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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/8/2010 Posts: 914
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Hi Darshin Mine started with a flu jag, without a doubt. I was laying driveways in Norway and cutting down trees in my garden before getting my flu jag. ( which I must say I'd had it for around 5 years due to asthma) I got this one on the 3rd of Nov 2007 and right away I felt it hurt more than usual. Then within 12 hours the stiffness started. My hands were first the my neck and shoulders followed by the loss of my right arm then my body was bent as I could not straighten due to the pain and within the 5 weeks I was bedridden. I was the first in my family to get RA. They say smoking can trigger it, I have never smoked but lived with parents who did. It is also said a head injury can cause it, I had my skull fractured due to a road accident when I was a toddler. It is also said trauma or severe upset can cause it. Who knows but as bad as I was, in a way I am glad, as I was diagnosed very quickly and have responded to the treatment. I also take Mangosteen juice which I am sure helps me. I keep very well now and hope that I always remain so. Do keep positive and don't overdo anything and I am sure you will be too. My daughter is a scientist and research is now being done to prove flu jags can cause autoimmune disorders. Although they may never actually say so as it may cause problems in other areas. Lorna 
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 12/4/2009
Posts: 336
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I ws very active too. I feel that stress may have been a trigger for me. Glenys.
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/26/2010 Posts: 71 Location: London
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Gosh it's really interesting reading everyone's posts on this thread
I already have AI kidney disease and have been on and off steroids (prednisolone) most of my life. Quite a few Docs/GPs mentioned that the steroids might have contributed to the cause.
Interestingly at my consultant appointment when I was officially diagnosed - after lots of tests - before I even asked the question the registrar I saw was very quick to state categorically that it HADN'T been caused by years of steroids. He was so definite about denying this that I almost felt that was a 'yes it was'!
I hadn't really considered other causes of RA until chatting to a friend about life in the year leading to RA. It included me having swine 'flu; a visit from my Dad who lives abroad; some stressful times with my Mum who was worrying about the fact my Dad would be in the country and worrying about flying abroad on holiday on her own and a near miss with my parents almost bumping into each other at King's Cross as one of their trains was delayed. VERY stressful.
I have a feeling it was a combination of AI + swine 'flu flooring my body + stress.
Hope everyone's had a sunny day - it's been lovely here!
Vicky xx
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 1,110 Location: London
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I think mine was when the little boy I worked 1:1 with passed away at Christmas 2007. I had grown very close to him and his family in the four years I worked with him. I found it a very stressful time, and felt I should be helping the family too as their grief was far worse than mine. Previously I had some stiffness and my feet did swell etc. I was diagnosed almost 2 years later after repeated appointments with the GP, who eventually made me a rheumatology appointment. BARBARA
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 1/27/2011
Posts: 68
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I also started with ra after having my son but looking back at 19 I had a kidney infection which wiped me out for two weeks and my husband today was visiting me and it was the only time my dad would let him upstairs in my bedroom 'ha' I had a very difficult birth with my son and was told by my consultant that the trauma of this started it.I still think that there was some connection with the kidney infection all those years ago mags xxx
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 327
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I've heard a lot of women develop RA after giving birth, and also following the menopause, which might have been the case for me, but I prefer to blame my husband  . He had a heart attack a couple of months earlier. Thankfully he's okay (well, as okay as you can be following such a thing) but it was a very stressful time for us both. Anthea x
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Rank: Member
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Joined: 6/4/2010
Posts: 28
Location: Greenwich
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Hello my RA friends x my RA was brought on by a serve Step infection in 2009, i had a major knee operation nov 2009 & by Dec
i cant walk bend my knee, was going to the doc every week with no luck but i had appointment with my consultant surgeon he done bloodtest which show a serve infection had the knee washed out, but due to the mistake in the hosp i went without IV antibioticsfor over 24 hrs the infection just took over my body. then one morning wokeup with a very stiff knee just couldnt move,
then it went to all the joints i was sent to a rheumatologist where i told i had RA but my aunt had RA over 30 years the rheumy said i must have had the RA Gene had its taken a serve infection to bring out,
Over the past year ive notice the change in my hands & feet feel so tired all the time.
Thankyou all so much for being there your support means alot take care love & kiss Graham
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 9/5/2010 Posts: 364 Location: mid glamorgan
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Hi Everyone
I think mine may have been caused by a fall I had, where I fractured my wrist. RA symtoms started a few months later. x
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/29/2010 Posts: 264
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Hi All,
This is a really interesting thread reading how there are so many similarities.
Mine started four months after I'd left a stressful job that I'd done for 31 years. The leaving the job was not a sudden decision but planned for ayear before that. After leaving I went to college to do an art/design/jewellery course which I loved and all the stress just drained away, but then two months later my lovely Dad had a severe stroke, and I was driving back and forwards 200 miles to Sussex every three weeks. It was six weeks into this that the RA hit. I'd got through menopause fairly easlily but I think the stress/no stress/stress started mine. Interestingly I had Lichen Planus a skin complaint 13 years ago, and GP said that can be both autoimmunue and stress related. Who knows!
Best wishes to all
Sheila R
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 12/4/2009
Posts: 2,127
Location: Thornton Cleveleys
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I will contribute my two penneth! My RA started three months after the birth of my daughter. The early months of the pregnancy were difficult due to severe morning sickness, dehydration etc. Seven years prior to the onset I had a bad bout of glandular fever that went on recurring for about three years. I suspect that the RA was triggered by the hormonal changes of pregnancy and childbirth. There is no obvious family history of any auto immune disorders. There is a lot of research going on at present, particularly in the USA and Europe, into the causal conditions of RA. The current thinking is that it is most likely triggered by a combination of factors, including an abnormal autoimmune response, genetic susceptibility, and some environmental or biologic trigger, such as a viral infection or hormonal changes. This article poses some interesting theories but please bear in mind it is information gained from research and is not conclusive evidence. Lyn x
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Rank: Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/16/2009 Posts: 21
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Hi all, very interesting thread... Thinking back, I probably would say mine was due to work related stress - the family business was going thru major changes and it must have taken it's toll.
