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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 838 Location: Nottinghamshire
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I have noticed that everytime my RA is bad I get a sore throat. When I say sore I mean it's painful to swallow. It seems to be at it's worse in the evening, during the night and first thing in the morning. It wears off a bit during the day, only to start again later in the evening.
Last year the sore throat lasted for months, my CRP was high during this time. I asked for a steroid injection and was advised by my nurse specialist to make an appointment with my GP to make sure I didn't have an infection because they wouldn't be able to give me the steroid injection if I had. Saw the GP and was told there wasn't.
Recently things haven't been too good, CRP been in the 80's and the sore throats back. Have told both consultant and nurse specialist about it, told them that I have realised that when my RA is bad my throat hurts. Neither of them could explain why.
Does this happen to anyone else, or anyone got any ideas why it happens?
Paula
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 9/3/2011 Posts: 717 Location: Torbay
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When I had a severe flare lasting for months one of my symptoms was a very odd clicking sensation in the throat and great difficulty in swallowing food and liquid. It was painful when I tried to get food or drinks down. I was given a barium swallow test and it showed problems with my oesophageal muscles. I had very weak muscles in my upper arms and hips too. I know that RA can attack the soft tissues as well as the joints so maybe this explains it. However my consultant thinks I may have an overlap disorder as well as the RA so there could be a different explanation. I'm not sure if this sounds similar to what you've got or whether your is more of a throat infection. I hope you get to the bottom of it soon and start to feel better. Naomi, X
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 1,689 Location: Durham
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Hi Paula, Before my RA was under better control - ie when it was rampant! - it used to affect my throat, especially my swallow, and my rheumy said it would be the RA attacking all the "little bits and bobs" you`ve got in your throat, including the soft tissue and the tiny throat muscles. I had to give up my singing in the choir, because my voice was so unreliable. At the time, my CRP was always in three figures. Different rheumies seem to have different ideas, but once my RA was better controlled thanks to humira, I had less throat trouble. Take care, Kathleen x
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 5/2/2012 Posts: 670 Location: where the sun always shines :o
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 not sure if ra and sore throat go together. My ra still alive and reminding me its here! Got sore throat, maybe ra or maybe because I caught germs off my daughter - she has tonsilitis. Off to get steriod injection in a couple of hours, I try to remember to ask about ra and sore throats. Jane Xxx
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 838 Location: Nottinghamshire
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Thanks for the replies ladies.
I'm glad to see that I am not the only one who's RA affects their throat, regardless of what my consultant or specialist nurse says, it must be down to active RA. The history of what happens is there, my RA is bad, my throat is sore.
I read something a few months ago that I have been meaning to post on here about. A little boy had been diagnosed with the Junior form of RA, his mum said that it all started after he had had a bad dose of tonsillitis,she was sure that it kicked started his RA. A few of her relatives had RA and they all told her that when they were younger they had a lot of sore throats. She asked her sons consultant if there was a link and he said No, but when she mentioned it to the specialist nurse she said that alot of patients had mentioned to her that they had alot of sore throats when they were children. This got me thinking, when I was young I had lots of sore throats and my mum wanted me to have my tonsils out. I googled tonsils and they are part of the immune system.
I've still got a sore throat, Thursday was really bad and guess how my RA was.........really bad, spent most of the day on the settee.
Like Kathleen said, consultants have different views about things. I once told my consultant that my muscles ached, he said it wasn't anything to do with my RA and yet a few weeks ago I was saying the same thing to my specialist nurse and she told me that my muscles can get inflamed!!!!
Paula x
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 838 Location: Nottinghamshire
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Just found out how to copy and paste using the keyboard.......got a new laptop and the tool bar isn't there.
