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...

2,179 Members

16,355 Posts

0 Online

depotblue 07/31/2010

I want to get off!

when! Help!

I had pneumonia three lobes and a collapsed lung. that was hosptial iv antibiotics and more pill antibiotics at home. no RA meds during this. therefore, flare. got better mostly. new rheumie hauls me off mtx and puts me on avara.

today: strep throat.

back off the ra meds back on the antibiotic.

it's a beautiful day in NE but I am trapped in this body that was just crawling out of a flare and now has to go back on antibiotic.

so I lasted all of 4 weeks on ra meds before another infection while I was trying to segue from mtx to avara.

has this happened to you?

I wash my hands a lot. i work at a very very small company. i have teens not toddlers. i could try wearing a face mask every time I go out...sigh.
:)
Ros

deleted_user 07/31/2010

I've not experienced severe infections--just the minor stuff that only required missing one week's doses each time. But I feel for you and wanted to wish you better times ahead. It's tough when our medications cause such a vicious cycle between illness and pain and back again!
Hugs, Lois

lycesq 07/31/2010

Ros - I am so sorry. Yes, on Remicade, I was constantly battling sinus infections and finally had surgery - yecch!

Hope you feel better soon!

Lynne

deleted_user 07/31/2010

Ros, I take 200mg of minocycline a day ( low dose antibotics) and it helps me to fight infections. I take Orencia and MTX and thank goodness knock wood am spared things like sinus and flu symptoms. Think about mentioning this to your doctor as a possible medication edition to your arsenol of drugs. I can only atest that it works for me. Good luck. marcia

deleted_user 07/31/2010

Unfortunately a lot of RA drugs suppress the immune system and infections are easy to get. I have teens too and they also are great carriers of germs :/ . I try to drink lots of fluids and try (try) to lay off dairy products as they tend to aggravate my RA symptoms. Chin up it will get better! I've had 20+ years of dealing with this roller coaster ride and take the bad times with the good.

sandi7213 08/01/2010

ros,
sorry to hear that your sick. I cant imagine a collapsed lung,
must have been very painful.

Hope you start to feel better soon

depotblue 08/01/2010

thanks for the tip on dairy and kind replies. the dairy is intersting since my vitamin d was so low in February (5) but has come up to 24 since taking vitamin D pills.

did you ever take your RA meds through the infections? this is the worse strep i've had in my lifetime and I have had so many. my throat is huge and gross. yet I can't imagine reigniting a flare also. just curious.

all I have for family is the two teens. i don't have immediate family near me and I am not married and report for duty as the only adult (the past decacde) in this household. my full time job has no sick benefits as no flma as it is quite small about 10 employees.

thanks for the hugs again and the nice wishes.

CharlieBaxter 08/01/2010

Hi Ros, I had a terrible winter. I was off and on the antibiotic continuously. Had the flu twice, resp. infec, urinary tract inf,. a couple of stomach bugs (probably from the granddaughter) on and on. It has been better since spring but I did have another resp. infec. in May. It gets to be a drag and i feel for you. Hope you get to feeling better, Take care Charlie

depotblue 08/01/2010

thanks Charlie. i'm trying to think ahead instead of in the now. it's hard with a full time job that doesn't have sick time. i have also volunteered in a charity program for 15 years, the fresh air fund, that takes NYC kids and buses them for a free vacation with host families like myself. a kid that has been coming for 10 years and is now 16, begged to come back this summer, so these infections will have to be dealt with. i think my body was also getting used to the switch from mtx to arava also.

i like marcia's idea of the low dose minocin. which actually, my doc wanted to add after a month or two of arava.

ros

Join the Conversation