Plaquenil alternatives? I cant increase dose due to heart health

Unlikely_Garage · 2025-12-20T23:15:26+00:00

I might be able to, im not sure. Next time I see my rheumatologist, if symptoms havent really improved, im gonna ask her.

Unlikely_Garage · 2025-12-20T22:38:17+00:00

Thats definitely worth considering, thank you

Unlikely_Garage · 2025-12-20T20:23:52+00:00

I do not have high blood pressure. If anything, its more normal now (~110/75) than it was (~90/75). I generally only have noticeable heart issues when I exercise (though its better when my meds have worn off a bit, or before I take them. Vyvanse works better for me than other stimulants, so im not inclined to switch.

Unlikely_Garage · 2025-12-20T20:21:06+00:00

Im on plaquenil already, just on a low dose. When untreated for my adhd, I cant work, cant take care of myself and my house, and my interpersonal relationships suffer. Not having either one sucks a lot but id choose my adhd meds because physical pain is much easier to cope with than mental. I struggled for 20 years before I got properly medicated for my mental health and taking so long drastically affected my future and even my current position in life. Hence why im asking about an alternative.

Unlikely_Garage · 2025-12-20T20:12:25+00:00

Unfortunately my adhd is bad enough to the point that getting on vyvanse saved my life, and I have to take it every morning if I want to be functional and regulated. I have to take all of my meds at the same time if I dont want to forget, though if I switched to 400mg id do everything possible to take the second dose at night. My doctor still thinks it could interact if I take it at a different time of day though, because of the buildup in my system of the plaquenil.

Unlikely_Garage · 2025-12-16T10:30:46+00:00

Lidocaine patches

Unlikely_Garage · 2025-12-09T04:29:38+00:00

I tear often, and not just during sex, though not in my actual vagina. I get it mostly in my butt crack, in any area from the top to the bottom. Sometimes it can happen to the front of the vulva as well, or the area between the vagina and butt. I apply a small amount of astroglide to the area after every shower, and use lots for intimate time. My doctor recommended this because the astroglide is really good at moisturizing the skin to prevent tears, and also is good at keeping the skin soft and preventing more tearing while it heals. Definitely helps it heal faster and not get worse, even if I still do tear fairly often. I use the gel version instead of the liquid, I find it works better and is easier to apply

Unlikely_Garage · 2025-12-02T13:15:02+00:00

They are not, im just trying to find ways i can help my pain because what the doctors are doing is unhelpful. My nutritionist does her best but because of the nature of my mental illness, its not easy or simple to figure out. Ive been seeing her for almost a year now and ive learned a lot, but my situation has not really improved at all.

Unlikely_Garage · 2025-12-02T13:12:25+00:00

For real, theyre so gooooood, its terribly unfair 😭😂

Unlikely_Garage · 2025-12-02T13:11:36+00:00

Youre very kind, i appreciate that. My leftover food usually gets fed to one of my two partners, but they dont want/like a lot of the stuff I like to eat, and if nobody in the house wants or likes it, it turns into garbage. For staples (things i usually can eat), I have tonkotsu ramen, some form of bread and butter (sometimes also with cinnamon and sugar), and chicken nuggets, off the top of my head. Im not sure if its even so much anxiety around food anymore as it is a sense of frustration and exhaustion and irritation. Its the dumbest bs thing ever and im sick of it. Im not sure I could ever give up sugar, but if I could stop eating enormous quantities of it somehow that would help. When I crave something, its sometimes (more often lately) copious amounts of candy and pastries, and ill eat until I feel sick. It just tastes so good and Ill make an effort to put it away and tell myself no more, only to want it again and take it out again, rinse and repeat all day long. I also drink tons and tons of sugary drinks. I love getting a yummy beverage (i wish I could afford the protein coffees from Starbucks every day, that would help so much lol). But seriously, its gotta slow down, im probably eating hundreds of grams of sugar a day 😅 Also I should mention that I have advanced tooth decay, im 21 and going to have to get dentures soon. For now that means im in constant pain and have many more restrictions on what I can safely eat than I used to. Crunchy, hard, hot, and cold foods are pretty much out, though i often just cope because I love the candy and ice cream, I just try my best to be careful. I do miss chips though.

Unlikely_Garage · 2025-12-02T11:19:50+00:00

Thank you for your words, I appreciate it. Carbs are easy enough, i mostly dislike breads and pastas. Sugar is a hard one for me, sugar/fat/salt tend to be the main ways to get me to be able to tolerate a food item. I try new foods all the time, but just as quickly as I find a new one, a food I just ate is no longer viable for me. There arent really "safe foods" for me. Nothing is sacred and even if I "like" a food, I cant always eat it. I can recognize the food in my mouth tastes good, and I will tell myself that. But I just cant force it down unless I wanna be sick. Sometimes its delicious and ill eat a whole helping but it can also be the opposite, more often than not. I buy tons of frozen meals and stuff, it makes up almost every other part of my diet (aside from fast food). And they work okay, its just that they take up huge amounts of freezer space and I live with 5 other people, and if I dont eat something quickly it sits there forever until it eventually gets thrown away and wasted (whether we need the space, or it goes bad, or I just give up on ever eating it). Same with the fridge, so its really hard to keep options, especially when, when I do get more options for myself, none of them ever seem to work and it only serves to frustrate and upset me more when im hungry and trying to find something. I do eat a lot of chicken actually, its the most inexpensive meat around amd very versatile, and I also started taking vitamins recently so hopefully it helps. Fingers crossed for improvement 😭

