Hello all

I've had a horrible cold bug for the past week. I've lost my voice again and feel lousy, as you do with these things. When I phoned my GP yesterday, she prescribed antibiotics and said that if I didn't feel better by today, I should pitch up at A & E because of me being on methotrexate. I have no intention of doing this until I have eaten the lovely dinner I have prepared though!

Anyway, what I wanted to ask was this: has anyone experienced an improvement in their joint pain when ill with other things? I'm wondering if it's because my immune system has got something else to concentrate on. I guess that the loss of voice could even be RA related rather than just an infection but it does seem strange that I've had less pain this week.

Last but not least, Happy Christmas to you all! I, for one, shall spend a day pretending that I am normal!

Kathryn
xx

Hi Fiona

That's really interesting. I was given Amoxicillin. Unfortunately, I only took one and had the most horrendous stomach upset so I stopped. Therefore, it couldn't be them and in any case, the joints had been better for the week or so preceding being given them. But with your experience, it does still leave me wondering if the autoimmune attack does move from joints towards whatever other infection it can get hold of.

Ever since I was diagnosed just over 2 years ago, I haven't had a true remission. I am on 25mg Methotrexate since the beginning and have added Sulphasalazine & Leflunomide at different times but have reacted badly to those. At the moment, I am waiting for the Leflunomide to get out of my system before they can try something else to go with the Methotrexate.

I do have my voice back now but instead, the stomach upset continues and my temperature is higher than normal. The next dilemma is that Monday is Methotrexate day and I'll have to get blood count sorted out before I take it. And it's a Bank Holiday! And I'm fed up with being ill! Moan, moan, moan ... At least I managed to cook Christmas Dinner yesterday before very retiring to bed. Oh well, it could be worse, as they say.

Can someone find a cure for this quickly, please?!

Kathryn
x

Dear Kathryn,
You are heroic to have managed to cook Christmas dinner!
I gave that up many ,many years ago!
I was diagnosed with R.A about 15 years ago when I was
37 or 38 years old.
Luckily for me my partner cooks when he comes over and
so it's ready meals for me the rest of the week - but Marks and Spencers
do some great ones for Vegetarians like me!
It's just the getting into town to buy them that is the problem now that the
weather is so cold!
I am in the middle of a fairly bad flare-up at the moment and it has taken me
by surpize after my 7 month remission!
I do agree with you that when another infection is perceived as a real threat
by our immune systems the fight is waged with the infection instead of our joints and tendons.
I detest R.A and the way it has placed limitations on the things I can do - it's the
knowledge of taking days to get over doing things that I would not have thought twice about
before this disease.
A good example was yesterday when two of my adult sons in their thirties came over to
see me and how one of them noticed me limping as I walked out to the hallway with them
as they were leaving - and I was trying very hard not to limp in front of them.
He looked me straight in the eyes as if to say "Your in pain aren't you?"Well actually, he
looked down into my eye because he's 6'2!
I just looked away and smiled because I want my three kids to remember me the
way I was before all this.
I hope that they remember that I was a reasonably good cook then and who
knows maybe one day I will go into remission again and be able to cook for other
people as well as me.
I hope you are having a lovely relaxing Boxing day,
Best wishes,
Fiona

Dear Kathryn,
Thank you for your reply. I still seem to be in a
"flare" today again.
At the moment I feel stiff until I take a shower in
the mornings and within a couple of hours it's
starting again!
My left hip was pretty bad for several days, but now feeling better and
instead it's in my ankle and knees more!
So it definately travels around!
I have managed to do some vacuuming and washing and tidying today,
so obviously the Hydroxychloriquine is still doing its thing - I am
left wondering if it has been the bitterly cold weather that has set it
off?
I went to Spain on holiday last month and was swimming in the sea 'till
November 19th - but the weather in Spain was slightly colder than usual for
the time of year - and the flare started just before we went there.
I have been in this situation many times over the last 15 years and yet it still takes a lot
of effort to hold my nerve and tell myself that this flare too shall pass!
I can remember 'phoning the Rheumy nurse once about a flare up and she
said "with R.A there are good months and bad months".
I suppose that is the crux of the matter - remembering that a flare can go away
again even after a month or so.
Hopefully, with the onset of more milder weather things may calm back down again.
'Hope you are doing well.
Best wishes,
Fiona