Pain when I breath and swelling up like a water balloon

[Zoezoe752]

Hi everyone well it's midnight and I'm in so much pain I have done the house work today which was a real struggle and have had my ritixumab treatment about 2 weeks ago which I had 2 100mg doses of prendisalone over 2 weeks when havin the treatment and had to up my prendisalone to 20mg from 10mg for 4 weeks around the treatment and I have piled on the weight and my body is solid with all the fluid retention and I have a moon face its been hurrendous. My problem tonight is every time I do anything the pain in my back is really bad as the fluid is pressing on my spine and I have become increasingly short of breath over the past week. I now have a sharp pain every time I breath in and it's worse if I'm stood or sat up it is constantly there as a less sharp pain but gets 100times worse when I breath in. I am so worried I have never had this much fluid retention I can't do anything without pain and my skin is so thin and if you touch my bum its solid as a rock as the fluid is that bad. I don't want to put on any more weight so have started reducing my steroids back to 10mg the past 2 days. I'm sorry for goin on I just can't take any more I want my boyfriend to stay with me but I have gone from a size 6-8 to a 12 in literally 2 months I'm fed up and desperate the pain I the worse I have had in a long time I dunno if il ever b able to sleep I have been downing the oxynorm liquid like pop desperate for it to go thanks for reading

[Davidj]

Do you have a history of clotting ? The reason I ask, last year I had similar symptoms . Just crazy pain in my upper back .long story shirt they discovered a blood clot in my lung ( PE)

I wouldn't wait I would go to an ER right now. With LUPUD IT'S COMMOM BUT EVEN MIRE SO WITH HUGH'S

LET US KNOW how you make out

+ thoughts n prayers

David

Tampa Florida

[Purpletop]

Go to A&E for the sharp pain, they'll be able to do all necessary checks and you can mention the water retention too. I wouldn't reduce the prednisone just yet, I know it isn't pretty but if you go down too sharply you get yourself back in a flare.

[Zoezoe752]

Thanks for your advice I'm prayin it's not a pe It has died down durin the night so I have organise an emergency gp app at 10am but the only doctor I could get is rubbish and she doesn't have a clue about lupus so I'm just goin to see what she says and then decide what to do

[Hidden]

Poor you! Yes i would agree with everyone else on here, go to see your Gp or A & E. Don't delay! Let us know how you get on please. Sending ((big hugs))

[Paul_Howard Partner LUPUS UK]

You should be extremely careful when reducing your steroid dose. Have you discussed decreasing them with your doctor? It seems a very dramatic decrease. I say this because if you decrease steroids suddenly it can cause serious side-effects and be very dangerous.

[Zoezoe752]

Hi everyone I thought I'd update you I waited and went to the doctors a few days later and she said she wasn't worried it was a PE and said she woul monitor my weight gain so I was really disappointed but I did have bloods taken which were ok so I felt better but the fluid has been getting worse I now have a chest infection and as fit the steroids my specialist nurse was really nasty and said I don't no u were on steroids even though it was my consultant tht told me to up them so she told me to reduce them to 5 mg which has given me blinding headaches and her answer to the water retention was dont drink and ring in 2 weeks so I now have a water infection and feel ill I hate people that think they no best and talk rubbish

[Zoezoe752]

Thank you all for your help I dunno where I would be without this site it has really uplifted me x