Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
Well, another day, another illness, and welcome to the world of the immune-suppressed.
After being treated for a petechiae skin rash with prednisone, it cleared right up. Well, I wake up yesterday morning and I cannot stand to put my weight on my heels. So I take a look. Sure enough, I am broken out in a red, raised rash all over the tops and sides of my feet, particularly red around my heels and a little bit of the raised rash creeping up my legs. It does not look like the first rash did.
Of course, it is the weekend and seeing a doctor means going to the ER. I elect to take benedryl and wait and see. Today, it is the same. So I call a nurse hotline I have access to through my insurance. She says since I have no fever to wait and see my doctor as soon as I can get in (within 72 hours). I'm supposed to be getting a Remicade infusion tomorrow at 8 AM (which I was looking forward to). Now, I have to cancel that and see my PCP instead. I would imagine he will probably give me a referral to a dermatologist. That will be 2 trips to the doctor. And I cannot bear to put shoes on my feet, but I'm going to have to in order to drive myself to the doctor.
Sorry to rant but ever since I went on Remicade, every germ jumps on me with a vengeance.
Have any of you been bothered by things like this, i.e., skin rashes? I am also diabetic and I do worry about my feet and infections. I do not want to go back on pred because it almost did me in with high blood sugars the last time.
Thanks,
Frances
After being treated for a petechiae skin rash with prednisone, it cleared right up. Well, I wake up yesterday morning and I cannot stand to put my weight on my heels. So I take a look. Sure enough, I am broken out in a red, raised rash all over the tops and sides of my feet, particularly red around my heels and a little bit of the raised rash creeping up my legs. It does not look like the first rash did.
Of course, it is the weekend and seeing a doctor means going to the ER. I elect to take benedryl and wait and see. Today, it is the same. So I call a nurse hotline I have access to through my insurance. She says since I have no fever to wait and see my doctor as soon as I can get in (within 72 hours). I'm supposed to be getting a Remicade infusion tomorrow at 8 AM (which I was looking forward to). Now, I have to cancel that and see my PCP instead. I would imagine he will probably give me a referral to a dermatologist. That will be 2 trips to the doctor. And I cannot bear to put shoes on my feet, but I'm going to have to in order to drive myself to the doctor.
Sorry to rant but ever since I went on Remicade, every germ jumps on me with a vengeance.
Have any of you been bothered by things like this, i.e., skin rashes? I am also diabetic and I do worry about my feet and infections. I do not want to go back on pred because it almost did me in with high blood sugars the last time.
Thanks,
Frances
Perhaps your gp can give you something to get your rash under control so you can get your remicade infusion soon. How is your remicade working for you?
I, too, don't want to go back on prednisone anytime soon. I saw my sugar go up also with it along with everything else. But at times like this when I see the RA getting worse, I just something to stop it.
Would be nice to see normal days again?
Hoping you get this cleared up soon and perhaps you won't have to put off your infusion too long - my rash never clears and I get my infusions (was on Remicade now on orencia)
Tortoiselvr, that's bad news about the rash. I'm so sorry you have it. As soon as I find out what is causing this rash, I will be recheduling my Remicade. It may not take care of all my RA problems, but just relieving the fatigue makes it worth the while.
Thanks for your support.
Hugs,
Frances
Can I ask you about your Petechiae? I also have it on my arm and my doctors don't seem interested, but whenever I go on Prednisone is disappears and comes back as soon as I stop taking Prednisone. What has your doctor said about it? If you don't mind sharing.
Thanks.
However, I have just returned (20 minutes ago) from the Emergency Room because of the new rash (not petechiae but a raised, angry, burning that appears to be hives but again, not they are not sure. It could be that I came into contact with something....duh? Anyway, treating symptoms again with pred and antibiotics. Since I am going on antibiotics, I guess I have to cancel my Remicade infusion for tomorrow. Anyway, I'll call them first thing and see what I am to do.
I'm sorry to hear about your new rash! It's such a frustrating symptom. I get hives too and they've been getting a lot worse, I now get cold, solar and physical urticaria.
I hope they can work out what's going on. Maybe a referral to a dermatologist is a good idea anyway? I'll be thinking of you and and hope you can get back on Remicade soon!
Remicade infusion is rescheduled fror next Wed.
Happy news! The pred has already started working and I can now stand and walk without pain. When I saw those blisters on my feet early last evening, that sent me to the ER in a hurry. Blisters and diabetics don't go together well. That's why they prescribed the antibiotics, too.
Blessings,
Frances
Hugs,
Vanessa
Anyway, they Rx'd Clobetasol Cream & Dovonex Cream (a synthetic Vitamin D), that I use on both types of lesions.
I get blisters with the eczema and the clobetasol reduced them before the erupted. It's a topical steroid, so it still might affect your BG, but looking into it or betamethasone might be helpful.
The combined betamethasone/calcipotriene cream is called Taclonex and is only available in brand name at this point, so is the Dovonex. The Clobetasol is generic.
//Frances