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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So many tests for Iv treatment

pamela57
pamela57
I have just spent a week in hospital to see if i am infection free so i can have IV biotics. Well after a week i still have a sinus infection so i have to get that sorted......Many of you here are on biotics. Did you also have to spend a week in hospital and go through so many tests as i did? ECG, X-Rays every where, sinus and teeth scans, blood tests, chest X Ray.. Liver unltra sound plus Elastometire (sorry don't know the name of that in English). Well is it just here or do you have all that in the US or toher parts of the world too. It seemed a bit exessive to me
altoclef
altoclef
Are you kidding?? The US doesn't like to "give" medical care to peons. I had a TB test and chest x-ray before starting MTX two years ago. Since then, it's just been the liver function tests and blood counts, with occasional looks at inflammatory markers.
Emerald22
Emerald22
Wow! I had an appt Wed to switch biologics. She rambled off 10 choices including infusions & told me to pick which I wanted. Then she wrote me a rx. To start bios, I had a chest xray & TB test. Now blood tests every 3mo. To start pain meds, I had an EKG. That's it. My pain dr doesnt even take bp at my visits. His nurse writes my rx and he comes in and signs it. I wish we were that thorough here. The more I hear about other countries healthcare makes me realize how broken our system really is.
bcatz
bcatz
I'm in the US - Texas.

I had to have blood work for liver, and blood counts. Also had to have xrays for chest. Additionally, since I had no heart work up previously and was in my 40s with occasionally elevated blood pressure, I had to get EKG and ECG.

I don't understand the additional testing you had for infection unless your blood indicated an infection brewing.

Your xrays EVERYWHERE might be the baseline xrays or mri we get for hands/feet/areas of extreme concern.

Do you have a history of liver issues? Or perhaps you are at the age to check for liver issues? I know here, if you are diabetic, you often get u/s of liver to check for fatty liver - and same with drinking, to check for cirrhosis.
pamela57
pamela57
They took 17 tubes of blood and i don't know what for. They took 24 hr urine collect. The liver Elastometre was to see the thickness of my liver to see if the MTX had done damage 'been on MTX for 20 years).
Thanks for your replies. They want to put in new knees but i can't have bio treatment at the same time.