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...
Hello, (sorry bit long winded)
I am new to this group, DX with R.A. 1 & 1/2 Years ago by a GP, waited for 8 months to see a specialist and in between time I made a huge change in my diet (not here to promote it) I reversed T2 D and the RA seemed to have disappeared. Saw the Specialist last Feb.
He said I still had imflamation in many joints even though all my complaints about my hands ( the worse of it) were now gone. (could not grasp anything safely, and painfull at night).
Anyways, he insisted I go on hydroxycloroquine 200mg a day as a preventive measure. So I did. Took one a day with dinner. After a few months I began to develope chronic diarrhea. Went to my GP he sent me for a colon scope suspecting colitis perhaps and to rule out other things.
That spcialist could not solidly comfirm colitis, but said you are on 2 meds that can cause this!!
one of them being " hydroxycloroquine". The Gp had previously told me it did not cause it.
The second med a very mild antibiotic for Rosacia, I typically spot taking in the winter, so have stopped both and within 10 days things are back to perfectly normal !! Life is so much easier!
What the specialist told me is; in some poeple hydroxycloroquine can cause the white blood cells to think there is an infection and they fight it by adding large amount of water into the intestines, hence diarrhea.
So I am very Curious to know if anyone else has had this reaction? I think the hydroxycloroquine was helping keeping the imflamation at bay, as I am getting the tiniest of tinges on my wrist joints that I have not had for in several months.
Thank you
I really do not want to go on anything stronger, he told me it was baby steps, super low dose.......But yes it needs to be considered, even though I am not bothered by RA at this time.
Cheers
I went back on it a few weeks ago, but only one pill and with a strong, prescription antihistamine. I'm still get lying some itching, but not like before.
But, I've never had diarrhea with it. Cimzia makes me constipated. I eat loads of fiber, another reason to get off Cimzia. (I also take injectable mthx.
This drug does have a lot of side effects. If you can't take it, you should ask for. A different medication.
I've had RA 25 years. I was sero-negative, not properly diagnosed for 4 years, then under medicated for 5 more years. The result is that the disease hit worse and worse. I am now ultra severe.
If HCQ is stopping your flares, then you need to be on something. RA destroys joints, but it can also attack organs. A friend of mine died of Rheumatoid Lung Disease in Feb. this year. I have that, as well as heart disease from RA. RA can attack the kidneys, and skin, too. Plus, the effects are cumulative. So the flares build up damage.
I have a question for you. What antibiotic are you taking for Rosacia? I get it sometimes, and use Metrogel topically. I was just wondering if there was something else to treat it!
My $252.00 Tube of Metrogel is sitting in the draw found it did nothing! I occasionally use it in the winter, as soon as I suspect a bit of a break out.
At this point I am not having any RA flare, just hearing the odd crack, snap of wrist joints.
Knee swells ( but that is mostly from a few injuries) along with Arthritis generated by them.
Yes I will try to get an appt with the RA Dr. with any like it will be spring before I get in, so hopefully he will respond by phone.
I hesitate to contact him, he has zero understanding of the changes I have made in my diet and how I went from not being able to grasp and hold a quart of milk, hand fingers swollen, the pain woke me up at night, to regaining full use of my hands with no pain or swelling anymore.
He just rolls his eyes !
Thank you for the information about the seriousness of RA
cheers
I have a Dr. appointment next week, shall see what his thoughts are.
Cheers