Breathlessness: What happened next............

Hi all,

Thought maybe you might like to know what happened yesterday at the hospital, after developing breathlessness last week. Fortunately I had an appointment pre booked with the synovitis nurse (which I assume is the same as rheumy nurse).Can you believe it, the very day I'm feeling so out of breath, where is the only place to park........... the car park furthest away from the entrance to the hospital and up a hill!! If I wasn't so desperate I think I would have turned round and said stuff it! But I knew I had to persevere somehow. I managed to walk down the hill ok but was dreading the return.

Anyway, I saw the nurse who agreed that the MTX had helped enormously, but obviously wasn't agreeing with me as I had almost constant nausea as well. She went to see if the consultant would see me.......he would, but I had to go to x-ray and have a chest x-ray first. This done, I saw my consultant who couldn't have been nicer. He immediately told me to stop taking MTX. Looked at my x-ray but couldn't see anything disastrous and prescribed me prednisalone for a month which he said would knock this on the head and also keep any returning pain from appearing until he could start me on another DMARD. But he insisted we got on top of the chest first. I can't tell you how very well I was looked after there ...constant chats and reassurance, cups of tea etc. They were not happy about me climbing back up the hill to my car so they arranged for a porter to go and collect my car and park it outside the exit, whilst I was taken in a chair through to the exit. Just then the doctor came rushing up saying he'd just shown my x-ray to a respiratory chap who had seen inflammation so he'd given me a prescipton for antibiotics as well. Asked me if I'd like to come into hospital but I declined his kind offer!!

I was there from 9.30-2.45 so by the time I'd struggled into the chemist to get my meds I was knackered and had a good cry when I got home.

How sad is that?

Sorry how long winded this is , but I wanted to let you know that the treatment I received was second to none....I realize I'm lucky and some of you are not so fortunate.

All the best Carolyn x.

[bestnana]

Hope you feel better soon xx

[Hidden]

That's so good that you were seen there and then and so well looked after Carolyn - I really hope you feel much better soon. Tilda x

[sylvi]

Carolyn, I was having breathing probloems with mtx and i had three courses of antibiotics and now i'm off it until after my operation. Having said that i still have breathing problems even now and i've been off the mtx for weeks.

I'm pleased that the staff looked after you well and it was kind of them to go and get your car for you.

I hope you soon start to feel better.

Sylvi.xx

[Hidden]

Thanks for your good wishes. Today I'm actually feeling no worse but a bit early yet for the meds to have kicked in. Just had a call from my consultant to enquire how I was which I thought was really kind of him. You know it's strange this breathlessness is alledgedly an uncommon side effect and yet Sylvie you had the problem as have others on this site. I think you Tilda had this problem too didn't you? Yesterday at the hospital spoke to another lady whose symptoms were identical to mine...........so maybe not so uncommon eh?

Carolyn x

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Yes I did have a slight breathlessness last week and the week before when I went up a dose - also a tight chest each week 2 or 3 days after taking the 17.5mgs - but hopefully all will go back to normal when I drop back down to 15mgs this coming Tuesday. I didn't mention mine to the GP because I thought he might think I was being a bit anxious and am trying to dispel this notion! TTx

[helixhelix]

It's really cheering to read that the system can work, and that there are still lots of people who really care about their patients so thanks for telling us. I also am dead curious and always want to know what happens next, so nice that you told us the sequel.

I wonder whether the lung thing that's mentioned as a side effect in the MTX leaflets is something specific and different (too lazy to get up and fetch the leaflet to check the name of the lung thing), and it's just that people are getting chest infections because MTX supresses our immune systems so we're more vulnerable - especially given the rubbish weather we're having. And then we have to stop the MTX to give our bodies a chance to fight back?

Hope you feel loads better soon, and get your breath back!

Polly

[Treesha]

Im so glad you had such a positive experience with your rheumy appointment it does restore your faith in the system doesnt it? Hope your meds kick in soon and you keep recovering well. Take care xxx

[tiger]

Well done to your rheumy team, as a nurse it always makes me feel very sad when I read of people in pain being treated badly - gold star to them. Wendy x

[aligator]

How brilliant to know how good your care was. I hope you are continuing to feel better. I am due to see my consultant on Wednesday as I am having breathing difficulties & have been told to stop MTX. I was diagnosed with RA last May & reading these blogs makes me realise I am not alone & I am not imagining things!

Keep smiling.

Love Aligator

[Hidden]

Just to let you know that the steroids and antibiotics are kicking in now and I'm feeling much improved although still not right.

Thanks again for your best wishes. It means a lot to me.

Love

Carolynx