Re: Semi-panicked mom

February 7, 2008

I hope you have gotten a call back from her rheumy by now. Sounds to

me like she needs a strong antibiotic and to temporarily stop use of

MTX. You want to do the best for her so wait for the doctor or call

again.

>

> Hi All-

> I am almost panicked here. My daughter has RA and is taking

> Methatraxate, Placquinil, Celebrex and a couple pain meds. The

> problem is that she has a flu bug that's going around our area.

She

> called her internal med doctor yesterday and he prescribed an

> antibiotic that the pharmacist (bless her heart) wouldn't fill

> without her rummy's ok as she said it was very strong and really

> shouldn't be given with the Methatraxate. She called her rummy

> today but got voice mail and he never returned her call. I was

just

> over to check on her and she looks horrible. Can't keep anything

> down this afternoon, has congestion in her chest, temp of 100.3 and

> looks like someone gave her two black eyes. Has anyone on this med

> cocktail gotten a flu bug? And what did you do for it? To top

> things off her teen age son was in a minor car accident so I took

> him to urgent care at her request and they wouldn't be able to see

> him for 4 hours, so took him home. There goes the idea of taking

> her to urgent care, besides the place was full of sick people

> (assuming the same bug or similar that she has). Is it safe for me

> to wait out the night or should I get her and take her to ER in

> another town? Any advice would be most appreciated.

> Thank you,

> Vicki

>

February 7, 2008

Hi Vicki!

I caught bronchitis and had it for three months and

then caught an upper respiratory infection a few weeks

later after getting rid of the bronchitis. I take

Plaquenil and Sulfasalazine. I could still take my

Plaquenil but not the Sulfasalazine since that is

considered an immunosuppressant and could prolong my

infection. As if I didn't have it long enough! They

were worried about mine turning into pneumonia. The

third time they gave me an antibiotic was when I had

the URI and it helped to not turn the bacteria into

pneumonia. It was a dual purpose antibiotic. I had

the flu 2 weeks ago with a 101.5 temp and just forced

fluids and this week I am pretty tired but other than

that doing much better! I hope your daughter gets

feeling better soon!!

--- willowspirit26 <willowspirit26@...> wrote:

> Hi All-

> I am almost panicked here. My daughter has RA and

> is taking

> Methatraxate, Placquinil, Celebrex and a couple pain

> meds. The

> problem is that she has a flu bug that's going

> around our area. She

> called her internal med doctor yesterday and he

> prescribed an

> antibiotic that the pharmacist (bless her heart)

> wouldn't fill

> without her rummy's ok as she said it was very

> strong and really

> shouldn't be given with the Methatraxate. She

> called her rummy

> today but got voice mail and he never returned her

> call. I was just

> over to check on her and she looks horrible. Can't

> keep anything

> down this afternoon, has congestion in her chest,

> temp of 100.3 and

> looks like someone gave her two black eyes. Has

> anyone on this med

> cocktail gotten a flu bug? And what did you do for

> it? To top

> things off her teen age son was in a minor car

> accident so I took

> him to urgent care at her request and they wouldn't

> be able to see

> him for 4 hours, so took him home. There goes the

> idea of taking

> her to urgent care, besides the place was full of

> sick people

> (assuming the same bug or similar that she has). Is

> it safe for me

> to wait out the night or should I get her and take

> her to ER in

> another town? Any advice would be most appreciated.

> Thank you,

> Vicki

>

________________________________________________________________________________\

____

Never miss a thing. Make your home page.

http://www./r/hs

February 7, 2008

HI VICKI,MY NAME IS MELYNDA I TO HAVE RA.YES IF YOU BCOME SICK WITH A COLD OR

THE FLU,! IT IS BEST TO STOP THE METHROTREXATE BCUZ U CAN BCOME REAL SICK!VICKI

JUST B THE BEST MOM U CAN B & DONT WORRY TO MUCH.IF U FEEL U SHOULD TAKE YOUR

DAUGHTER TO THE E.R. THEN DO WHAT YOUR HEART TELLS U TO,MY MOM DID!!! GOOD LUCK &

MAY GOD BLESS U & YOUR FAMILY.MELYNDAMAPGAMEZ@...

stephanie <stephieann2@...> wrote: Hi Vicki!

