Meds
I was recently diagnosed with ra and have been given hydrochloroquine. I'm really paranoid about taking it. A couple of months ago I did a lot of research and changed my diet and it really seems to be working with the pain in my hands and ankles and feet. Getting rid of sugar and sodium and packaged foods like potato chips and Fritos has really helped me. My question is how have people's bodies been responding to this hydrochloroquine?
Hi CommunityMember1489e0 I have been on same med for close to two years. It helped my RA. At one point, I was on steroids but just short while and had injections in each hand but I have done well with it. I do have macular degeneration and they do watch my eyes. I am down to just one pill when was on twice a day. I did try to go off but right away my hands started acting up so still on it and doing well . take care love, elirose
Hi
. It is hard to say how your body will react. You might experience the full list of side effects or you might have none at all. The good news is that you can always try it, and then stop if you feel t is not helping or the side effects are too much. Here is an article from our editorial team about hydroxychloroquine that might interest you: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/treatment/hydroxychloroquine. I am glad shared her experience and I hope you hear from others as well. How awesome that dietary changes are helping. I hope you continue to see improvement. Wishing you the best. - Lori (Team Member) 
, I think it's perfectly normal to be hesitant about taking medications to help with your RA. A lot of them have some pretty daunting potential side effects! That said, keep in mind that not everyone experiences side effects with these medications or they experience mild ones. That said, it is always YOUR choice as to what you choose to use to treat your condition. There are good reasons to consider medications, but ultimately, it's your body and you can choose how to treat and manage your RA.
Also, I am glad making dietary changes has made such a marked difference in your symptoms! That's great! Some of our community members have found that changing their diets really do improve their symptoms.
One reason doctors suggest more traditional treatments is to minimize inflammation and ongoing joint damage, so that's something to keep in mind. I wanted to share two conversations from our forums on the topic of hydroxychloroquine -- https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/forums/hydroxychloroquine and -- https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/forums/anyone-ever-taken-hydroxychloroquine. You can read some member insights on those posts. Also, I hope you get some feedback from other community members on this thread!
I hope this helps and please don't hesitate to reach out if you have further questions. We're happy to help in any way we can!
Best, Erin, RheumatoidArthritis.net Team Member.
