Can a traumatic event trigger RA?

[Guest guest]

> Yes, I believe it can. It was two weeks after the sudden death of my

> brother that I had severe pain in my wrists and a week after that I was

> diagnosed with RA.>>>

>

I would think stress would be the time when most illnesses raise their ugly

heads . I know it is in animals...stress causes vulnerability. It saps the

body's immune system and natural defenses, no?

Another aspect to consider is genetics, from what my rheumy tells me.....

Pris

[Guest guest]

I started a very stressful new job. In a couple of months, I had the

beginning of RA, which progressed for months until I finally saw my PCP who

then referred me to a Rhummatoligist. And then dx as RA.

So I would chime in yes, RA (for me, IMO) was triggered by a stress event,

situation.

Rose

----- Original Message -----

From: <momazmat@...>

> Hi All,

>

> Another " investigative " question to throw yet another spanner into the

> group

> works! ))

>

> In addition to a possible infection, there is the theory that RA may also

> be

> triggered by a traumatic event or a prolonged period of stress that puts a

> lot

> of strain on the immune system. Around the time that I got Lyme's (Labor

> day

> weekend in Cape Cod), my Mum was suddenly diagnosed with late stage,

> aggressive breast and liver cancer and passed away in only 5 short weeks.

> It was a

> horrible shock to all the family and I was devastated by her loss. I think

> the

> combination of this traumatic event in my life, while coping with an

> infection

> that was diagnosed too late to treat easily, was what triggered my RA.

>

> I was speaking with someone (not in this group) recently who said she

> could

> definitely place the start of her RA with two events - she was the victim

> of a

> vicious crime and then had a very severe chest infection.

>

> Can anyone else in the group pinpoint occurrences that may have triggered

> their RA?

>

> Peace, n

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi n,

My RA started in my last semester at college. Prior to the onset, I had an

eye infection (uvitis). Uvitis is one of 6 infections that trigger Reactive

Arthritis, which was my original dx.

Also, I've known quite a few women whose RA started after they gave birth.

Take care,

Steph in VA

Hi All,

Another " investigative " question to throw yet another spanner into the group

works! ))

Can anyone else in the group pinpoint occurrences that may have triggered their

RA?

Peace, n

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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the world -- indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. " (Margaret Mead)

AmeriCorps Alums -- We're Still Getting Things Done

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[Guest guest]

n,

I cannot pinpoint anything specific in my situation, but I know that my

doctor mentioned that possibility to me when I was first diagnosed. My

mother has MS and they told her the same thing about it. It is thought that

those who develop autoimmune disorders probably had the tendency towards

them all along and that something triggered the onset of the disease. I

know that stress in general aggravates the illnesses (not that having the

illness isn't enough stress on its own for most of us!), so it stands to

reason that prolonged illness or major stress events in our lives might be

triggering events. Whatever " triggered " my RA also triggered Fibro and

Sjrogren's within a 1 year period. I hated going to the doctor because we

always seemed to add something to my list!

Jeanine

[Guest guest]

Mine started shortly after giving birth to my son and catching chickenpox from

my

sister when she came to visit my new baby.

Joy

Hi All,

Another " investigative " question to throw yet another spanner into the group

works! ))

Can anyone else in the group pinpoint occurrences that may have triggered their

RA?

Peace, n

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" Never underestimate the power of a small, dedicated group of people to change

the world -- indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. " (Margaret Mead)

AmeriCorps Alums -- We're Still Getting Things Done

---------------------------------

Never Miss an Email

Stay connected with on your mobile. Get started!

[Guest guest]

Hi, I am sensitive to a lot of different chemicals. Like some perfumes and soaps

etc. when I get around some thing that sets me off I go into the most terrible

fog in my head and my arthritis goes crazy. Prednisone is the only thing that

brings back to earth. Any one else suffer the same?

Dawn

DeNicola- <stephdenicola@...> wrote:

Hi n,

My RA started in my last semester at college. Prior to the onset, I had an eye

infection (uvitis). Uvitis is one of 6 infections that trigger Reactive

Arthritis, which was my original dx.

Also, I've known quite a few women whose RA started after they gave birth.

Take care,

Steph in VA

Hi All,

Another " investigative " question to throw yet another spanner into the group

works! ))

Can anyone else in the group pinpoint occurrences that may have triggered their

RA?

Peace, n

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" Never underestimate the power of a small, dedicated group of people to change

the world -- indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. " (Margaret Mead)

AmeriCorps Alums -- We're Still Getting Things Done

---------------------------------

Never Miss an Email

Stay connected with on your mobile. Get started!

[Guest guest]

n, I am open to considering anything.

Hugs

June