I caught bronchitis and had it for three months and

then caught an upper respiratory infection a few weeks

later after getting rid of the bronchitis. I take

Plaquenil and Sulfasalazine. I could still take my

Plaquenil but not the Sulfasalazine since that is

considered an immunosuppressant and could prolong my

infection. As if I didn't have it long enough! They

were worried about mine turning into pneumonia. The

third time they gave me an antibiotic was when I had

the URI and it helped to not turn the bacteria into

pneumonia. It was a dual purpose antibiotic. I had

the flu 2 weeks ago with a 101.5 temp and just forced

fluids and this week I am pretty tired but other than

that doing much better! I hope your daughter gets

feeling better soon!!

--- willowspirit26 <willowspirit26@...> wrote:

> Hi All-

> I am almost panicked here. My daughter has RA and

> is taking

> Methatraxate, Placquinil, Celebrex and a couple pain

> meds. The

> problem is that she has a flu bug that's going

> around our area. She

> called her internal med doctor yesterday and he

> prescribed an

> antibiotic that the pharmacist (bless her heart)

> wouldn't fill

> without her rummy's ok as she said it was very

> strong and really

> shouldn't be given with the Methatraxate. She

> called her rummy

> today but got voice mail and he never returned her

> call. I was just

> over to check on her and she looks horrible. Can't

> keep anything

> down this afternoon, has congestion in her chest,

> temp of 100.3 and

> looks like someone gave her two black eyes. Has

> anyone on this med

> cocktail gotten a flu bug? And what did you do for

> it? To top

> things off her teen age son was in a minor car

> accident so I took

> him to urgent care at her request and they wouldn't

> be able to see

> him for 4 hours, so took him home. There goes the

> idea of taking

> her to urgent care, besides the place was full of

> sick people

> (assuming the same bug or similar that she has). Is

> it safe for me

> to wait out the night or should I get her and take

> her to ER in

> another town? Any advice would be most appreciated.

> Thank you,

> Vicki

>

__________________________________________________________

Never miss a thing. Make your home page.

http://www./r/hs

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

Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Search.

February 7, 2008

Hi Vicki

My daughter is getting over the flu she was so ill I was afraid she would

have to be hospitalized, Her temp at the high was 103.6. When she went to

the Dr he told her that she has what they all do the " FLU " she was also

nauseous and dizzy. It has been 5 days and she is still weak but feeling a

bit better. She was give several meds and was told to expect the cough to

last 4-6 weeks. If your Daughter is on MTX she should go off it until she is

well. Well she needs to check with her Dr but I know when I got an upper

resp infection I was taken off the MTX as well as the Enbrle until it was

all cleared up.I understand where you are coming from, my dtr lives in

Dallas and I am in NJ.I wanted to be there for her but I couldn't I just

wanted you to know that it will get better it just takes several days.

Heidi m

On Feb 7, 2008 2:13 PM, Pedro Gamez <mapgamez@...> wrote:

> HI VICKI,MY NAME IS MELYNDA I TO HAVE RA.YES IF YOU BCOME SICK WITH A

> COLD OR THE FLU,! IT IS BEST TO STOP THE METHROTREXATE BCUZ U CAN BCOME REAL

> SICK!VICKI JUST B THE BEST MOM U CAN B & DONT WORRY TO MUCH.IF U FEEL U

> SHOULD TAKE YOUR DAUGHTER TO THE E.R. THEN DO WHAT YOUR HEART TELLS U

> TO,MY MOM DID!!! GOOD LUCK & MAY GOD BLESS U & YOUR

> FAMILY.MELYNDAMAPGAMEZ@... <FAMILY.MELYNDAMAPGAMEZ%40.COM>

> stephanie <stephieann2@... <stephieann2%40>> wrote: Hi

> Vicki!

>

> I caught bronchitis and had it for three months and

> then caught an upper respiratory infection a few weeks

> later after getting rid of the bronchitis. I take

> Plaquenil and Sulfasalazine. I could still take my

> Plaquenil but not the Sulfasalazine since that is

> considered an immunosuppressant and could prolong my

> infection. As if I didn't have it long enough! They

> were worried about mine turning into pneumonia. The

> third time they gave me an antibiotic was when I had

> the URI and it helped to not turn the bacteria into

> pneumonia. It was a dual purpose antibiotic. I had

> the flu 2 weeks ago with a 101.5 temp and just forced

> fluids and this week I am pretty tired but other than

> that doing much better! I hope your daughter gets

> feeling better soon!!

