beta blockers: boosters etc

[TheBoys]

Having just been discharged from hospital after a collapse due to suspected clot am all ok touch wood. But one thing I picked up on was the effect of medication.

The beta blocker bisaprolol I ve been taking seems to have done the job of getting my blood pressure and cardio issues back to normal but interestingly - no pain at all from my RA even my left knee which always has residual stiffness/pain is feeling good and issue free.

Has anyone else ever felt a positive difference like this in their RA due to treatment for another issue? Unless it’s just the body reacts when facing real challenge. The way RA works is quite a challenge.

As a background I d had a flare after the spring booster but this was infinitely worse following my autumn booster . Though my d-dimer levels were elevated there was no trace of a clot and all the issues that put me in hospital have resolved. I ve done a NHS Yellow Card report of course that’s all just circumstancial I guess.

[Hidden]

it’s funny you should say that because a similar thing happened to me. In May I had Covid & was given antivirals. Within a day of taking then I felt better than I had for years & was walking around the house with no pain. As soon as they were discontinued the pain came back again.

[Runrig01]

I don’t have RA but AS. A few year ago I was convinced my biologic had stopped working, my pain and stiffness were getting unbearable. My rheumatologist did an mri that didn’t show significant active inflammation to warrant a change, so told me to continue. I also had shortness of breath and getting exhausted much more easily. He wasn’t interested, but my gp did HRCT and referred me to respiratory. It turned out I had both heart and lung issues secondary to the AS. Once they started treatment for these, my AS calmed down again. 2yrs on I’m still on that biologic

[Plumcrumble]

i don't know if this counts, but a few years ago I started to try omega oils to see if it would help the RA but after a few days it made me violently sick, but I felt wonderful no pain at all for about a week,still don't know why but maybe a empty stomach helps us, right that's it, everyone stop eating 😁

Best wishes Sarah

[TheBoys in reply to Plumcrumble]

that’s probably not a bad basic point to be fair. I didn’t eat for 30 hrs apart from sips of water and a tea so there was no food left in the gut. They always say that occasional fasting does no harm to overall health!

[Sheila_G]

I think it is difficult to know if meds for other conditions help but I suppose it is possible. I wouldn't advise stopping any med prescribed by your GP to find out. Always discuss medical conditions and medications with your GP or Pharmacist.

[TheBoys in reply to Sheila_G]

yep - having a face to face with my GP today to run through my meds and see what he thinks.

If only I was 21 again and never needed to worry about meds !

[nomoreheels]

I'm sorry you've had a scare Paul, though pleased the reason wasn't as it was thought & you're now home.

If I’m understanding you correctly then yes, bisoprolol can also have the effect of calming inflammation. My h is prescribed Cardicor & it had the same effect on his inflammatory levels. Another one of his heart meds is valsartan, this also has anti inflammatory effects.

[TheBoys in reply to nomoreheels]

thanks for that. I’m feeling better today being at home but it is really interesting seeing another drug impact on the RA / though as someone reminded me - maybe my overactive immune system finally had something real to deal with and stopped attacking my otherwise happy joints.

[nomoreheels in reply to TheBoys]

I know the feeling. Only yesterday I had an afternoon in hospital but with the previous day's fasting & unable to have milk in tea or coffee the tea & Biscoffs I was given after the procedure tasted wonderful! It was piping hot too!

Could be something in your fight or flight mechanism (adrenaline) working on your RD, in a similar way to a good dose of steroids? I'd have to read up on that to be sure. 🤔

[TheBoys in reply to nomoreheels]

I ll be doing a bit of reading up on that for sure. Interestingly my partner had a knee injury and the pain eased whilst I was in hospital now it’s back! The body is definitely clever.

[nomoreheels in reply to TheBoys]

Isn't it just?! Dumfounds the heck out of me.

[Green230461]

weirdly if I am unwell with something else my RA behaves. I think my body is too busy fighting something else. Get better soon 💐

[TheBoys in reply to Green230461]

tnx for that - paul

[oldtimer2]

I have wondered in the past if sometimes the increased amount of steroids that we produce when stressed by another infection makes the Rheumatoid Disease less?

But sometimes I have found that I have a flare after the infection has settled down again.

[TheBoys in reply to oldtimer2]

it seems that most of us have had similar experiences then; to cap it all, my uncle tells me his RA disappeared for months following a recent spleen operation.

[Leics]

It always amazes me that sometimes pregnant women go into spontaneous remission 🤷‍♀️ I’m too old for babies now and wouldn’t want to go through another pregnancy either (was very sick for just about the whole 9 months - twice). In those instances definitely think it’s a hormone thing. My RA doesn’t seem to behave whatever’s thrown at it it just sets itself off whenever and for however long it likes. No rhyme or reason for it but definitely hope you get lots of respite after being so poorly. Just as a thought my husband had really bad chest pains after having the 1st covid jab and then got hives all over his body even the soles of his feet after the 2nd so it could be a reaction to vaccination he’s been told not to have Pfizer ever again and it wasn’t immediate either

[TheBoys in reply to Leics]

many thanks for that - hope your husband is ok now. Funny enough I had an acne type rash on my back and in my scalp after the Spikevaxx as well.

I think I ll just stay indoors and not go out in future lol!