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...
A random venting because this forum understands in ways no one else I know can.
So I got sick with some sort of plague a couple of weeks ago.
The doc I saw because my primary doc had moved away was the rear end of a donkey. He "prescribed" sudafed and tessalon cough pearls. He offered the codeine cough syrup, but I have a long drive to work and I was afraid of the hangover effects. (I teach...)
Two days later I was in the emergency room because things were worse. More meds.Steroid shot, ended up with that cough syrup after all...
Ten days after that I go for an ER follow up because I'm not bouncing back. I had quit the Methotrxate during all this (boy am I feeling the two missed doses...) figuring my immune system needed all the help it could get!
I have a new primary doc and this is the first time he's seen me. But he listens and he thinks and I feel he is going to be a good doc.
He finds a heart murmur! That's new! Never had that before.
So I've stopped taking the NSAIDs until I know more about what's going on. (I'm really noticed the loss of those too).
I'd take a dose of tramadol to take the edge off, but the last two times I did that I felt very weird. The last time was worse and involved passing out and vomit and such (on a plane for extra fun!). I'm pretty sure it was the tramadol, but I don't want to test the theory at work.
At least I see my rheumy in a couple of weeks...
I've been on NSAIDS for years. I don't take the highest doses, so I hope that wasn't what was causing the heart murmur. I'd hate to think I had damaged a valve. A heart murmur certainly explains the extreme fatigue and how winded I get on the stairs.
Can I just say I'm really tired of the fight here?
(And for those who have followed my daughter's referral drama, we FINALLY got a referral for her to see the nearest pediatric rheumatologist - 2200 miles away. At least the insurance pays for the plane, food and hotel)
So I got sick with some sort of plague a couple of weeks ago.
The doc I saw because my primary doc had moved away was the rear end of a donkey. He "prescribed" sudafed and tessalon cough pearls. He offered the codeine cough syrup, but I have a long drive to work and I was afraid of the hangover effects. (I teach...)
Two days later I was in the emergency room because things were worse. More meds.Steroid shot, ended up with that cough syrup after all...
Ten days after that I go for an ER follow up because I'm not bouncing back. I had quit the Methotrxate during all this (boy am I feeling the two missed doses...) figuring my immune system needed all the help it could get!
I have a new primary doc and this is the first time he's seen me. But he listens and he thinks and I feel he is going to be a good doc.
He finds a heart murmur! That's new! Never had that before.
So I've stopped taking the NSAIDs until I know more about what's going on. (I'm really noticed the loss of those too).
I'd take a dose of tramadol to take the edge off, but the last two times I did that I felt very weird. The last time was worse and involved passing out and vomit and such (on a plane for extra fun!). I'm pretty sure it was the tramadol, but I don't want to test the theory at work.
At least I see my rheumy in a couple of weeks...
I've been on NSAIDS for years. I don't take the highest doses, so I hope that wasn't what was causing the heart murmur. I'd hate to think I had damaged a valve. A heart murmur certainly explains the extreme fatigue and how winded I get on the stairs.
Can I just say I'm really tired of the fight here?
(And for those who have followed my daughter's referral drama, we FINALLY got a referral for her to see the nearest pediatric rheumatologist - 2200 miles away. At least the insurance pays for the plane, food and hotel)
Sudafed and Tessalon? Wow, one is over the counter and the other is barely an Rx. No wonder you ended up in the ER.
Man, I'm sorry to hear about the heart murmur. I hope you can get that sorted out without too much headache.
And, yeah, I hear you on the work thing. I once took the first dose of a new (for me) neurological med, Tizan, at work. Boy, was I sorry. I did everything possible to stay awake. I'll never do that again.
I thought I went a long way to see my Rheumy but you got me beat by quite a few hours with 2,200 miles. Wow!!
I hope you feel better soonest so you can return to taking the MTX.
Hang in there Princess,
TheWino
Praying you get better soon!
during a work physical, a staff nurse 'found' my brother has a heart murmur too. he goes to the same GP i do and has for 29 years and they never heard anything either. and my dad was dx'd with one as a teenager. all are minimal, cause no limitations, no issues. the only thing is that if we try to go to a new dentist and mention it, they want a note from our doctor about whether or not we need antibiotics before a cleaning. we never do.
So sorry you are having to deal with this on top of everything else.
And good to hear that your new dr isn't the rear of a donkey :P
If it's not one darn thing it's half a dozen others, no?
Glad you got the approval on your daughter's referral. How has she been doing? Do you have an appointment scheduled for her?
We are about a week out from getting an appointment if the fax with the notes went through. It took three referral attempts: first they referred her to a rheumy who didn't see kids. Then they referred her to a pediatrician who had no rheumy credentials. Finally I got the right person on the phone. (That was a long call that went through multiple people.). I got a call last Thursday from Seattle Childrens (the place we are reffered to) because the poor lady was so frustrated trying to deal with the army because they got a referral and no notes at all on the patient. I went over in person on Friday (I was off for an appointment anyway)and hunted all that down and had them fax it over again.
As for germy band kids, lol:
This year, I am instituting a program where the kids will do much of their own cleaning of instruments. I'll sterilize mouthpieces at home. With rubber gloves and tongs!
My band kids are mostly trained to stay back when they are feeling poorly to attempt to not give it to me. I still can't kick this cough, though.
I see my rheumy again on May 9, so I suspect we'll have much to discuss. In the meantime, I"ll stay away from the NSAIDS. My husband is understanding enough that if I want to wander up and sit in a tub for an hour because it all hurts, he won't complain.
I am just so sick of the notion of red tape and bureaucracy that I am getting downright crotchety over the whole thing.
sorry you were sick. being an admin for our children is about 10 to 15 hours per week is it not?
hugs
depot