RA and lung problems

[Guest guest]

Is there anyone here with Rheumatoid lung disease? After having what has been dx

as bronchitis for three weeks and still unable to breathe well on 10mg

prednisone and inhaled corticosteroids, my rheumy has ordered a CAT scan and

xray to rule out Rheumatoid lung disease. (This is after treatment with

antibiotics, two breathing treatments, an 80mg depo medrol injection followed by

20mgs of prednisone a day for four days and 10mgs for another 20 days, and three

different kinds of inhalers).

There is a question as to whether or not I have pneumonia (I was on Enbrel) as

well, but I have not had any fever at all and very little in the way of a

productive cough. I have a dry cough once in a while, a lot of wheezing and

tightness, some pain in my lungs, and once in a while I am extremely short of

breath (nearly blacking out). Even on a number of different inhalers, I am

needing my rescue inhaler 2-3 times a day after nearly three weeks of treatment.

My primary thinks I just need to ride it out at this point, but my rheumy says

if I am not breathing well on 10mgs of prednisone something is wrong. I have had

asthma in the past, but it was very, very mild and required the use of a rescue

inhaler perhaps once or twice a year.

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

~Marie