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...
I'm a mess. I don't know where to turn. Maybe it's nothing, maybe it's something.
Maybe it's simpler than I think.
Last weekend I was fine. Monday morning I woke up a mess. Sick, nauseous, felt faint, could not move around the house, no will, motivation to try. But I can tell you I had terrible diarrhea. I am never sick. (not counting the RA now) Could barely eat.
Tuesday I felt bad also, same thing but felt better as the afternoon came. I did take my MTX injection. Another late start to the day due to dizzy, lightheaded, chills and major nausea and still a little of the runs (sorry)
Wed I felt bad, little of the runs but was fine enough later in the afternoon to finally get out and run some errands.
Thursday I was down for the count so bad I did not even get out to feed my horses until 1 PM or the dogs.
This morning I still feel icky but finally had a normal BM. (sorry) I'm thinking I caught a stomach bug somewhere. But with only 1 day of a 99.1 fever (I typically run 97) and no vomiting? Was it a bug, the Tramadol I finally stopped last week? Should I just see how the weekend is?
I have the chills.....ate something and feel a little better. My anxiety level is out of this world though. I've found since the RA it's really bad while working at home in the office as I answer phones all day and talk to people.
My big worry is my weight loss. A year ago I was 165, today I'm 140. I've lost most of it the last 6 months,
Is this the norm for RA? I keep thinking, "What did I do different?" Last time I seen my PCP on 3/16 she asked if I take folic acid and I said he has me on it 7 days a week and she said don't take it the day you take your MTX. I didn't the last two weeks. Then the fiasco with finding the MTX I missed one week, that was the 22nd.
I've left messages at both my RA doctor and my PCP with no return calls.
I'ms a serious basket case right now.
Maybe it's simpler than I think.
Last weekend I was fine. Monday morning I woke up a mess. Sick, nauseous, felt faint, could not move around the house, no will, motivation to try. But I can tell you I had terrible diarrhea. I am never sick. (not counting the RA now) Could barely eat.
Tuesday I felt bad also, same thing but felt better as the afternoon came. I did take my MTX injection. Another late start to the day due to dizzy, lightheaded, chills and major nausea and still a little of the runs (sorry)
Wed I felt bad, little of the runs but was fine enough later in the afternoon to finally get out and run some errands.
Thursday I was down for the count so bad I did not even get out to feed my horses until 1 PM or the dogs.
This morning I still feel icky but finally had a normal BM. (sorry) I'm thinking I caught a stomach bug somewhere. But with only 1 day of a 99.1 fever (I typically run 97) and no vomiting? Was it a bug, the Tramadol I finally stopped last week? Should I just see how the weekend is?
I have the chills.....ate something and feel a little better. My anxiety level is out of this world though. I've found since the RA it's really bad while working at home in the office as I answer phones all day and talk to people.
My big worry is my weight loss. A year ago I was 165, today I'm 140. I've lost most of it the last 6 months,
Is this the norm for RA? I keep thinking, "What did I do different?" Last time I seen my PCP on 3/16 she asked if I take folic acid and I said he has me on it 7 days a week and she said don't take it the day you take your MTX. I didn't the last two weeks. Then the fiasco with finding the MTX I missed one week, that was the 22nd.
I've left messages at both my RA doctor and my PCP with no return calls.
I'ms a serious basket case right now.
If you don't hear back from the doctor, you might try asking your pharmacist. I just know when I've had withdrawal from not having an antidepressant, that's how I felt. I very quickly felt better when I took a dose. That's just my opinion, not to be taken as medical advice. I pray you start feeling better very soon!
I took Tramadol for a while and didn't have any withdrawal side effects but some people do.
I have gotten used to the no return calls from docs and my pain clinic. It sucks sometimes trying to figure things out on your own. One thing I have found helpful at various times is to keep a journal of how I feel, any new med I'm on and its possible side-effects. I have been on so many meds over the past 10 years that writing these things down helped, especially when I had to summarize how I feeling at doctor visits.
Good luck on your journey and just know that many people are in this world who have this disease and are glad to listen and share.
I am now wondering if it was Tramadol withdrawal? I started researching through the week and I hear Tramadol has worse withdrawals than Vicodin etc. In fact, I read a lot of awful things about THAT drug. It just does not agree with some people.
But I did break down to my husband yesterday crying on the phone how here I was sick all week and no one did anything for me....chores, animals etc. He realized as did my daughter and both apologized.
I feel much better this morning and was ready to go riding later but while showering and standing in there for so long I realized I was still woosey and felt icky. I need to take this weekend off....like rest and TV off.
Also husband realized the seriousness of RA and said if we needed to go PPO next year or drive an hour away that's what we have to do. That made me happy.
There is a reason we are all told that MTX as well as biologics can be a problem with infections. It slows the attack the immune system has and makes it harder to recover. MTX slows cells division so the immune cells that are trying to kill the virus/bacteria/whatever are slowed way down or even killed so the immune response sputters. Now your immune system has to start all over again.
Be kind to yourselves and DON'T take your weekly MTX until you feel well again. It shouldn't trigger an RA flare to skip one week but it could trigger an even worse illness if you don't let your immune system do it's work.
I'd even recommend that if you do weekly shots of a biologic, skip that week. Something like severe diarrhea can be fatal so you have to be careful. I'd skip my meds for diarrhea more than a case of the sniffles.
Discuss every possible scenario with your rheumy well in advance of getting sick so you know what to do. But my mantra for the past almost 40 years has been...when in doubt, skip the meds and call the rheumy for advice on Ra meds. Don't ask your PCP their advice...they are stupid when it comes to this stuff(and my old PCP had a wife with Ra and he told me take meds when sick...STUPID...why he's my old PCP). Only your rheumy can tell you what to do and I know from talking with mine it's STSS instead of KISS....Skip the Shot, Stupid.
Jen
Thinking there may be some who treat geriatrics that deal a wee bit more with this then most. Still I've found my doctors would prefer to not deal with it.
Now I'm in no way certain if this applies to you but the latest & greatest flu has hit. Later then usual but it is the intestinal sort. My sister is at the tail end as we speak. This would be day 5 for her. Much like you her rump has been in close relation to the toilet.
It's rumored to be 5-7 day flu. She's now hearing of others down & out with it. Had it on TV last couple weeks.
As of yesterday my sister said she was drained of all energy & kept nodding off but able to keep small portions of food down with bouts of stomach aches.
As for the weight lose This past month I've dropped. Even on Prednsone my weights down. Although I don't seem to have much of an appetite. With me it's a reaction to stress. The docs should be checking that out ruling out possible causes.
As for Tramadol I'm unsure. If this is a possibility & sounds like it is wondering if there was a safer more comfortable way of weaning.
Really is a tough one when your left to wonder. As if it's a flu you may want to skip that MTX I'm thinking but if it's from the Tramadol there may be no need. Either way the weight lose needs to be investigated. We know our bodies I'm in no way surprised by mine as its the norm for extreme stress levels. If your concerned then your doctors should be also.
It may be worth putting that call into your pharmacy. They may be able to offer some input.
Here's to feeling better.
Sammy