I have lupus (sle) Can anyone advise me on the long term affects of Plaquenil?

I have sle (lupus) and am on the drug plaquenil which apparently is a drug that they use to treat malaria with. They say it can cause you to lose your eyesight - Is there anyone out there on the same drug and how do you feel about it. I went off it for a couple of month's against my Doctor's advice and regretted it as I got sick again. Thanks for your help.

Long term effects can be damage to vision, liver and kidneys. Plaquenil is an old medication and is used by doctors who aren't very current in their Lupus medications. Presently, Cellcept is a much better medication to treat Lupus flares (Myfortic is Cellcept in a time released form and can be used if stomach issues arise). Cellcept was initally used as an anti rejection medication for transplant patients but it's ability to lower the immune system response has proven it to be very effective in controlling SLE.

There are many additional drugs in Phase II and Phase III clinical trials. Most recently, Rituxan has been used to target the "B" cells of the immune system and seem to be showing good progress.

I would suggest bringing up the names of these medications with your rheumatologist and inquiring to their benefits in your case. Obviously, every case of SLE is different and there may be specific reasons why your doctor has kept you on Plaquenil but in most cases we find that it's more a lack of current education rather than any specific objection to newer medications.

If you have any additional questions please do not hesitate to contact me.