However, my mum had RA diagnosed 4 years before she died, my dad passed 13 months before my mum, I've had four children and sadly lost one, but survived all that only to get RA 6 years later! Ironic!
Jillx
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 714
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Hello
I know exactly what triggered by RA. In 2006 my Husband had a nervous breakdown following years of stress at work. This was made worse by anti-depressants he was prescribed as he had a violent reaction to them and was very ill for about 12 months. It was impossible for him to return to work and we spent the next two years fighting his employers for medical retirement due to stress caused at work. After a very long battle of letters, medical assessments and review panels we finally won. During this time my Husband was very ill and I was still trying to keep my full time job going and bring up my Daughter. He was given his medical retirement in January 2008. It was an enormous relief for all of us.
In the summer of that year I had shingles very badly, then I never saw Christmas and New Year of 2008 as I was in bed for two weeks with the most awful bout of flu. This was after I had a flu vaccination. It would take me half an hour to get the strength to sit up in bed and take some flu remedy. By January 2009 I felt awful. Extreme tiredness and aching all over. I went to see my GP as I wondered if I was going through the menopause. He did not think so but did some blood tests. He said it could be just a virus or even Rheumatoid Arthritis as I was showing all the symptoms but this was highly unlikely. Three days later I was called into see my GP urgently and yes to his great surprise it was looking like I could have RA so he did the sheep cell blood test and the rest is history.
Speaking to my RA Consultant it appears that I had been so stressed for the four years of my Husband's illness that when he was given medical retirement, my whole system collapsed with relief and my immune system went beserk.
My Husband is still not well enough to work so I am having to struggle through and continue working. If you had told us 6 years ago what was going to happen to us medically we would never have believed you.
So yes, I do know exactly what triggered my RA.
Jackie
xx
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/28/2011 Posts: 956 Location: North Preston
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Oh Jackie
What a terrible time you had. No wonder your body shut down. It was obviously not flu you had but something far more serious. I hope you have good friends to chat with when you need to. I know family is best but sometimes it is good to talk to someone who is not quite so close. I do hope the next year is far better for you.
Sheila x
P.S. Could I just make it clear to anyone reading this post that you can't get flu from the flu jab as it is not a live vaccine. The vaccine takes ten days to work so sometimes a person may contract a virus during those ten days but it is not caused by the vaccine.
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 2/18/2010 Posts: 1,098 Location: farningham kent
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Sorry to hijack this discussion Just a note to Jill to say I was so sorry to read what a terrible time you went through prior to the onset of the RA, it must have been a very sad time for you and your family. Best wishes Julia x
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Rank: Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/16/2009 Posts: 21
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Hi Julia, thanks for your wishes.
It was an extremely sad time and still can be, but as they say life goes on and we all have our crosses (as they say) to bare, new (RA) and old. I am very thankful that I am blessed with 3 wonderful children and a good husband, and now I am more aware how precious life is and to live for today as tomorrow you never know!
Enjoy the sunshine, Jillx
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/8/2009 Posts: 124 Location: Wolverhampton
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Hi
I had a hysterectomy in March 2008. In October 2008, I developed a hacking cough (days before my 40th birthday), by Christmas 2008 the cough had developed into a flu like virus and I didn't leave my bed for five days. In January 2009 I lost my voice several times, took loads of antibiotics, had a camera down my throat (about three times) but they still couldn't find the cause for losing my voice. I went back to gp and said that the pain in my joints/bones was really bad and they did a blood test for RF which came back positive. I was referred to rheumy and diagnosed in March 2009. There were lots of other symptons going on like stiffness etc which I hadn't linked up - I had heard of RA but to be frank had never really known what it was.
There is no family history of autoimmune diseases. My dad gets very upset when he sees me walking with an aid. I was very active prior to all this, sporty at school, could walk for miles etc.
I also had in 2003/2004 four ivf attempts, my son was born late 2004. I wonder sometimes whether the false menopauses triggered it ....
Nina xx
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/4/2009 Posts: 52 Location: northern ireland
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hi all
i think my R,A was caused by stress at work
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 5/19/2010
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Hi All,
I have always been a worrier and in the past had stressful jobs, but I know to the day when mine triggered off, although it must have been in the body for a while ,I was at the park playing cricket with friends and I caught the ball in my right hand, a brilliant one hand catch, that night the wrist and hand was so painful and the following week my left hand, then started in my knees and shoulders, eventually diagnosed 10 months later.
Anne x
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/4/2009 Posts: 856
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mine kicked off after the onset of menopause to. I'd also had a stressful time at work but no more than usual.
Another thought- I can also remember the first physical sign I had and where I was when it happened- excruciating pain in the middles finger of my right hand- I couldn't bend it. I was in a shop in Southwold at the time!
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 1/27/2011
Posts: 68
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It's very sad reading about peoples onset of this horrible thing and has just made me think about how many of us are wonderful loving people and good workers and mothers and grandparents need I go on? There are so many nasty people out there that don't care for anyone and rob and steal and go through life doing what they want.It's not fair (Iam down at the moment can't u tell) I have a wedding coming up and there is no way I can go because I can't find any footwear my feet are  take care everybody always nice to know your all hear.x mags
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