Stop or carry on taking meds

[mikefox]

I've posted about this before. I've tried contacting rheumy dept but nobody there now. NRAS articles help and they recommend continuing with meds but point out that many of us are at high risk. They also point out the obvious fact that abstention from meds will cause a flare. I was prepared to suffer an agonising long flare if it meant not dying because of a compromised immune system. However, I've read that a flare can result in inflammation in the lungs and that would also make us vulnerable to covid. So I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. Will carry on taking meds but very worried. I've written this post because I wanted to pass on info about lung inflammation.

[helixhelix]

Sadly uncontrolled RA can attack your heart and lungs as well as the joints. It is a systemic disease.

This is a worrying time for many people. But not all of us are extremely high risk. At your young age, if you have no other diseases and your RA is well controlled then you are probably not in this category and therefore your risk of dying even if you did get Covid would be small, and even very small.

So try not to think the worst. And look after yourself as that can really help defend yourself against the virus even if you are in a high risk group. And look after your NHS wife!

[Mmrr]

All the advice suggests it is important to keep taking your meds.

[Lolabridge]

All the advice is to continue your meds and only stop if you develop Covid19 symptoms. This has just been repeated on the NRAS webinar given by a Rheumatology doctor that I’m watching right now.

[allanah in reply to Lolabridge]

Brilliant wasnt it lolabridge , so informative

[allanah]

Nras advice is Keep taking the meds unless you actually show symptoms of covid then stop biologics and dmards steroids should be continued however . All 111 for advice xx

[lilyak]

As others have said, its extremely likely you are best off taking your meds. Unless you have other co-morbidities that make you extremely vulnerable, your medications are your friend. Do you have other complicating conditions?

Honestly, the best thing you can do for yourself, and others, is to stay isolated. That's the best way to avoid catching COVID-19. Everyone should be isolating and only going out for essential trips (food, medical). Its the way to stay safe.

Take care

Lily

[sylvi]

I have been fighting a lung infection since last November and i have only been diagnosed so it is a relief to know what is wrong with me. I am still taking my meds apart from MTX due to the antibiotics i can't take at the moment.SO my advice is keep taking your meds unless your dr/consultant/nurse tells you not to..xxx

[Mandalou]

If you were otherwise doing ok , controlled and with good blood tests stopping meds and bringing on a flare ,would not be a good thing.

My advice is to control what you can control which at the current time is your own RA status.

Just because our immune system is dampened through medication doesn’t mean we don’t have one,

Take all the usual precauctions , practice isolating as much as you can, social distancing and good personal hygiene.

Your concerns are totally understandable during this very worrying time.

Mx

[Sockknitter]

Hi Mikefox, watch the webinar about covid19 when it us posted by NRAS. I found it very informative about working out the risks and any actions we needed to take.

She said to keep taking your meds and only if you CATCH the virus to stop. The exception being steroids which you must continue taking.

She talked about people such as yourself, who live with a key worker and shared tips about how they can lessen the risk of passing the virus to you .

I would recommend listening to it when NRAS release it.

[mikefox in reply to Sockknitter]

Thanks.

[Bionic1]

If you stop your meds your immune system won't bounce back to normal overnight plus you'll be in a lot of pain then later on you'll have to start all over again to get your meds back into your system. I'm worried just like many others but it's taken a long time for me to get the stability I have now with RA.

I'm on lockdown. Stay in . Stay safe

[Fergie432]

My RA Dr. phoned me last Monday and advised me keep taking the drugs, Methotrexate. I said I was concerned as my immune system would be compromised, but was advised risking a bad flare up would require a steroid injection and that is worse than taking Methotrexate .