This if from Wikipedia
The term tonsils most commonly means the palatine tonsils, which can be seen in the back of the human throat. The palatine tonsils and the nasopharyngeal tonsil are lymphoepithelial tissues located near the oropharynx and nasopharynx. These immunocompetent tissues are the immune system's first line of defense against ingested or
inhaled foreign pathogens. However, the fundamental immunological roles of tonsils have yet to be understood
Paula
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 5/2/2012 Posts: 670 Location: where the sun always shines :o
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 Thanku Paula For cutting and paste the meaning of tonsils, I did not know they were "part of our immune system". That explains the sore throats we have. It gives a clearer understanding, that we are not going mad! Jane Xxx
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 5/28/2012 Posts: 665 Location: Newton Abbot
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It makes a lot of sense to me that the throat and tonsils should get inflammed when everywhere else is running in RA overdrive - I also have noticed the glands under my chin get tender when RA flares, same thing I imagine (the same glands that swell up when you have mumps or glandular fever). However, that was so minor compared to all the other pain that I scarcely registered it - I suppose the docs don't give it any attention because pain n the throat doesn't cause any long term damage, but that doesn't make it any less uncmfortable for the patient. However, it can cause serious complications in young children - I recall having an overnight in hospital with my young daughter when she had a bad attack of tonsillitis and they were concerned about her breathing Sylvia xx Be kinder than is necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle
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Rank: Newbie
Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/20/2012
Posts: 1
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Hi i am new on here was diagnosed with RA over 3 years now, I to get a really painful sore throat with every flare up and as soon as i have steroid injections and the RA starts to die down the sore throat goes.
Yvonnexx
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 838 Location: Nottinghamshire
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Hello Yvonne
I see that your post was your first on here, so I would like to give you a warm welcome to the forum.......and do keep on posting.
I'm just pleased to read that another person has problems with their throat and they think it is linked to their RA. Here I am some three weeks later and it still is bad. Some days really bad others bearable.
Last week I was in two minds about ringing up my GP's surgery to request a telephone consultation, but decided against it. Couldn't really see the point, the facts to me are so obvious......when my RA is bad my throat hurts when I swallow, to me it's obvious what the cause is, even if my consultant and nurse specialists don't agree with me. I think I should of put it to them in another way and not used the word sore. Normally when you have a sore throat it starts to hurt, gets worse, then eventually gets better. But my pain doesn't follow that pattern, on a day to day basis it can change as to when it's painful, the only thing that it is linked to is how active my RA is at the time, so it's got to be down to RA.
Do post some more Yvonne, I always think that the first one is the hardest one!
Paula x
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 5/28/2012 Posts: 665 Location: Newton Abbot
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Yes, hi Yvonne - welcome to the forum. I'm 54 and diagnosed this year. I'm currently on MTX and HDX and my RA is well controlled and I'm feeling so well that I'm hoping to go back to work. I find this forum is great for sharing all the thoughts and worries that come with RA - it's such a life changing illness, but as someone posted earlier - we're part of an exclusive club and the challenge makes us stronger people! Sylvia xx Be kinder than is necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 9/5/2010 Posts: 185 Location: Lowestoft, Suffolk
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This is great. I've had my worst sore throat in years (mainly swallowing) and for the first time in my life could feel swollen glands in my neck. I did have a really rotten cold at the time. I'm over that, but today am feeling really tired and, hey presto, an uncomfortable swallow again. Time will tell if RA or another cold. May have to go into the steam room to explain why I haven't had flu jab (Grr). Referring to the clicking when eating - I read a while back that us lovely RA 'sufferers' are also prone to TMJD - Temporalmandibular Joint Disorder http://www.tmj.org/site/content/tmjd-basics
I'm a good ole clicker! Thanks for this posting. Angie Be yourself - everyone else is taken. XX
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 838 Location: Nottinghamshire
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Just a a bit of an update.
When I was talking to one of my specialist nurses last Thursday I mentioned to her about my sore throat and how I thought it was connected to my RA. She advised to see a GP just to check if there was something else happening. I managed to get an appointment that afternoon.
I went in told the doctor all my history and my thoughts on it all. She took my temperature and said it was slightly raised. She then looked at my throat and said that it looked alright, no signs of infection. I then just dropped out in the conversation that my tongue was sore and I'd put that down to MTX. Well she had a look at my tongue and said she thought I'd got thrush, adding that I could also have it in my throat and I was to come back the next day to have a full blood count done to see if anything showed up in my bloods, I think it's the one that shows how your body fights infection. I was given a prescription for thrush, a seven day course that I am taking daily at the moment.
I've had the bloods done and haven't had a phone call so I know that they came back OK. My throat?.....Well, I am now taking oral steroids, that only give me a few hours relief a day and guess what? During them few hours my throat is OK, only to return when the steroids wear off. Mind you it is a relief when I can swallow without winching.
I did google it and found a forum (American I think) and the same question was asked and there were a lot of replies from people who said that when their RA was bad their throat was, so I still think I am right.
Paula x
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