Anyone taken Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine) to reduce prednisone?

I’ve been taking hydroxy for 20 years, but not for PMR. I have never had. Bad reaction to it, but it didn’t help at all when I was diagnosed with PMR two years ago. Still taking hydroxy along with prednisone and probably will for the rest of my life.

Hydroxychloroquine plus methatrexate for several years helps reduce Lupus Flares. I try to stay away from predisone but I have it in case needed.

Here are a couple of related discussions about Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine) and PMR:
- Are you taking Plaquenil (Hydroxychloroquine) for PMR? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/are-you-taking-plaquenil-hydroxychloroquine-for-pmr/
- Treating PMR with Prednisone and Hydroxychloroquine: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/treating-pmr-with-prednisone-and-hydroxychloroquine/

@joancanzan, am I understanding that you were given hydroxychloroquine to help with tapering off of prednisone? How is it going?

Thanks for this info, I tried both of these drugs at the beginning of my PMR journey and both caused pain in my right side. So, we stayed with Pred. I am currently on 1 mg of pred every other day. Best I have been in 3 years. Should I expect very adverse effects from this low dose? Highest dose I ever took was 10 mgs about a week, with some small infections occurring ( eye and nose). Went to 5 mgs for a long time and then started the descent. Been on 1 mg for a while now. 1/2 appears inadequate after a few days. Appears 1 mg every other day is the lowest dose with the least pain. Thoughts?

You are blessed that 1mg works. Stay with it.
I have several autoimmune diseases..many specialists..at one time I had 40 mg shot...then 20mg then stop down.
I am blessed by God to be as active as I am.
Prayers to you.

It was prescribed for me with Prednisone, but I vomited it out for 3 consequetive days, then stopped the treatment.

Hi - did they ever say what the pain in the right side was? E.g. for example, did the drugs effect the organs or was it muscular or nerve pain unrelated to the organs. Curious because I also get some pain in my right side and I know that methotrexate toxicity caused inflammation in pancreas and also possibly the spleen. The liver however seemed to have been unaffected. Now off the methotrexate and it looks like the right side pain has gone or at least calmed right down.

I tried it for 2 weeks. Had the shakes really bad and heart palpitations not a good combo. Told the doc, no more for me!! Just on pred went from 10mg to 15mg then back to 10mg. So far so good but not a fan of the side effects of pred.

I am using both and am down to 3mg of prednisone. I have had no problems.

After being stricken with PMR (due to taking statins), I took Prednisone (15mg) for several months, slowly reducing the dosage down to 7.3mg after 7 months. However, because I was developing Macular Degeneration (due to Prednisone) my Ophthalmologist suggested I switch to HCL (Hydroxychloroquine). Over a months time, I gradually switched from Pred to HCL (200mg). Eventually reduced the HCL over a years time. The treatment was very successful and my CRP is now normal and I haven’t had any PMR symptoms in two years. I should also mentions that I quit taking Statins, which I believe caused the PMR in the first place.