Newbie ~ Advice Please

[hope-always316]

Last year I had a sudden onset of reactive arthritis which lasted 9 weeks and spontaneously stopped. 16 weeks ago I got food poisoning from a piece of chicken and have had much more severe reactive pains in at least 10 different joints. It flits around my body on a 24-hour cycle. Today my hip is sore, yesterday it was my left wrist, the day before it was my right ankle... on and on. It peaked in July when I was near bed-ridden last year. I'm on Naproxen and was on lots and lots of cocodomol in July (which I stopped as honestly it made zero difference). I finally got my rheumatology consultation on 15/08 and was given a steroid injection which was brilliant...for 48 hours. Since then I have sore days and very sore days. Today I am due to start MTX because my blood test shows I have the anti CPP antibodies. I was told this on a very rushed call from the consultant who said 'we thought this would clear up but we now suspect it is progressive, we need to start you on disease modifiers'. I was devastated as believed it was temporary. The questions in my head are:

Has anyone else started with Reactive arthritis brought on by food poison?

If I start on MTX, how will I know if it has spontaneously stopped again?

I was offered a second steroid Jab today because my knee had been especially painful but it's no worse than my hands now - can I get two more injections?

I'm so sorry if these are silly questions - the GP couldn't answer them and the consultant is very hard to get hold of.

Thank you

Hope x

[hope-always316]

*near bed-ridden last month, not last year!

[Hidden]

Hello there are no silly questions here as I found out. Such a scary illness! Hubby was first diagnosed with reactive arthritis then the real deal. On methotrexate same as you. He once had a steroid injection and felt like superman for a while. I have a friend who has regular steroid injections for RA. I guess only the rheumatologist decides if it's going to benefit you and stop your pain. Hope you get sorted x

[jinirules]

Hi

I agree there are no silly questions. I dont have reactive arthritis but rheumatoid but I am on mtx. With mtx you have to have blood tests every month so they will know if you have to stop. My consultant waits for 3 months between steroid injections so you have ask your doctor about that maybe mine was cautious. My meds were also started quite quickly coz my ESR was off the charts. The thing to remember is that it will get better. There will be days that you feel completely useless and soul destroying but it does get better. I used to sleep all the time and was afraid to go out or play with my child. But now I have taken up dancing. I am on mtx ,hydroxychloroquin ,and cimzia injection. I rarely take my naproxen. Hope it helps. Never be afraid to ask your consultant any questions. write it down so that you will not forget. All the best

[earthwitch]

check out the information about reactive arthritis on the National Ankylosing Spondylitis society webpage

nass.co.uk/about-as/getting...

(you need to scroll down the page a bit)