Hi again
Well then! That gives us a lot of hope that things should get better for you!
It is quite common to try and help people with a short burst of prednisolone before (and at the start of) being put on antimalarials (plaquenil I presume). I don't know how high a dose of prednisolone you have been given but if you are not seeing a marked difference (you usually see one in about 2-4 days) then you may need to get back to the doc and ask for an increase in dosage. I had to do that back when I was diagnosed as I just couldn't get through a day. You need to not be afraid to complain (loudly if need be) and get the docs to listen.
It is important to know that finding the right treatment plan is not always plain sailing. You will need to arm yourself with patience. First of all plaquenil works slowly. It usually kicks in in about 3-6 months (sometimes longer for full effect). It is an excellent drug with few or no side effects for most people and is used as baseline treatment as it modifies the disease reducing the frequency and severity of flares.
If however you find that plaquenil is not enough, other drugs can be added to your treatment plan helping further control the disease activity.
Lastly, try and pace yourself as much as possible and rest a lot. This is one disease that you should definitely not try to fight against. If your body is telling you to stop, you have to listen. Try not to worry about work right now (I know that's easy to say) and avoid stress as much as possible.
Katharine