Wound healing

[Millie66]

Hi

I managed to graze my shin quite deeply around 4 weeks ago. It is taking forever to heal, it isn't infected and I am generally healthy at the mo but I wondered if my Methotrexate is slowing the healing process?

Would it be worth going without my injection for a week (or more)?

Any other suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[Gigi71]

Hi Millie. Best to ask your rheumy team for their advice. Injuries on shins can take longer to heal. Unfortunately I dropped a paving slap on my leg and the cut healed fairly quickly on the crease in my leg/foot but a bruise to the side of my shin turned to a haematoma and then an ulcer, I did this in the middle of May. I have to have compression, which is at last helping and not able to take my mtx or Humira as bloods show an infection. Good luck. X

[Hidden]

Hi. Definitely seek advice from Rheum. re Mtx. Shins have fragile skin which takes ages to heal and if you have had long term steroids it will be friable too. Mtx seems to mess with lots of processes including potentially the healing process, but take medical advice not from us on here. All the best. Hope it gets itself together very soon.

[Gnarli]

What rotten luck. I'm on MTX and seem to take longer to heal and not so long ago ended up on antibiotics for a tiny scratch no bigger than a papercut. As others have already said, taking professional advice would be your best bet as they know your history. Wishing you better

J

[hawker955]

That is a good question. Inflammation is an essential part of wound-healing so I suspect that biologicals and methotrexate could slow healing. Cortisone can stop wounds healing at all if those are being used. Let us know what your rheumatologist says please?

[wishbone]

When I was in hospital for surgery a few years ago, I asked the orthopaedic consultant why it was necessary to stop enbrel, which I was on at the time, at least two weeks before having an operation. He said it was because it slowed the healing process as hawker955 suspects. I was in for urgent surgery and as I recall last injected enbrel a week previous. I seemed to heal ok though.

[Millie66]

Thanks all, I did see the consultant a couple of weeks ago and show him. He just said 'oh dear'. I didn't think to ask about the Metho, I assumed it would just get better.

It is now a bit sore(probably cos I am thinking about it)

I will call the nurse and have skipped this weeks Injection I have done that a few times before without aggravating the Ra.

All the best