Hi , I have had RA for a few years now on medication and lead a normal life working etc but this may be a silly question !! Do other RA suffers find if u have a cold sore throat etc u really go down and take twice as long to get well again .or
Is it just me thank u x
Firstly no questions asked on here come under the heading 'silly', all questions are valid and will be answered by us if we have had the experience.
With our medications any type of illness's that we incur will take longer than normal to heal as the medications are to suppress our immune systems rather than to enhance it. Which is why when speaking to people who do not have the illness and say to you take for example Echinea (spelling incorrect), to help boost your immune system we must ensure that we do not do this. Otherwise all the good our meds are doing to us will be undone.
Therefore the answer to your question would be yes we all go down big time and take ages to recover. You are not alone! Just make sure you receive your annual flu jab to help with the process. Take care. xxx
Second all said by Georje xx
When I was on immune suppressant drugs and I got the rare cold or tummy bug it seemed to me to be much worse than these things used to be. However I also found that I only got bugs when my doses were quite high and I believe (saying this with my prof Brainstorm hat firmly on!) this was because it was only at the higher doses that my immune system was sufficiently suppressed to halt my hyperactive immune system from simultaneously fighting off the good guys as well as the bad.
Otherwise I find that, especially now I'm off all RA meds, I never come down with anything at all even if directly exposed to bugs by my immediate family and husband. I used to be endlessly coughing and spluttering before my RA started but then every cloud has a silver lining I suppose!
how are you off all r.a. meds. I am fairly new to this site so am just getting used to names,ect. although I have had r.a. for 30 years.
Well a big welcome to you from me Daintydina!
I'm off meds because I had bad toleration issues with three DMARDs over three years since I was diagnosed in 2011. I came off MTX last year but I flared - especially in my feet - so went back on it and Hydroxy for 7 months but the same problems became intolerable once more. My rheumy consultant agreed that it was best that I stay off them for the time being because my RA wasn't particularly active in my joints. Unfortunately I have other issues - some sort of peripheral neuropathy with mild vestibular problems - that are thought to be autoimmune by nature. So I'm now waiting to see a neurologist in three week's time. I've been off MTX for four and a half months and still no swollen, painful joints but plenty of other sorts of pain that for me are just as problematic.
I don't know whether the RA will come back or not and as my feet are pretty numb now I often wonder if it is back and I just don't know it - but I'm sure I'd see it in the form of swelling and heat if it was RA. I'm not sure what to think anymore to be honest as my diagnosis of RA was confirmed by a second opinion professor who looked at photos of my hands when I was diagnosed and was really confident that this could only be RA.
Twitchy
A question, not an answer to the original question I'm afraid, but I note the comment above about echinacea. What about things like Yakult. All the "good bacteria" stuff to boost up your system? Anyone know if there is a problem taking that?
Has anyone been following the stories about this new BiP protein that they are human trialling in London. Maybe that would help with the reduced immune system problem. Does anyone know how long it tends to take to get from human trialling to mass market?
From the trials that the "Which" magazine did, the Yakult won't make much difference either way. It won't affect your immune system so no worries.
I have read that from human trialling to mass market is around 8-10 years usually. Can be shorter if the results are very clear cut and no severe side effects occur.
Happens to me everytime, luckily i don't seem to get poorly, even on methot and anti tnf, but if i do it lasts twice as long as everybody else.
Thank you gunnyp for asking that question. It's one that I have been meaning to ask too. So no silliness, only helpfulness. I have been left with real chestyness after having a cough/cold and not feeling as good as I did previously. Great to read all the replies you got. Thanks to all.
Thank u to all that have replied x
If I get a really bad cold that won't go after 7 days I tend to miss out a week or two of methotrexate as I know I can go 2 weeks without having too much affect of my joints. I still take my humeria every 2 weeks but have been known to delay by 7 days. Joints do start to hurt slightly but this regime seems to work for me and joints recover fairly soon after resuming my normal med routine. you have to know what affect stopping meds has on you of course and should be tried with caution.
living with RA
RA in Jaw joint
