What are the connections between RA and pleurisy?

[Barbaraj2]

I keep getting recurrent pleurisy, they now say it's because my RA has damaged my lungs. What sort of damage could this be? I'm zero negative and on Cimzia injections also currently on high dose steroids and waiting for various scans. Help, I don't want to be hospitalized every 4 months with this.

[claireie]

I was hospitalised with the same a couple of years ago and it was only the steroids that helped, even though they pumped me full of antibiotics. I was then in again a few weeks later with pericardial effusion (not sure I've spelt that correctly). There is a sac around the lungs with fluid and the same around the heart, the RA effects that and the fluid build up around my heart, if it had been worse they would have had to drain it. My CRP was really high over 200 and they didnt let me out until it came down. A month later I was back in as they thought I had pneumonia. I thought at the time that RA only attacked the joints, but it can also attack heart and lungs.

I have mixed connective tissue disease, which is a crossover of RA, lupus and reynards. I have no reynards symptoms and mostly RA. I have had a few episodes since being in hospital and I just now call the doctor and up my steroids until it passes. I'm not saying thats what you should do in case its something more, but it has kept me out of hospital.

Talk to your doctor or rheumatologist about it. My rheumatologist turned up at the ward and told me that it was the RA causing the problems.

Good luck, I know how painful it is and I hope you get it sorted.

[Barbaraj2 in reply to claireie]

Thanks for your reply, I'm waiting for my CRP result but it looks like I'm going to be reliant on high doses of steroids like you.

[julieporter]

i've not had pleurisy but i had had pnuemonia a couple of times -and like Claire i found that steroids were more use than antibiotics.Are you on MTX ? as this can cause lung problems in some people.I was referred to a chest doctor for advice,lung scans and breathing tests which showed my lower lobe function was "low normal" so i just see the chest consultant once a year now for a review.Maybe worth asking to be referred just for a check

Take care

Julie

[Barbaraj2 in reply to julieporter]

Thank you for your reply. I was on MTX until earlier in the year, now jut on Cimzia and waiting for chest scan ordered by chest consultant.

[Hidden]

Hi,

RA has affected my lungs - 2 years ago I started having extreme breathing difficulties and found that I had rheumatoid nodules in my lungs and much increased scarring of the lung linings due to the inflammation.

I've been cared for since then by the cardio-thoracic unit and it is now well controlled on medication but I still wheeze and am very sensitive to things like aerosols, perfume etc. I was on 8Omg prednisone, then 6Omg for 8 months until other meds kicked in when it was tapered off over a number of months.

I had all kinds of x-rays, scans and biopsies before I got all the answers (so far] so you will need to wait for the results of your scan and any other diagnostic tests required. Initially there was concern about it being medication induced and I was very relieved that it wasn't fibrosis.

I'm also sero-negative.

Best wishes,

Cece x

[Barbaraj2 in reply to Hidden]

Many thanks for taking time to reply, it's helpful to gain as much info as I can. Glad you are sorted for the time being and hope you are good at present.