I don't believe it.

[LavendarLady]

This is the 3rd month that my ESR and CRV have been up and don't understand why. Not been really flaked out with the RA although chest infections and colds earlier in the year didn't help. Have got some aches and pains in my legs and both shoulders, my right little finger is very swollen and my feet hurt as well so perhaps that is all to do with it. Not to mention back ache too. Rheumy nurse thinks the finger may be osteo - Oh joy, more to cope with. I've got osteo in both knees as well as the RA. Still waiting for a date for my foot op -hoping it will be July when things are much quieter.

Rheumy has just reduced the MTX as well from 25 to 20 mg. He will not be too pleased!

Everything else seems ok on the rest of the blood tests.

Had another blood pressure check this morning - very slightly up on last week but overall is still coming down which is a relief. Eyes very sore and gritty and gunged up in the mornings and watering also, so got some antiseptic drops from the pharmacy - one for each eye so as not to cross infect.

Beautiful day here today again - temperature on the car was 17 degrees when I drove down to the post office. Berry is out in the garden enjoying the sun. Will have my lunch out there again today and try to ignore what needs doing in the garden this weekend.

Hope everyone has a really good, pain free weekend and enjoys the sunshine.

LavendarLady xx

[Hidden]

Hope those readings improve, my steroid use lots of courses in three years has now given me almost 1.5 stone or more weight gain and high blood pressure!,may be your eye in

fection possibly has affected esr etc? but maybe also themtx reduction wasnt advisable?

Sun is lovely and cant wait for zante!! is that a zante turtle??

[LavendarLady in reply to Hidden]

Yes it is a Caretta Caretta. We were privileged to see the babies hatching on Marathonisi island and on Garackas Beach and also saw the adults swimming in the bay off Laganas. Wonderful sight.

Have a wonderful time on Zante. LL. x

[earthwitch]

It may not be the RA that is causing those raised levels if you have had other things going on.

[Hidden]

I share your frustration. Nothing seems to get my inflammation down so far apart from steroids & the early days of mtx helped, then up it went again despite staying on 25mg all the time. It drives me round the bend - almost wish I didn't know about it! I find that fatigue hits after ESR has been over 50 or so for a few months - I think that's how it goes. I have gum disease & wonder whether it contributes.

Very unscientifically I just feel that the sunshine should help - it doesn't but of course is a tonic in other ways.

Enjoy your weekend - hope the sun shines for you.

Luce x

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Luce I don't see why gum disease mightn't be the cause of your high ESR - itts just infected tissue same as RA in tendons - the ESR is very non specific after all so maybe you are being quite scientific actually?! X

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hmmm, except that my RA symptoms worsen as ESR rises so it seems to tally - I forgot about that. So bored with this disease can't even remember the ins & outs of me own problems!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Snap! X

[pawsed in reply to Hidden]

agreed - brain fog has descended for me too, so very bored with all of it, and very bored of pain

[Hidden]

Oh dear LL - perhaps Alison is right and the eye infection is the cause? Last year my ESR was often over 50 despite MTX and Hydroxy, but it came down to 26 and settled there once the injectable MTX was started. My rheumy and GPs both feel this is still raised but I don't!

When I was flaring a few weeks ago my right thumb went rigid and really painful and as swollen as a thumb can get. I was sure, at first, that it was just more OA nodes forming as they all got really nasty and hot when I was off MTX. It lasted about 24 hours and went back down with naproxen but by the middle of the night my whole hand cane out in sympathy with the thumb and I couldn't move it for pain - couldn't splint it because of thumb - hellish!! So I conclude that for me OA and RA in hands are all part of the same thing and inflammatory by nature. What a horrible thing arthritis is - it sounds to me like you may need to go back up to 25mg MTX again. Xx

[LavendarLady]

Hi all, last night my right wrist flared, my right shoulder is agonising - been sitting with a cold pack on it to relieve the inflammation. Shoulder is also very hot as is the wrist. Nodules on the side of my right hand have appeared. So clearly in a bad flare = perhaps brought on by all the other aches and pains - obviously that was what it was building up to. Elbow is also painful. Can hardly move my right arm because of the shoulder so hair in a scrunchy any old how!

Himself cooked breakfast this morning and is busy hoovering up the leaves. I have some geraniums to plant in the window box so can do that slowly.

Eye infection is settling down - thanks to Brolene drops from the chemist. Not watering quite so much and not gunged up in the morning. Still a bit itchy though. Have left off any eye make up for the last 3 days just in case.

Ain't life grand? I don't think !

Hope everyone has got some lovely weather. Chilly here yesterday with a biting north wind but lovely and warm today and tomorriow is supposed to go up to 21 degrees. I know it is pyschlogical but we do feel better when it is warm.

LavendarLady x

[cathie]

Could it be reduction in mtx? I was taken off it completely and my oa is dramatically worse. I checked arthritis research uk and found that mtx can protect against ravages of oa.

I hope you're ok

[LavendarLady]

Hi Cathie, yes coming off the MTX really did cause problems as I was relying solely on the Enbrel which was fast losing its effect. .MTX does protect against damage in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Having to use Nurofen to keep it under control. Now going for my first dose of Rituximab tomorrow with the second dose in 2 weeks time. If it works it should last up to a year without needing a top up.

Hope you are getting on OK and not in too much pain. The last 3 months have been very bad for me as had to come off all drugs because of foot operation so relied heavily on Nurofen to the extent it began to irritate my bladder as well and thought I was coming down with Cystitis.

I pulled all the muscles in my groin following the foot op and the GP put me onto Co-Codamol for a short while which did the trick. Only on it for 3 days as highly addictive and I am also allergic to Morphine in large doses.

So keeping everything crossed that the Rituximab works for me. LL x