> --- willowspirit26 <willowspirit26@... <willowspirit26%40>>

> wrote:

>

> > Hi All-

> > I am almost panicked here. My daughter has RA and

> > is taking

> > Methatraxate, Placquinil, Celebrex and a couple pain

> > meds. The

> > problem is that she has a flu bug that's going

> > around our area. She

> > called her internal med doctor yesterday and he

> > prescribed an

> > antibiotic that the pharmacist (bless her heart)

> > wouldn't fill

> > without her rummy's ok as she said it was very

> > strong and really

> > shouldn't be given with the Methatraxate. She

> > called her rummy

> > today but got voice mail and he never returned her

> > call. I was just

> > over to check on her and she looks horrible. Can't

> > keep anything

> > down this afternoon, has congestion in her chest,

> > temp of 100.3 and

> > looks like someone gave her two black eyes. Has

> > anyone on this med

> > cocktail gotten a flu bug? And what did you do for

> > it? To top

> > things off her teen age son was in a minor car

> > accident so I took

> > him to urgent care at her request and they wouldn't

> > be able to see

> > him for 4 hours, so took him home. There goes the

> > idea of taking

> > her to urgent care, besides the place was full of

> > sick people

> > (assuming the same bug or similar that she has). Is

> > it safe for me

> > to wait out the night or should I get her and take

> > her to ER in

> > another town? Any advice would be most appreciated.

> > Thank you,

> > Vicki

> >

>

> __________________________________________________________

> Never miss a thing. Make your home page.

> http://www./r/hs

>

> ---------------------------------

> Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Search.

>

February 10, 2008

Thanks for your replies. Finally got in touch with her RA doc's

office. He's on vacation for a month. His stand-in told her not to

stop the Methatraxate and not to take antibiotics but would not see

her. Her internal med doc was on vacation too and I guess it was

his stand-in that prescribed the antibiotics, not once but twice, he

would not see her either. Sometimes you just have to love these

doctors.

She is better now, the fever and cough have been gone for two days

but she's still weak and still having some tummy troubles. However,

she took her " cocktail " today so we will see what happens. She

finally did get into a new GP doctor to get a slip so she could go

back to work this week (she's the only one in the office that can do

her job this week as the others are all working out of state this

week doing an install). He told her not to take any antibiotics

because it was a viral infection that's running rampant around here

and the antibiotics wouldn't help. So we shall see what the next

week brings.... Wish her luck! (As an added " bonus " , her oldest son

was in a car accident on Wednesday, fortunately not seriously hurt,

the fun just never ends).

Thanks again,

Vicki

February 10, 2008

I have been in Methotrexate and any time I had an infection or virus

I was told to STOP the methotrexate immediately and wait until I was

over the bug to restart MTX.

I do remember a time when my rheummy ignored me when I said I had a

bad cough that would NOT go away. It got pregressive worst to the

point I could not sleep. I was having problems even trying to talk or

even eat for all the coughing. I finally gave up on trying to get my

rheummy to listen to me after weeks of this coughing. I was sleeping

sitting up and nothing was stopping the coughing. My chest and body

hurt soo bad...I was actually bruised from all the coughing and I had

ruptured blood vessels in my throat from the coughing.

I went to see my internist. He was abosolutely LIVID at my condition

and the fact that my rhuemmy had ignored my coughing. I had drug

induced pneumonitis. My immune system was sooooo low I could I have

died should I have caught anything. I stopped the MTX immediately and

it took WEEKS for my lungs and the rest of my body to heal. I was

immediately put on medical leave from my job so I could heal. I was

working 8-10 hrs a day sometimes 7 days a week during this time.

So I would be very careful with the advice you are given and if you

feel you should really stop I would stop!

In the end my rhemmmy apologized...stated he though I just had a

little allergy cough and that was it...did not know I was that sick.

His nurse did not communicate with him...which was crap...cause I

drove there and spoke with her in person. I fired that doc.

My lungs did healed and I got better. I was lucky I do not have any

permenent damage to my lungs.