I know we have spoken about this before but it amazes me when we are fighting another illness our RA behaves.
I have had the flu since Monday and now have a bad chest infection. Yes I hurt all over even my teeth and hair chills/ sweats etc only just raised my head off the pillow but my joints are amazing. My ankle is always stiff and sore as are my knees but nothing since Monday. If I didn’t have the flu I could run a marathon my joints feel so good .
Why can’t we trick our immune system with a pill like an illness?
I've always felt that when we get something such as a cold or whatever it's like RD says 'oh ok now we have something' and it's as if it gets distracted from attacking things that it shouldn't...for a while anyway.
Yes, it makes sense to me, I thought the same as you , it's like the mind has something else to focus on, but we all know it will be back to remind us when the other illness has gone!
My hope and wish is that something positive may come from looking into people with long covid regarding the immune system and somehow in doing so they unlock the key to autoimmune diseases and at best find a cure or at least have a further understanding and more effective way of treating these cruel autoimmune diseases.
Hi J1707, thanks for saying that - I've felt exactly the same! it's SO weird. Been very poorly this year with my RA with meds not working; multiple chronic joint pain & debilitation. Then I had a nasty flu-type infection about 2 and a half months ago when I was about a month into my first Biologic (that didn't work) - and for about 4 days - like you - although feeling rubbish with the flu symptoms -suddenly ALL the joint pain and weakness and stiffness had gone! Quite an amazing sudden remarkable thing, like a switch being turned. I asked the rheumy nurse about it and she said something like the body is probably too busy fighting the other bug. You mention why can't we trick our immune system with a pill or something. Is that what these biologics are supposed to be attempting though? changing our immune system's response to things rather than just suppress the IS? seems there are new drugs/ biologics/ all sorts being developed along these lines for RA all the time, but the trick would be to work at all times without stopping working. In the meantime almost makes me wish for more flu!
Unfortunately the medications we are on only suppress the immune system to help stop attacking its self which means we have low immunity and more prone to infection. Can’t win .
It’s strange. Like you if I get ill my RA usually settles for a bit. However my daughter is the complete opposite, whenever she gets a cold she flares terribly. She’s got a nasty cold now and she showed me her knee last night which is very swollen.
I had COVID-19 recently was advised to stop all my RA medication, Covid wasn’t fun but my joints have been fine!
I’m full of cold atm… poorly head. I couldn’t take my Mx yesterday as I was being sick as well. Will wait til tomorrow. I think it’s like when women are pregnant, all the energy goes on making sure the child is safe. Our bodies are pretty amazing!
J1707, it amazes me too. Hope you get better soon.
Guess our immune system is too busy fighting other things to attack us. Maybe you are right we just need something else for it to deal with, that doesn't make us sick.
Except... my immune system is attacking my meds, which seems to be making them less effective... Hmm. 🤔
I thought I was going crazy because after having my flu jab and C19 jab (within fifteen hours of each another at the beginning of October) I started to find that my joints were feeling a lot better, the pain and stiffness during the night and in the morning improved and I had more energy than I've had all year. I jokingly commented to my husband that perhaps the two together make an RA cure! Reality kicked back in two weeks later and I was back to square one and felt worse than ever! My thoughts are that maybe our bodies are so busy making antibodies against the viruses that they aren't making them to attack our joints etc. Hopefully this will mean that I will have good protection against the dreaded c19. Hope you feel better soon.
That is very strange. Maybe because your immune system is on overdrive to fight the flu, it hasn't got enough fight left to attack the rest of the body as well? Now, do I wish you to get better soon?🤔
I have experienced this lots of times! when I broke my arm the RA disappeared for a while, marvellous! I now have a chest infection and RA is away. Ah, but which is worse? Take care all you out there. x
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