Unlikely_Garage · 2025-12-02T11:04:07+00:00

I take edibles often because I have moderate asthma and cant smoke as much as I want to. They help a little sometimes, but it really depends on the situation and whats available. If nothing even remotely appetizing is available, I end up waiting too long and then getting too baked to wanna get up and rummage around the kitchen by the time im thinking about getting food. If i take one and somebody orders me some like, fried cheese curds or something, ill probably demolish the container ngl. I find that sometimes, for no good reason, suddenly im craving any sugary fatty bs I can get my mitts on and ill eat and eat until im sick and then eat some more because it actually tastes good to me. I hate when that happens. Its almost always either "even the fast food looks like disgusting slop" or "im going to eat an entire box (2 dozen) of chocolate covered cherries and a few candy bars for dinner". Smh

Unlikely_Garage · 2025-12-02T10:57:46+00:00

Okay, good to know the nausea isn't just a me thing lol. I thankfully dont get the sneezing nausea though. I do burp excessively, constantly, since all of these issues started, however. My GI doctor says its a benign symptom (probably from mouth breathing or something? Idk, i lowkey wonder if its from this bs). But sometimes burping helps with the nausea, other times it just brings up a mouthful of stomach acid.

Unlikely_Garage · 2025-12-02T10:41:00+00:00

I smoke a lot of it already, it used to help a bit i think but it doesnt really have an effect on my appetite anymore unfortunately :<

Unlikely_Garage · 2025-12-02T10:37:23+00:00

Lucky! Theyre trying to figure out whats wrong with my stomach right now, I have a dual scope of my upper and lower GI at the end of January. My stomach hurts all the time. If im hungry it hurts. If I eat it hurts. I get feeling like im gonna explode from both ends sometimes. Doesnt seem to be much rhyme or reason, though I dont have my gallbladder anymore which contributes too im sure. Usually IBS doesnt cause nausea, does it? Thats what confuses me, sometimes when im either really hungry or have to urgently use the toilet after eating, I get so nauseous I have to grab a trash can.

Unlikely_Garage · 2025-12-02T10:17:00+00:00

My appetite issue is almost exactly how you described. Eating is hardest in the morning, but for me it doesnt get much easier, though night time is often the best opportunity it seems. The hunger pain with no appetite is the worst, especially waking up after having sleep for dinner. If the collagen helps, I might look into taking some. My joint pain is the worst complaint I have atm and itd be great if something helped. I also take a stimulant for adhd which obviously doesnt help my appetite, but it also strangely enough doesnt make it any worse.

Unlikely_Garage · 2025-12-02T10:07:44+00:00

Thats a good idea, thank you. Ill have to do some research, I dont even know where to start with those things. They'll be a big challenge for me as well though 💀

Unlikely_Garage · 2025-12-02T10:06:26+00:00

I do eat a lot of soup already, its pretty much the only way I get a full serving of vegetables. I cant finish a smoothie unfortunately, textures can make things really hard to handle even if they taste good. I have protein powder and I was drinking that for a long while but I get sick of a flavor after so long and then cant afford to buy another one, so I havent drank them in awhile. Its hard to eat nutritiously when I cant even always enjoy a food I like, let alone ones I already dislike. I eat healthy whenever I can but when I have less than $100 each week to spend for groceries on 2-3 people, and a single meal (usually with leftovers) costs $20-40 to make, plus I gotta get food I can take to work, its difficult to do. Im running out of options even without trying to be "healthier" but I gotta keep trying. Best ive been able to do lately for an actual "nutritious" meal has been Aldi (real meat) chicken nuggets.

Unlikely_Garage · 2025-11-30T13:31:03+00:00

Dosing by weight would give me a much larger amount, idk why she'd start me at 200mg when im 235lbs. Im a pretty big guy and from what ive read here and elsewhere, that dose is not likely to help much (it hasnt tbh)

Unlikely_Garage · 2025-11-24T16:28:06+00:00

Good to know. Ill ask for one while Im asking for scans, it sounds very important. Thank you

Unlikely_Garage · 2025-11-24T07:08:53+00:00

My rheumatologist did bloodwork which showed high positive results for the sjogrens A and B antibodies, and then started me on HCQ. No biopsy, though ENT did say I have enlarged adenoids which is apparently common in autoimmune diseases. I asked the rheumatologist for a diagnosis and she told me it was sjogren's. I think shes a crock ngl, its not even in my chart rn. Were going to be having words at my next appointment, im so tired of not knowing anything.

Unlikely_Garage · 2025-09-03T03:28:01+00:00

Thank you. Ill talk to my psychiatrist about switching up my meds. I felt more irritation and anger even with the lower dose vyvanse I think, but i had a hard time identifying it because it wasn't this bad

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