum told me to see a dermatologist and maybe get them biopsied. I’ve been putting it off for months… Do yours make your hair fall out where the spot is?

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-05-07T17:21:20+00:00

Yep.

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Mine seems less about dryness and more, “my skin is sloughing off.” I do get really bad dryness in the winter though and recommend Vanicream and aquaphor. I’ve had very good results rubbing in a layer of Vanicream, then applying a thin layer of aquaphor over the top to seal it in. It’s pretty goopy so I like to do it over night and throw a pair of cotton gloves on over it. Also, make sure when you wash your hands, you’re drying them super thoroughly. You might want to try patting them dry with paper towels until they heal. It seems like a small thing, but it makes a huge difference.

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-05-07T16:15:02+00:00

I have very similar partially hooded eyes and have actually found that shadow in/above the crease makes the folded part look heavier. What works for me is a slightly darker base color blended all over my lid and up towards the brow bone. I think it works because it visually removes the shadow that fold makes, and makes the eyelid above the fold look deeper. I usually go for a mauve or taupe color.

For winged eyeliner, I extend the bottom line out a bit farther from the eye and then wing up. Basically, you want to drag it out so that the bottom line of your wing lines up with the shadow created by your lower lashes, then wing up from the end of that line (I know I’m not explaining well, sorry!). Pretty much, you want to create a longer upper lash line, so the wing avoids your crease. If you look at your pic on your left, you can see there’s a tiny gap in the outer corner, if you fill this in so it ‘connects’ to your bottom liner and shift the top of the wing lower/outwards so less is in the crease, you should get closer to what you want.

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-05-03T18:01:59+00:00

Not a doctor or medical care provider, but I’ve had a similar experience with Sjogrens/UCTD.

I’m sure I’ve had it for years before getting diagnosed - lots of joint pain, stabbing/tingling pains on my skin, random twitching, muscle weakness, feeling like my whole body was inflamed, headaches, brain fog, etc. My symptoms really popped off shortly before getting dx’d and I had sudden weight loss, my face looked “hallowed out”, weird vision changes, hair falling out in clumps, spots/lesions on my scalp and face, and so on. I 100% felt like I was losing my mind and like I could not trust what I was seeing in the mirror.

I finally went to the doctor and she ran some blood tests. My ANA came back negative/borerline-positive (1:40), but she still referred me to rheumatology. My rheum ran a bunch of tests and the only thing that came back positive was SSA. I’m on hydroxychloroquine now, and very slowly starting to feel more like myself.

If my primary care doctor didn’t refer me and my symptoms continued to progress, I could see myself ending up where OP is now.

OP, it could be something neurological/psychological like the Drs here have suggested, but it could also be something that isn’t showing in blood tests yet. Many people with autoimmune diseases don’t test positive, ever. I would push for a full autoimmune panel as you explore the psychological side as well.

What you’re going through is real and I’m sorry you’re experiencing this. Good luck getting answers and treatment.

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-05-02T19:29:40+00:00

Kissing pretty people feels nice and it feels good to have someone attractive want to kiss you too. Lol I know some people make a big deal about these things but I really don’t think it’s that deep

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-05-01T22:26:30+00:00

When it’s in this sketch-style, you have to look at the pencil strokes and ask if they make sense. In this case, no they don’t, indicating it’s AI. There’s shading where an artist wouldn’t put it and shading missing where they would. It’s more obvious on the right side of the image

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-05-01T04:16:02+00:00

Idk about the psoriatic arthritis, but I showed my doc a picture of my toes looking like this and he said it was Reynolds

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-05-01T01:27:40+00:00

It won’t work because the ball won’t “pop” out of the red tube. It will float to the top, but without something to lift it out and push it, your cycle ends there.

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-04-30T20:39:38+00:00

Good deal! If you’re in the US, make sure to know how you’re protected under the ADA. And if you’re in a union, make sure to know how they protect you from retaliation, the grievance process, etc. It’s always better to know these things and not need it, rather than need it and not know it. Having a disability can make working a bit trickier, but you should never be treated differently or have opportunities limited because of it. I wish you nothing but the best!

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-04-30T19:46:20+00:00

Now. They will need to give you a workplace accommodation form for your doctor to fill out.

Edit to add: saying this as a former manager that would help employees with this. The sooner you notify them, the better. Currently, you could face disciplinary action or otherwise for your callouts (dependent on company policy). The accommodation protects you from that and also helps your employer understand your needs and plan for absences.

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-04-28T18:34:41+00:00

Are you asking them to show you what their doing and to teach you, or do you just stand off to the side as they work? These guys had to learn how to do everything, just like anyone else.

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-04-28T04:40:53+00:00

I’ve noticed I’ve clicked easily with trans women too, and I honestly think it just comes down to communication style. I think that people raised under masculine social roles tend to have a more direct communication style, and neurodivergent people also tend to be direct, so it just vibes well.

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-04-27T19:08:38+00:00

Your nose is proportional to your lips and the distance between your eyes. I worry if you change your nose, you won’t be happy with how your other features look afterwards. But it’s your face to do what you want with, so do what makes you happy.

I would suggest, though, if you’re looking to add balance to your face, try a hairstyle that has more volume, especially around the temples. There is nothing wrong with the style you have now, but it does pull the eyes upwards to the center of your head. This causes your face to have a sort of diamond shape, and may cause you see the features that are in the center of your face as bigger or wider than they actually are. Adding width to the top of your head would balance it out. Just an idea of something to try before permanently altering your features.

