Allergies?

[Sandiedc]

Hi guys, was diagnosed 6 months ago and after a very rocky few months have started to come the other side, had no pain now for 3 weeks I'm convinced this is partially down to my diet however as been told my RA is aggressive.... I am now suffering however from a horrid amount of allergies swollen ear drums, stuffy nose persistant sneezing underlying sore (not terribly but a bit). I may be way off course here but wondering if it's the meds? Does anyone here suffer, it's making me shattered and I've been to dr but they don't have any answers apart from the normal sprays etc. would value your opinion.... Thanks so much am on 15mg Mtx and hydroxychloroquine, folic acid supposed to be on Sulfasalozine but refused them as they smell like paint stripper - managed without so far anyway :).

[nomoreheels]

Hiya Sandiec. How awful for you. Obviously only those with experience of these problems will be able to answer this & I've not had any of them on with MTX or hydroxychloroquine. It will make a difference though if it's making you feel shattered as your defences will start to diminish. What I am wondering though is could it be a virus you've picked up, there are some virulant ones around & it is the time of year for them, or an infection? I think another trip to the docs is the way to go, especially if he didn't examine your ears properly with an otoscope or even ask your Rheumy nurse if she can throw any light on it. We do tend to blame things on our meds, I have in the past, but often it's necessary to report them to one of the Rheumy team, particularly if you have something that isn't listed as a common side effect.

I hope you get some help with this & if it is an allergic reaction, maybe relating to your change in diet, it's pinpointed easily.

[flowers89]

hi hun i was diagnosed about 6mts ago too,,what changes did you make with your diet?,,

[Sandiedc]

Thanks nomoreheels have been twice to the dr and had 2 lots of antibiotics, my diet changes are very healthy but I'll monitor and I do agree I tend to try and point things towards my RA because you just never know for sure do you.

Flowers 89 I bought Treating arthritis the drug free way by Margaret Hills it's a little paperback from eBay less than £3 bs amazing, she was a nurse with RA, it's basically to do with your uric acid levels it all makes perfect sense and has logic.

It's a tablespoon full of cider vinegar (aspells) a spoonful of honey mixed in with warm water to disperse the uric acid then a diet change - no tomatoes, no dairy use of olive oil based butters instead - no beef, pork processed food so predominantly chicken and fish. No fruit juices (apart from Apple) have a read it's amazing, I've not changed my meds though but I feel a load better than I did!

Good luck

X

[nomoreheels in reply to Sandiedc]

But no improvement in symptoms after antibiotics? I would make your Rheumy team aware if not, just so they can rule out or confirm if it could be be med related. Did you eat much fish before changing your diet? A relatively common allergic reaction is rhinitis which could be what you describe, but not your ears, though as they're all connected they could have become inflamed in turn.

[daintydina in reply to Sandiedc]

do you feel better since following Margaret hills diet? I tried it a few yers ago and it made no diference.

[Sandiedc in reply to daintydina]

I really think so but I am pretty strict with it.... It's been 4 weeks now on full diet after filtering it in and best my joints have been for 18months.........

[daintydina in reply to Sandiedc]

I agree ,you will have to follow it closly,iam so pleased it is working for you.ithink toomuch damage had been done when I tried it. I am new to this sight, thanks for reply.

[earthwitch]

I had major flu-like symptoms on sulfasalazine, and eventually the doctors recognised it was a hypersensitivity reaction. If you don't normally suffer from allergies, I'd be suspecting it was a med reaction, but don't be surprised if rheumatology takes a while to accept that possibility. It could just be a result of dry mucus membranes (sjogrens type of problems) getting irritated. In my experience that often happens worse at the beginning of winter when you first turn the heating on. Some types of heating systems (particularly electric or open fires) really dry out the air terribly. Easy solution for that is to just have a bowl of water in each room, and top it up as it evaporates.

[Ali_H]

Hi Sandiedc,

I'm definitely in the camp of rule out infection or virus particularly with regards to the swollen ear drums.

Also if your diet was even marginally poor before hand you could be doing some detoxing and therefore need to be drinking loads of water and then some more water!

Good luck

Ali

[Sandiedc]

Wil try that water and thanks everyone for your help - otherwise very healthy way well etc. thanks again will persevere throat raging today and after 4 hours of taking choir had to take morning off teaching singing - booooo.

[magglen]

I have been suffering from sore, weepy eyes all summer. I am sure it is due to an allergy. I notice that my eyes water badly when I open a window and can be fine when I am in a different area. I had the same problem in just the Spring last year but this time it has lasted until the last few days when the weather has changed. I wonder if this dry summer has increased the pollen count and maybe this is what you have been suffering from?