Possible Inflammatory Arthritis

[Breconblue]

I have a phone app at lunchtime ( Rheum) following in from a very unsatisfactory face app 6 weeks ago. Nothing was mentioned about Inflammatory A until I saw it as a ? In a copy of letter to GP, when he instructed him to start Methotrexate and taper my Pred by 1mg every 2 weeks ( I was on 8 at the time ) . I saw GP who asked ( rightly) why Rheum didn’t start it himself and no back up as to why after 2 years and different ( PMR) diagnosis from another hospital he thought it wasn’t PMR. The only thing he has is that I also get hand pain he said that’s not pmr.

The other fly in the ointment is I have had embedded UTI for 2 years , so recently had 2 week course Cephalexin . I felt my joint muscle pain was far worse so stopped it , I do think it has improved. The GP won’t have it that my UTIs are somehow connected .. I want to ask the Rheum today why I would stop Pred and go on what I think is a more toxic drug ( is it ?) on very little evidence but I know he won’t be bothered and just want to end the call . He was bad enough face to face ! All my blood results have been normal

[SnazzyD]

I don’t envy you. Starting Metho with a chronic UTI would concern me especially as it sounds from your description that the doc is just giving it a whirl rather than a considered decision from a learned position.

You said in your previous post that you don’t think it’s joints. Just a thought, could you have tendonitis? I’ve had this on lower doses, it’s improving now spontaneously , but it’s been flippin painful. I got it in wrists, fingers and just below the elbow, plus Achilles. Might be worth reading this about De Quervains, the wrist one which has a simple test, but as I said, just a thought.

health.harvard.edu/diseases...

[jinasc]

UTI, try this........1 teaspoonful of bi-cardonate of soda in as little water as possible.......repeat about two hours later............see if it eases, if it does, repeat next day. Old wives recipe and it seems to work. However if you have had the UTI constantly you need an appointment with a Rheumatologist.

If you have been diagnosed with LORA (Late Onset Rheumatoid Arthritis), then I can understand the Metho (it is, so I have been told by a Rheumy Nurse who was a Patron of the Charity) it is the gold standard treatment for RA. However you can have both and you take the pred and metho and the GP should explain how. You also need Folic Acid when you take Metho (helps hair not to thin).

I would ask the question and if the Rheumy won't answer.............find another one...........your GP sounds OK. So leave a message and talk to him or book a double appt (preferably the last one in the day). You need to be sure exactly what is going on.

[Smokygirl in reply to jinasc]

The bi - carb always worked for me too!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Personally I wouldn't accept that - not without the rheumy discussing it with me first at least.

However, with an embedded UTI you would have to have VERY good reasoning to get me to start mtx. Who are you under for that? Have you ever tried D-mannose for the UTI? It flushes the bacteria in an embedded UTI out of their hiding places so the abx can get at them.

Hand pain isn't part of PMR? I think perhaps they need to speak to a large number of people on the forums, including me. Hand (and foot) pain was a very clear part of PMR for me - and while my PMR doesn't want to go away, it does not appear to have anything to suggest it is an inflammatory arthritis despite the original rheumy wanting it to be one even though every test he did came back negative! I do wish why so many think PMR is beneath their dignity? It was good enough for another hospital wasn't it?