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Hi Lee,   I was diagnosed a year ago and plaquenil is the first medicine my rheumatologist prescribed.  The good news is that I have had no side effects from it at all, but the hard part is that it can take between 3-6 months before you feel the good effects.  For me, this was too long and my RA was too active, so I began taking enbrel about 2.5 months into my plaquenil regimen.  Enbrel has worked miracles for me, and I am still on the plaquenil, which I think also is working and helping me manage it.    I would trust your instincts- feeling sickly and like you have the flu is a big symptom of RA. I felt feverish all the time early on in addition to the painful and swollen joints.  If the plaquenil is working too slowly for you, talk to your rheumatologist about your other options.  It's important to attack RA early on and aggressively!   Good luck, Sara