Guest guest Posted November 20, 2000 Report Share Posted November 20, 2000 About immuno-suppressants. After you take these drugs for long enough your > immune system may leave you open to infection that you would have fought off > without noticing it before. > > a) Ask your doctor if you can take a prolonged flight in commercial aircraft > without wearing a surgical mask. My Rheumy said that aircraft ventillation > systems provide clean air for only about two hours. After that you are > breathing everyone else's germs. If your immune system is compromised by > your meds you maybe should wear a surgical mask on longer flights. Get them > at a medical supply store. The paint sprayer's masks from hardware stores > are not good enough. > > I took a two hour flight without adverse reaction so my Rheumy said I could > take a 3.5 hour flight. Got through that OK, too. But my Rheumy will not > OK any longer flight like a seven hour one to Europe. She said that is still > too risky. > > Tell your dentist which immuno suppressant you are taking. If you have to > have any invasive dental work, including deep cleaning, you should ask your > doctor if you need to take an antibiotic a few hours or a few days in advance > and after seeing the dentist. > > c) Some immuno suppressants seem to thin the blood -- you bleed a lot more > than you usually would from a small wound. If you have blood drawn for lab > tests ask the technician to give you a large piece of gauze and tight tape > over it. Try to keep pressure on the spot for several minutes. I didn't > pay attention to this precaution from my doc and ended up with blood running > down my arm by the time I was ten feet from the lab door. > > d) Treat any wound with extra care. Clean it thoroughly and if it requires > a bandage, put some bacitracin, mycitracin or neosporin antibacterial > ointment on it (no more than once a day). Some of the wounds you will get > because Prednisone gives you THIN SKIN (all the fat from under the skin gets > redepositied elsewhere) will have a sort of V-shaped flap from skin that tore > and was pulled back when you bumped something -- it doesn't take a hard bump. > The skin will lay back down over the wound and heal with little scarring if > you clean it carefully and protect it from more bumping. But if it is large > enough and deep enough it can become infected easily so you have to keep an > eye on it. If you use an occlusive bandage (patch-type band aid) be sure to > change it often. My doc suggested that I use guaze and surgical tape the > first two days or so to let air in and the occlusive patch band aid after > that. That leads to a slightly more noticeable scar but less apt to lead to > infection. > > e) Ask your doctor if you need any instructions for yourself or for ER > personnel regarding the routine use of IVs. A number of list members have > reported serious infections around an IV needle. It can happen in a very > short time. If it is not attended to it can become a very serious sytemic > infection. > > f) Ask your doctor if it is OK to use a hot tub/spa and what the max > temperature should be. Patients with neuropathy should ask a neurologist if > it is OK to use a tub (my daughter has auto-immune MS and she is forbidden to > use one). Some list members report that the jets in a spa sooth their aches > and pains and others say that the water jet causes so much pain they cannot > tolerate it. If you use a spa, use it wisely and for your own best comfort. > BE SURE you do not have any large unhealed wounds when you use a spa. > > g) If you have to be in a crowded place, try to limit your time there. If > it is a big airy, well-ventilated ballroom there probably is little danger. > If it is a small, crowded place with little ventilation, there could be some > hazard per my Rheumy. Along the same vein, have your family members briefed > to stay away from you when they are sick. No hugs, etc., from that grandson > who has a cold -- remind him to leave the room if he feels he has to cough. > Any illness can be much more severe than usual when you are on > immuno-suppressants. > > h) Immunizations. My Rheumy said I should be sure to get the pneumonia > shot and the flue shot last fall. This fall she will order the flue shot (I > have heard that the flue vaccine is in VERY short supply this year so if your > doc says get a shot, do it early.) > > Other list members say that they were concerned that shots might trigger a > flare. This is something that has to be discussed with your doctor. To > shoot or not to shoot. (:-)) > > When we discussed this before we learned that some vaccines have a certain > bacteria as a carrier of the potent stuff in the vaccine. Some people have > a reaction to that bacteria -- not to the potent stuff. I no longer recall > what that vaccine base critter was but I do recall reading that there was > some effort to find something else that will work as well and not cause the > reaction that one causes in some people. > > The reaction is to trigger the wrong kind of antibodies (I call them my > " little beasties " ) that can lead to auto-immune reactions. Some of the > reactions last for a short time and then the patient is OK. For people like > us a reaction could be more significant because we already have a compromised > immune system. It may be wise to discuss this with a doctor and find out if > there is a new vaccine that does not pose such a risk. > > I had no reaction to the pneumonia shot (good for 5 years) or to the flu shot > that I got a few days later. My Rheumy often gives them both at the same > time. Other doctors prefer not to immunize patients like us. Some list > members do not get the shots because they have had adverse reactions in the > past. My doc says that if you come down with the flu two days after getting > a shot it is because you were already coming down with it before you got the > shot. I know that Ithe one time I did not get a flu shot I was sick for > three months. I also know that my first red ear occurred about six weeks > after a flu shot. Who knows what's right? > > Can't think of anything else at the moment. > > H. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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