Hi All, I was taken off Diclofenac because it was tearing my stomach up. I’m now just on Methatrexate, plaquenil, & prednisone. I feel like the prednisone has helped a little but still not great…should I just taper off? I know it’s not good to be on steroids long term.
Also, I’m worried about plaquenil and vision changes. I’ve been on it 2 months & don’t feel like it’s helped pSa at all. How long does this med take to feel impact? I feel like my vision may be different too - is this even possible after 2 months? Sensitive to light, see stars more often, some other weird things…just feel like vision is different.
You need to see an ophthalmologist. You may have uveitis (inflammation in the eye) which is somewhat common with PsA. Uveitis can cause those symptoms, and lead to serious problems and possibly blindness. Not trying to scare you, just trying to emphasize how important it is when you have PsA to see an ophthalmologist,
Check with your rheumy about tapering your steroids. Long term steroid use is definitely not a good idea.
As to the plaquenil. . . . This is a med that the longer that you are on it, the greater the chance of damage. But we're talking years and years, not months. You do have to be monitored by the eye doctor every 6 months in order to catch any changes due to the meds, and realistically you should be monitored due to inflammation anyway. I've been on for almost 6 years already, and not a problem. Plaquenil can also take months to help, and the changes are subtle to begin with.