Has anyone developed a blood disorder since their diagnosis with RA?

[Ellenkay]

Hi - I am new to this site and wonder if anyone has developed any sort of blood disorder alongside their RA? I'm rather feeling on my own here : ( !! Would be great to have any information from anybody else.

I am sero-negative and MTX, Sulphasalazine, Plaquenil, steroids and NSAIDs are all off the menu now!

Thank you.

[hamble99b]

I don't have this Ellenkay, but I'm sure someone will be on later today.

welcome to the site.

sandra.

[Ellenkay in reply to hamble99b]

Thank you Sandra x

[Hidden]

what if you dont mind is your blood disorder? it may be meds related not ra related??

[Ellenkay in reply to Hidden]

H Summer,

It is an acquired platelet function disorder and the meds made it worse (much worse!!). I did not appear to have it before my first huge RA/inflammatory arthritis flare. It is classed as a rare disorder and there are approx 1,000 people with it in the UK.

Thanks for your question. x

[oldtimer]

I had a problem six years ago when apparently my bone marrow stopped working. They could not find any cause apart from the RA,after loads of investigations. There are lots of other things I haven't got! So I had big doses of steroids for a while (40mg daily) and this fortunately worked and my Hb came up from 6 to 9. The haematologists seemed completely thrown by the condition, but the rheumatologist just took it in his stride as "just another manifestation of the auto-immune process".

Since then I've reduced the steroids gradually. Unfortunately every time I've got below 5mg something has happened and I've had to increase them again, but my Hb now hovers around 10-11, so that's good.

of course, the medications that we take can also affect the bone marrow and suppress it's functioning...what a state to be in!

[Ellenkay in reply to oldtimer]

Thank you Oldtimer, and wishing you well x