Hi all,
Had my latest consultation yesterday, (with registrar) and this time requested to be transferred to a hospital nearer me, i then found out this would have happened next year anyway as the whole hospital is being closed down.

Was decided that the next step for me is to introduce Hydroxychloroquine alongside MTX. I'm only on 10mg of MTX as my bloods went a bit haywire when it was increased so they don't want to increase again just in case.
I'm to have monthly blood tests monitored by the hospital (I was hoping to be monitored by my GP by now but not to be just yet).
She has also requested I have lipids done with next blood test, I asked if this was a fasting test and she said I could if I wanted, strange answer!
I must admit I felt quite sorry for this young woman who was more than an hour behind schedule and seemed to have a mountain of papers on her desk. She mentioned me having a liver scan but I won't be surprised if that gets overlooked as she was so stressed.

I know lots of you are on this combination of MTX and Hydroxychloroquine, is there anything I should look out for, I know there are certain side effects, was surprised to find out tinnitus is one of them.

Off on holiday in a couple of days so am putting off starting new drug till I return.

Best wishes to all

Mary

Hi. I have had intermittent tinnitus, and worse hyperaccussis, for years. I haven't noticed it getting worse since the introduction of hydroxychloroquine. In fact I'm glad I didn't know about this side effect as I would have stressed about it. I am on Mtx too (20mg by injection). The only side effect I had with the hydroxy (aka Plaquenil) was hair loss which was quite bad whilst I was taking the loading dose of 400 mg daily. As soon as I went down to the 200 mg dose this stopped. Good luck with your new combination. I hope it works for you. I have had a lot of lupus type symptoms and the plaquenil has helped with these. Naomi, X