If you have fibro with RA are you given meds for fibro as well ?

[Sensitivegal77]

Hello, I've had RA for at least a decade . Earlier this year I was taken off all my medication because I could never go more than 6 weeks without antibiotics due to infections .Turns out I had a severely infected sub mandibular gland packed with calcium stones which made it impossible to have any treatment .

I was also on prednisolone as well.

Last month 10days post op from my submandibular gland removal I saw a senior registrar who said I had fibro as well as RA but it seems I'm not going to go back on any treatment.

Now I right down on prednisolone below 5 mg and I'm in agony and very stiff not much swelling .

I'm now worried I'll be left without treatment for RA because they think it's fibro .

Is fibro treated ? If so with what ?

Thank you for reading this .

Becky .

[Sensitivegal77]

Thank you for your excellent and very informative reply Ajay575 .

I was concerned I'd just be left without anything and have to struggle on my own.

Becky :-).

[Deeb1764 in reply to Sensitivegal77]

You can have both as I do and so have RA meds which don’t touch the fibro and I take pregablin for the fibro. I also take co codamol for pain. Fibro many of us find is worse of rain and windy days too! I know if bad weather coming in by the way my body changes!

Ra you should have CPR testing done to confirm of RA present though you can be sero negative and this if I have this right takes time to show up. Fibro no testing but you can tell by hitting the trigger points or should I say touch….. that was how a Prof of Rheumatology confirmed I had both.

[Kati66 in reply to Deeb1764]

Hi Deeb and Sensitivegal

I also have both RA and Fibro. The fibro came first ten years ago and then RA joined in last year! 🙄

I’ve been on gabapentin, zapain and amiltryptaline for about five years now and they do help with the Fibro. It’s still a big impact on my life. It’s like a double whammy having RA now too and I’m currently on Leflunomide and hydroxychloroqine, which touch wood, seem to be starting to work 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻.

I’ve not heard of the submandibular gland but it sounds painful! I’ve got temporomanibular joint disorder, which is pretty horrid and it’s really affected my face. My jaw muscles look like they’ve been training with Rocky😆. Affects what I can eat too and jawing is awful.

There seems to be lots of crossover symptoms with both RA and Fibro but as Deeb said, the blood results are normally what they go on. Hope they are able to find a meds combination that help you 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 xxx

[Sensitivegal77]

Thank you for your reply Dee b , I'm sero negative RA , and as I said right down the bottom end of prednisolone after being on it for 7 years .

The pain I'm in now is right in my joints that I have RA in .

Thanks again for your helpful reply .

Becky .

[AnnieJ123]

I think many of us have fibro with RA.Looking back, I suspect I did , so did a GP when I first had RA identified when I was around 28. The rheumatology team ignored it and just dumped my symptoms under an RA umbrella, saying rheumatism as well as RA , put up with it. That excess stiffness and intense pain continued until my mid 50s. In those days treatment was less advanced, and I assumed the symptoms were RA. I am now mid 70s and the pain and stiffnes is considerably less and also different from the earlier days. There are now better diagnostics and treatments and I trust you find a good rheumatologist to get it sorted.

[Fra22-57]

if you were on Ra meds before can’t you be referred back to him.Fibro was first with me and rheumatologist diagnosed that.gp had started me on diclofenic but then gabapentin then pregabalin which I am on now.it is extremely addictive thou.I have tried amatryptiline but I didn’t get on with that n finally got so bad was hospitalised.there on steroids and still on and also diagnosed with RA and am bucket load of meds.it does need treating so to slow it down

[cyberbarn]

Did they actually formally take you through the criteria for fibro, or did they just wave a hand and declare it so?

I had a rheumy that just declared it so without checking my symptoms against the criteria, any criteria! I pointed out that I didn't have unrefreshed sleep, depression or anxiety, and I didn't meet the pain criteria either.

There is mounting evidence of the role that inflammation is playing in all pain conditions, including fibromyalgia. So it may well be that if they can get the inflammation under control again, it will solve the fibro problem too.

[Sensitivegal77]

Wow, what a lot of replies and every one is very helpful , thank you so much .It was a waving hand diagnosis. I disagreed because the pain was only in one joint I have RA in , I was going too fast down the steroids , I don't have sleep issues or muscle pain .

What I do have is a very dry mouth , very dry eyes and joint pain , recurrent chest infections , lung inflammation .

I need to phone the Rheumy helpline I think abd explain I'm under 5mg of steroids now and I'm not having fun with it.

If I do have fibro then surely I should be treated and not left without meds , it's not fair.

Other consultants like my lung one thinks I have sjogrens because of chest inflammation dry eyes etc.

I will, phone the rheumatoid nurse helpline I think and see what they suggest .

Thanks again everyone. I hope that the meds you are Al, on work and that you all feel as wel, as you can .

Becky xx