Oh god now I'm really scared!!!

[Treesha]

Sorry I havn't been on here for a while but we've had a bereavement and the gentleman in question was on MTX. The coroner said cause of death was pneumonia but isn't that the same as inflammation of the lungs? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Hope everyone has a better year to come. Xxxx

[sylvi]

I'm sorry to hear of your friends death. I have pneumonia at the moment. I'm on my second course of antibiotics and as yet i don't feel a lot better. As soon as i get on my feet and start to move about i find that i can hardly breathe and its hard work just going to the toiletl I haven't had mtx for two weeks now and i don't know if i'm going to be able to have next weeks injection yet,depends on how i am when i finish this course of tablets.

You don't say whether your friend was a smoker or his age so i can't tell you whether the mtx has any effect on him. I don't think it could,but what happens to one person doesn't have to happen to another person. I'm a great believer that when your time is up there is nothing you can do to stop it.

Treesha try not to think that it could happen to you,it probally won't. One piece of advice i will give you is you die if you worry and you die if you don't so live for the moment and enjoy what you've got.

Sylvi.xx

[Treesha]

Ah bless you sylvi I have been out of my mind with worry. Joe was in his 70's and a life long smoker so I am totally different. I am just shocked because he didn't have any signs of being ill, his breathing was fine, he didn't have a cough. The only thinghe had was a flush to his cheeks and then the next day he was gone! You're absolutely right I too believe when your timesup there's nothing anyone can do about it, I think I just freaked out for a moment. Thanks you have brought me back to my senses. Hope your antibiotics work this time and you're soon back to normal. Hugs xxxx

[helixhelix]

Hi there,

You're right that pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs - but it's an infection so not a side effect of MTX. Most pneumonia's in young'ish reasonably healthy people are bacterial and respond well to antibiotics so are usually not dreadfully serious. Even if you're on MTX when getting pneumonia is more serious as you might have a weakened immune system it is normally treatable fairly easily (I've had pneumonia twice and am not that young or that healthy). But viral pneumonias, and infections in older people who are already frail can be difficult to treat. It can be listed as a cause of death even if the person in question has lots of other things wrong that contributed to them dying, as the pneumonia was the most recent thing that was affecting them and overwhelmed them. So do try not to worry, although you must be feeling low from losing someone anyway. Polly

[Treesha]

Thanks Polly, yes unfortunately our xmas mood soon fell flat. Joe was taken to hospital with " a seasonal virus" he was admitted becuse they coudnt stabilise his temperature and then 3hrs later he died! Yes it must have been a viral infection. Take care and have a good new year xxx

[cathie]

So sorry to hear about your loss. But this is mainly to reassure you. I've been on mtx for almost ten years now and am still alive! You can actually get a vaccine against a form of pneumonia, so like flu, its a good idea to get that. Although it won't give you 100% immunity it will help your resistance. But the biggest thing is to generally take care of yourself and make sure that you go to the GP with anything unusual that concerns you.

I had a similar reaction to you when a dear friend also with RA, also on mtx, had a scan on a lump and discovered a nasty liver cancer and died about three months later. I was called in for a scan a couple of weeks ago, but all they found was a gallstone! I try to look at the situation and think that the various tests they do on us means that we must be a really well monitored group of people. That has to be a glass half full aspect.

Keep well, and try not to worry,

Cathie XX

[Treesha]

Thanks cathie, yes we are well monitored aren't we? I think when someone dies its a natural response to want to know what the circumstances were and we compare ourselves to those who have passed. Like I said to sylvi it was sudden and unexpected so were all still reeling and looking for answers. Xx

[julieporter]

Sorry for your loss

I've had pnuemonia while being on MTX and was admitted to hospital fairly quickly.The advice is if you think you have a chest infection while on MTX get to a doctor ASAP for antibiotics.I had left it for a couple of days because i didn't feel to bad - big mistake and not one that i will repeat!

Take care

Julie xx

[Treesha]

Thanks Jule, I'm glad your clear of pneumonia now. Any sign of of trouble and I am going straight to gp which is something I will have to get used to. Because I usually self medicate and avoid gp like the plague! Take care xxxx

[allanah]

Sorry about your loss treesha. I think you have been very brave to talk about your worries. I worry about side effects of panadol never mind rheumy drugs, but if they will help me then I accept that I need to take them and go to see the gp if I feel unwell. Also like you I find this site helpful when I'm worried! I was worried as my dad had ra and then got heart problems so as soon as I got ra I got a healthy heart check, and made my kids get one!!! We were all fine and yes they all thought me overprotective but it put my mind at rest! Hope you manage to have a good new year, take care xxx

[Treesha]

Thanks Allanah, I do dislike taking meds but I cannot go back to being the way I was earlier in the year. I'm very glad of all the blood tests to keep a check on us though. I'm still new to MTX so I'm sure I will get used to the idea of taking drugs long term. Take care and happy new year! Xx

[Hidden]

Yes as Cathie rightly says you can be vaccinated against pneumonia, and any one on mtx should be I was!,

Imflammation of the lungs is called pneumonitis ( "itis" is the medical word stem for inflammation) it is different from pneumonia which is a bacterial infection

pneumonitis is a rare but potentially serious side effect of methotrexate causing extreme shortness of breath.