Guest guest Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 RA drugs suppress the immune system and if you have a bad infection, you want your immune system working to full capacity. I'm so sorry that happened! 29 stitches is a LOT! I hope the antibiotics take care of it quickly. ----- Original Message ----- From: pretty24355 Rheumatoid Arthritis Sent: Friday, March 25, 2005 7:17 PM Subject: Update, not so good Hi all,Been silent due to an injury. I was doing some early gardening 2 weeks ago and cut my hand on glass badly, 29 stitches. Even though I was put immediately on antibiotics, within 2 days I got a bad infection in the hand and Cellulitis set in and traveled all the way up to my elbow. I was then put on IV antibiotics and 3 forms of oral. My hand is still very swollen, no feeling on top of my hand and canjnot type or anything wih my middle fingers. It is my right hand and I am right handed. Then last week, got a bad cold and flu.Rheumy took me off of all RA meds while on antibiotics.Is this normal when on MTX, Enbrel etc?Thanks, No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.8.3 - Release Date: 03/25/2005 No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.8.3 - Release Date: 03/25/2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 ----- Original Message ----- From: pretty24355 > Rheumy took me off of all RA meds while on antibiotics.Is this normal when on MTX, Enbrel etc? Taking you off of them is normal. You can't take them if you have any kind of infection or open wound. I'm guessing they suppress the immune system too much. Nina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 Well, it;s not normal to do something that requires 29 stitches but the rest of it sounds typical. Just having RA gives our bodies something to fight already so there is less left over to fight anything else. Also the RA medicines do things to the immune system and depending on the type of infection that may be bad for healing. God bless. ----- Original Message ----- From: pretty24355 Rheumatoid Arthritis Sent: Friday, March 25, 2005 4:17 PM Subject: Update, not so good Hi all,Been silent due to an injury. I was doing some early gardening 2 weeks ago and cut my hand on glass badly, 29 stitches. Even though I was put immediately on antibiotics, within 2 days I got a bad infection in the hand and Cellulitis set in and traveled all the way up to my elbow. I was then put on IV antibiotics and 3 forms of oral. My hand is still very swollen, no feeling on top of my hand and canjnot type or anything wih my middle fingers. It is my right hand and I am right handed. Then last week, got a bad cold and flu.Rheumy took me off of all RA meds while on antibiotics.Is this normal when on MTX, Enbrel etc?Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 << > Rheumy took me off of all RA meds while on antibiotics.Is this normal when on MTX, Enbrel etc? >> I don't think it's because of the antibiotics so much as it's because of the infection you're taking the antibiotics for. Most DMARDs (and prednisone too) are immunosuppressants (why does it feel like there are too many letters there?) ... their whole purpose is to shoot down your immune system, because when it comes down to it, the pain of rheumatoid arthritis is caused by your own antibodies attacking your joints. But when you have something else such as an infection or a wound that could easily become infected, it can be dangerous to be on drugs that are preventing your body from healing itself properly. It's a toss-up between the danger of infection and the danger of stopping the RA drugs. You can't suddenly stop taking prednisone just because you've got a wound, for example. Your doctor can figure out where the happy medium is... or at least the fairly content medium. Then again, antibiotics DO interact weirdly with a lot of other drugs. For instance, you can't rely on oral birth control pills if you're taking an antibiotic. For some reason the antibiotic renders the Pill ineffective. And that isn't something you want to find out the hard way! Jenni PS: I "have" a 4lb Yorkshire terrier who feels she is actually a Pyrenees. Most days, she has me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 oh, YES, definately! you cannot take the enbrel if you have any type of infection. I keep getting sinus infections, and have to go off and then on again.... so sorry to hear about your accident! gentle hugs, Marcia --- pretty24355 <kfonseca@...> wrote: > > Hi all, > > Been silent due to an injury. I was doing some early gardening 2 > weeks ago and cut my hand on glass badly, 29 stitches. Even though > I was put immediately on antibiotics, within 2 days I got a bad > infection in the hand and Cellulitis set in and traveled all the way > up to my elbow. I was then put on IV antibiotics and 3 forms of > oral. My hand is still very swollen, no feeling on top of my hand > and canjnot type or anything wih my middle fingers. It is my right > hand and I am right handed. Then last week, got a bad cold and flu. > > Rheumy took me off of all RA meds while on antibiotics. > > Is this normal when on MTX, Enbrel etc? > > Thanks, > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 29, 2005 Report Share Posted March 29, 2005 Dear - A stray germ in the air and a compromised immune system are our worse nightmare. I have to be extra careful dealing with knives and sharp objects. Poor Angel.. My prayers are with you. My brother had cellulitis and it moved from his lip into his brain, and its a very deadly infectious spreader. Just that word strikes fear in me. Be sure to drink lots and lots of liquids, and eat yogurt and take a mega vitamin to boost your immune system, as well as echinacea. I hope you are back to feeling better soon. Hugs, Deborah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 29, 2005 Report Share Posted March 29, 2005 Oh, , sorry to hear you had such a hard time! I hope you get back to standard sooner rather than later. Love and peace yellow " History is written by the winners. The books say the Indians were bad guys and the whites just needed a little land. It's like, 'excuse me, let me take your car. I'm discovering it. I'm putting my flag on your windshield'. " Van Peebles -----Original Message----- From: pretty24355 [mailto:kfonseca@...] Sent: Friday, March 25, 2005 7:17 PM To: Rheumatoid Arthritis Subject: Update, not so good Hi all, Been silent due to an injury. I was doing some early gardening 2 weeks ago and cut my hand on glass badly, 29 stitches. Even though I was put immediately on antibiotics, within 2 days I got a bad infection in the hand and Cellulitis set in and traveled all the way up to my elbow. I was then put on IV antibiotics and 3 forms of oral. My hand is still very swollen, no feeling on top of my hand and canjnot type or anything wih my middle fingers. It is my right hand and I am right handed. Then last week, got a bad cold and flu. Rheumy took me off of all RA meds while on antibiotics. Is this normal when on MTX, Enbrel etc? Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 29, 2005 Report Share Posted March 29, 2005 A person with an autoimmune disease such as RA should NOT take echinacea. It enhances the immune system. For obvious reasons we need for our immune system to be suppressed. If we develop an infection, which often happens, we should call our doctor Please don't fool around with trying to fight the infection by boosting your immune system with echinacea because the two products will counteract each other and you could end up having a flare, or worse. Having said that -- I think echinacea is wonderful. One of my cats has a chronic upper respiratory infection which is resistant to most antibiotics. I have been giving her echinacea , off and on, for over 2 years and she has not developed an infection which required an antibiotic during that time. But then, she does not have an auto-immune disease. Just that word strikes fear in me. Be sure to drink lots and lots of liquids, and eat yogurt and take a mega vitamin to boost your immune system, as well as echinacea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 29, 2005 Report Share Posted March 29, 2005 I try to tell my friends that...when I get a cold they tell me to take echinacea. I try to explain to them that people with RA can't take it. They're like, oh it won't hurt you! Suuuuuuuuure. I've taken MTX for years...I always thought I'd get sick easily or lose hair. Seems that I'm the last one to get sick in the family and when I get my hair cut the stylist says how much hair I have. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Maggie http://www.4HockeyFans.com http://www.4FloridaHockey.com MSN: Maggies1429 AOL: Maggies85 -----Original Message-----From: Pat Berens [mailto:pberens@...]Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2005 4:35 PMRheumatoid Arthritis Subject: Re: Update, not so good A person with an autoimmune disease such as RA should NOT take echinacea. It enhances the immune system. For obvious reasons we need for our immune system to be suppressed. If we develop an infection, which often happens, we should call our doctor Please don't fool around with trying to fight the infection by boosting your immune system with echinacea because the two products will counteract each other and you could end up having a flare, or worse. Having said that -- I think echinacea is wonderful. One of my cats has a chronic upper respiratory infection which is resistant to most antibiotics. I have been giving her echinacea , off and on, for over 2 years and she has not developed an infection which required an antibiotic during that time. But then, she does not have an auto-immune disease. Just that word strikes fear in me. Be sure to drink lots and lots of liquids, and eat yogurt and take a mega vitamin to boost your immune system, as well as echinacea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 29, 2005 Report Share Posted March 29, 2005 ----- Original Message ----- From: dbargad@... > take a mega vitamin to boost your immune system, as well as echinacea. I hope you are back to feeling better soon. Hugs, Please don't take echinacea. You want your immune system suppressed, not pushed into high gear. It's already there with an autoimmune disease. Nina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Hi- I have begun to take MTX because my body is rejecting the Remicade after 5 years of using it. Basically my immune system has become smart and because its overactivity, rejecting Remicade, my RD has put me on MTX. I take 25mg a week. My infusion reaction is a bit more tolerable, and it has dampened my immune system. I lose hair, and I am severely tired. I recently contracted a sinus infection because of my low immune system, so I am OFF MTX and on antibiotic for two weeks. This is a catch22. I take MTX so I can take Remicade, and my body contracts something and I am back where I started. If you are fighting a cold or infection, building up your immune system is a good thing. As soon as the infection is gone and you are well, you have to try and neutralize it again and lower it by taking MTX along with humira or enbrel or the like. I am holding my breath, praying the come up with something my body wont reject. Deborah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 31, 2005 Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 I am confused here. I though you were required to take MTX with remicade? I thought you had to have the MTX so that the remicade would work better. Hmm..I guess different docs do things different. I took MTX pills and then went to injections...all of it was horrible. I finally stopped taking all the meds and I am fine. I wa also on Enbrel...which I started to get reactions too. I wish you well and hope that things settle down for you. Maybe its time to change to Humira or Enbrel. I know the body can get use to meds..not to mention these geneticly engineered meds with mouse proteins and such have me wondering are we just setting ourselves up for even more serious immune issues later which life threatening allergies. Toni In a message dated 3/30/2005 8:42:47 PM Central Standard Time, Rheumatoid Arthritis writes: Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2005 02:49:20 EST From: dbargad@...Subject: Re: Update, not so goodHi- I have begun to take MTX because my body is rejecting the Remicade after 5 years of using it. Basically my immune system has become smart and because its overactivity, rejecting Remicade, my RD has put me on MTX. I take 25mg a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 1, 2005 Report Share Posted April 1, 2005 Hey there, This is Steph in VA. No, you are not required to take methotrexate with Remicade, it is just advised for better results.Take care,Steph in VA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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