Flares after illness

[lovemydoggy]

Just wondering if others have significant flares during, and especially after an illness?I've been dealimg with some kind of virus infection for over a week now. I was quite sick, seemed to get over it then had a big flare up. My son got sick just as I was feeling better and the rheumatic pain was better. Now feeling like I have it back and joint pain getting worse again.

[Caza]

Yes whenever I’m unwell I flare.

Wish you better

[Hessie5]

I certainly flare if unwell or stressed. I always carry a hanky with me as it’s amazing how many people cough and sneeze without covering their mouths. I need to teach them to sneeze into your elbow. I try to relax on flare day knowing it will pass. Right now still awaiting medication so it’s paracetamol for me. Hope you are quickly pain free. Hessie 😊

[Nitrobunny]

Yes, I absolutely flare whenever I am ill, stressed or even injured.

Wishing you the best~

[lovemydoggy]

Thanks all. Had a feeling that was the case. I might change my doc. I knew mine began after a very stressful event. Then it would go, but when I had stress or anxiety I'd get flares. But....I asked her anyway if stress or anxiety had any impact on this. Can you believe she said no?

[Nitrobunny in reply to lovemydoggy]

Wow that’s amazing that she didn’t believe there’s a connection. Stress manifests itself many ways in our bodies. That’s been fairly well documented for some time now.

[lovemydoggy in reply to Nitrobunny]

I know. I also knew the big flare started when the bad event happened. I also knew that during stress pain would suddenly come out of nowhere. Just thought I'd ask. I got an emphatic no. My GP, however, said absolutely stress and anxiety manifest everywhere in our bodies and it is definitely related. I've had anxiety disorders since I was a kid and just from experience I know all kinds of somatic symptoms can manifest. This rheumy I went to is really young looking. I'm wondering if she's straight out of med school and oddly unaware of the huge amount of scientific evidence. Might have my GP refer me to someone else. The one thing I thought was really cool was the rheumy said I could come in same day when having a flare. At least then maybe I might get a different test result, and it sounded like she meant she would take a look as well. Doctors can be so frustrating.

[Nitrobunny in reply to lovemydoggy]

It sounds like your GP is definitely on the right track and there’s definitely something to be said for have a good GP. I see so many people on here who strike out with every doctor to the point of tears, frustration and even depression. I’m glad you have a GP who listens to you 😊

[Tillie20]

Hi yes I had a urine infection and sickness while on holiday and when almost over it I got flare it was horrible x

[Hidden]

Yes, I am the same. This has been a dreadful year for me. It started off with my husband having flu (and he refuses to have the flu injection). Although I have the injection, my husband's flu bug got onto my chest and affected my asthma, as this was getting better, I had an awful flare. Then in February, I fell over twice in two weeks and ruptured tendons in both my shoulders which are still very painful. Then I had another bad flare up.

In June, my son bought a nasty cold into the house, which both myself and my husband got and mine turned into another nasty chest infection and bought on my asthma again and I am also in a bad flare again. I am in so much pain in my back, knees and arms that I am not able to do much at all. This is despite being on morphine pain patches, tramadol, paracetamol, methotrexate, pregabalin and various other medications.

On Tuesday this week, I put my foot to the ground and screamed out at the pain in my knee. I couldn't straighten my leg and thought I had broken my knee. I ended up at A & E where I was X-rayed etc and told I needed a steroid injection from my GP asap. I had a hassle to get it done the following day.

I had a rheumatology appointment yesterday and after having X-rays of my knees I have been told that both of them, particularly the left one needs replacing. The knee joints are apparently rubbing bone on bone now.

Sometimes I worry about what the future is going to bring as I am getting worse and less able all the time. Sorry for the long rant.

[lovemydoggy in reply to Hidden]

Sorry you're having such a tough time. After reading so many posts I think my recent back injury has some role in the pain. I never out it together that an injury could cause a flare,but totally makes sense. I'm not on meds. Still waiting for a firm diagnosis. Just over the counter pain stuff. Really afraid of immunosuppressants. I've always gotten infections easily.

[Denise64]

Hi love

Yes I'm in what seems to be a flair up that has lasted for months , feel so unwell. My ESR levels are up and the other one is it CRP ? Anyway they say my Rheumatoid has not got worse after having hands ultra sound , but I'm reacting to an infection.

At a guess I'd say i got a sinus infection but just putting up with the head ache as you do. So now I'm on anti biotics ( yesterday the ones they gave me made me sick) had to throw up in a bin on way to work ! Omg how classy !

So now on others that don't make me sick.

My point being if you are unwell don't let it carry on as I've been ill for months

And if your flair up doesn't stop go back as you may have virous still in your body as we can't fight it off can we.

I'm starting to feel better , hope you do too.

Love me

[lovemydoggy in reply to Denise64]

Good luck! Sinus infections are horrible. That's been one of the worst things for me. Accupuncture did help with that after docs got tired of giving me antibiotics. They thought I wasn't getting infections, but when antibiotics work.... Accupuncture could help you. Worth a try.

[Denise64 in reply to lovemydoggy]

Oh right you know never thought of that, I recently tried it for my joints but iĺl give it a try. Thank you. Getting so fed up with it all

Like you are hunny xx take care

[lovemydoggy in reply to Denise64]

If you try it let me know if it helps. It took a while , but eventually it helped so much that I can catch a cold and not get a sinus infection. Overall I think it has helped my immune system in general.

[wishbone]

A few years back I decided to stop all RA meds following a serious infection. The first few weeks were okish, no doubt due to meds still in my body, and possibly because I was taking powerful antibiotics, according to my rheumy. It wasn't long however before my RA returned like nothing I've ever experienced in the previous 12 years I'd had RA, or since. I was absolutely shocked by how bad it was!!.. I was nigh on housebound, only leaving home for hospital appointments, and oh what fun that was!! My wife had to help me move from room to room as the debilitating pain was so bad. I really could do very little for myself. Taking a shower was a hell of an ordeal even with my wife helping. Goes without saying that my personal hygiene took a turn for the worse.

I was so scared of getting another infection that I somehow managed to stay off meds, bar strong pain relief, for the next approx 6 weeks before I succumbed and went back on mtx.

On hindsight I believe I flared so badly because my body was still recovering from the sepsis, which can take months rather than weeks before your back to so called normality...that's a laugh.

Only recently gone back on a low dose of immune suppressant (was just on hydroxy previously). Here's hoping!...................................

[lovemydoggy in reply to wishbone]

OMG that's a cautionary tale. So sorry.youve had to go through so much. I'm hoping for you!

[wishbone in reply to lovemydoggy]

Thanks LMD,

Obviously any of us on RA meds need to be wary of infections, but I'm at more risk than most because I have another health condition which makes me prone to infections.

[lovemydoggy in reply to wishbone]

That must be really difficult. I'm sorry to hear that.

[wishbone in reply to lovemydoggy]

It's had its moments.

[hawker955]

Yes, I think it is likely to be quite common. In your RA-joints you have inflammatory cells that are likely inactive most of the time but chemical triggers in the blood can wake them up. These triggers can come from other active inflammatory sites in the body eg an inflamed nose or throat wth a cold etc. ,etc. The dormant cells in your joints think they are waiting for infectious agents to arrive but when triggered they start the inflammation up in your joints again for no good reason. Hence inflammation elsewhere sends chemical messages to elsewhere in the boy which normally is a helpful defence part of our system but nature didn't consider our pain when the sequence evolved!