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...

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Trooper45yrs 03/12/2016

Well, the timing couldnt have been worse. Last Saturday night, I had my usual weekly injection of Enbrel and that very night, I started to come down with the flu. I have been laid out since then, missing work the entire week, and only today, did I have enough energy to take the trash out and check my mail box. I still only feel about 40% in terms of energy, if that, so I will wait one more day to try to go to the grocery store.

Ill admit, I was stupid to not get the flu shot, but my co-workers who did get the flu shot have been just as sick as me all week. This bug took out a huge chunk of our team for the entire week.

I will skip my injection this week. Just curious if any of you have had the flu while on a biologic and if there may be any surprises awaiting me that I havent thought of.

Thanks for listening and stay well!

depotblue 03/12/2016

just pay attention to your body, use anything you want to feel better if you can (other issues wise) like you know dopey nyquil et al, and don't let it get into your lungs.

in my case that means not laying prone for days on end. try to do most of your moaning from an upright position,

use a thermometer not a perception.

i have to hop on the lung crap like inhalers and crap when I have the flu, you might not have to.

in our case the body ache is great, because it feels like a regular ra day doesn't it just ramped? meaning you are not complaining about it as much as your co-workers I bet. or rather your pain receptors are used to it and it does not feel as foreign that ache everywhere.

watch some good movies. drink whiskey in tea. make everyone else in the household miserable, if you can.

feel better.

don't rush the biologic re-entry - you are on biologics probably the rest of your life, get rid of the flu squarely before tasking your immune system anymore than it is already.

depot

Trooper45yrs 03/12/2016

Thanks, Depot. Yea, I think I am over the worst of it. Hopefully, there won't be any new surprises around the corner while I recover. Thanks again!

gdsonn2 03/12/2016

Hope you're starting to feel better soon! Just remember, no vaccines while on DMARDs! The DMARD makes you an immunocompromised patient - even if all of your co-workers still got the flu, because you are "immunocoompromised" the flu can be much more serious in you and lead to worse complications (like pneumonia). Not meaning to lecture, I just think sometimes our rheumatologists aren't the best at making sure we understand everything about our condition and the drugs we are on. Hope you start feeling better soon!

altoclef 03/12/2016

Got word yesterday that a friend I held dear died of flu complications this week. Healthy, 40s, kids at home, boom. Another friend was found dead a couple of weeks ago- this one was all of 60- who had been ill all week with flu-like symptoms. Not exactly sure what happened there, but . . .

Don't screw with the flu. This year's strain seems to be especially evil. Wait to start your biologic until you are sure you're through the woods. See a doctor if you start feeling worse again. Don't beat yourself up about the vaccine: this year's was about 60% effective. The strain going through your office may not have been one included in the vaccine. Just be careful. Everybody. Please.

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