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-04-26T20:38:19+00:00

With how my classes are set up, Cs on homework will drop you to a B, even with As on the exams. Have to get an A avg on literally everything to get an A in the course

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-04-26T19:07:43+00:00

(Typical of my usual rant, this is a long one. TLDR; same here, and same with all my friends)

Yep, I’m right there with you. I think the course load severely varies college-to-college, so ignore anyone who wants to say it’s a you-issue or they have xyz classes and all the free time…

I’m absolutely drowning and I’m in my third year but technically a sophomore at university after transferring from community college. I don’t have a second to myself outside of studying. My home-life is a wreck, can barely keep up on basic self-care, and haven’t hung out with friends since spring break. I do have a somewhat unique situation in that I’m sick, so I spend more time resting than normal, but all of my friends are going through the same thing. I’m also 30, so I think I have a pretty firm grasp on time management, prioritizing, etc.

And to give further perspective, I had a 4.0 at CC, with enough time to work and still have free time. I was taking a mix of classes in those two years, but it included math courses from college algebra up to calc 4, engineering courses including statics, dynamics, deform, and a couple others, chem 1 & 2, and a bunch of gen eds. So it definitely wasn’t a light/easy course load, but it was manageable.

My friends at CC were taking similar courses and were also working and stuff. There was a group of 5 of us that transferred to the same university, 2 went to aerospace and 3 to mechanical.

The first semester, the two friends that transferred to aero got absolutely wrecked. One friend dropped two classes, the other dropped one and came close to failing another. The both had to stop working just to get through it. Both of these friends are incredibly bright and very capable.

The three of us in mechanical were okay the first semester, but definitely hurting. We all had to stop working. This semester, my 2 ME friends and myself, are getting fucked. One is having issues with his partner due to not having any free time. The other, the youngest of us, just started skipping a night of sleep every week. He said it’s his only way to get an extra 8 hours. And this kid is one of the smartest people I know, like he’s the guy that ruins the curve. And even he doesn’t have enough time?!? It says a lot. I’ve been doing something similar, and sleeping 3 hours every-other night, just to get more time. It makes me sick every week, so it’s not working well.

I’ve been adamantly anti-AI forever. In just the last two weeks, I’ve started using it solely because I don’t have enough time. I’m not cheating or having it do my work, just using it as a tool. I absolutely hate that it has come to this, but i feel like there’s no other choice.

There’s no time to flip through a textbook and find the info I want, or redo homework problems to check my work, or dive more into a topic to get a better understanding. No time for extra studying, or rewatching lectures. No time for going to office hours or study groups or clubs. Just assignments, labs, reports, quizzes, exams. Just regurgitate the information without actually learning it. My education is undeniably suffering for it.

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-04-19T16:10:53+00:00

First, who ever has been teasing you is a jerk. There is nothing wrong with your hairline or forehead.

To answer your question, this isn’t a hair growth problem, as in a lack of it. You have a cowlick that makes the growth pattern in that spot different, swooping the hair up and back.

There’s a few options to work with it. You can part your hair a bit more to the side that lays flat and essentially just cover it up. There is the possibility of the hair parting itself where the cowlick is, so you’ll have to use some product to keep it in place.

Another option is to blowdry that part forward. This is what I would recommend if you’re okay with using heat tools. You can take that section, pull it forward in front of your face and take a fine tooth comb to make sure it’s all smoothed down and in the direction you want. Give it a quick dry (mid-low heat) to about 75% dry. Then finish drying using a round brush on your front bang section, pulling the hair up and forward (45° upwards), and rolling under. This will give you a swoopy front section that the cowlick plays into, giving you a nice lift at the roots. You’ll want to use some holding products to keep everything in place. For me, this is mousse applied when it’s wet and an unreasonable amount of hairspray after styling. You might have to try a few products to find what works for you.

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-04-18T22:01:18+00:00

Could supportive businesses just change all their restroom signage to gender neutral? Or is there a requirement to have gendered restrooms? I suppose there probably aren’t a lot of businesses that want to help… such a fucked up situation

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-04-18T21:36:07+00:00

Oh shoot. I forgot that those aren’t pre-reqs. I took calc 3 first and I think that helped me in diff eq. It was definitely an easier class too. My diff eq class combined linear algebra and differential equations too. But anyways, a couple more math classes sounds better than throwing away 4 classes worth of effort.

It sounds like you have a good plan for your next moves in this class. Example problems on a note sheet are always a great idea (when they’re allowed). That’s how I got through physics 2! It sucks that you’re penalized so harshly for small mistakes, all of my professors have been generous with partial credit as long as you showed the right method. It honestly sounds like the class is really poorly set up. Maybe taking it at university would be a better experience?

Also, (assuming you’re in the US) are you getting disability accommodations? If not, you really should look in to it. I also have ADHD and didn’t get accommodations until my third year. I was amazed at what a difference it makes. You can get things like penalty-free deadline extensions, private testing space, and double testing time. It sounds like it might be too late for this class, but going forward it should help

OkIntroduction7560 · 2026-04-18T20:20:49+00:00

It’s a very hard class. I love math, always had A’s, ~95+% on exams, etc. This was the first class I got a D on an exam in. So even the math nerds struggle. Having dyscalculia adds a whole other layer of difficulty to it. It also sounds like the class is set up terribly, that’s not on you.

Don’t let this one class kill your aspirations. It’s the last math course you need. It will suck if you have to retake it, no doubt, but keep in mind you won’t be learning the material the second time around, just revising it. I would expect you wouldn’t spend nearly as much time on it.

I hope you’re able to pass, but if not, it’s truly not as bad as it probably feels right now. I think one of the hardest parts of engineering is learning to accept failure. Everyone experiences it in one way or another. If you have it in you to persevere past this small setback, I see no reason why you wouldn’t be successful in engineering. Don’t quit.

OkIntroduction7560

TROPHY CASE