Question:

I just came home today from a miserable 3 day hospital adventure. My throat swelled up and looked like I had swallowed a football. The dx by my GP is extreme pharyngitis and dehydration.  My RD was out of town and my GP is eager to do whatever I tell him to do but he knows almost nothing about RA and absolutely nothing about remicade and I was lost.  We stopped MTX (actually I had stopped the week before when it first began hurting) and I continued on my standard meds (prozac, celebrex, folic acid, etc.) and it’s in between remicade treatments.  For three days we did intensive IV push antibiotics on 3 hour schedules. It hasn’t helped at all but the IV continuous fluids did solve the dehydration problem and I can swallow liquids on my own. Doc sent me home this morning and said it may take 2 weeks before I feel any better and to let him know after 2 weeks how I’m doing. My RD won’t be back until Monday.  I need input.  This is a teeny tiny town and I actually caught them twice giving me the wrong dosage of meds. I argued with one, my only argument being that my pills had blue stripes and hers had yellow stripes and I wasn’t taking her damn pills hehehe.  If I don’t tell them "Run this test" or "Do this next" it doesn’t get done here. I still feel like crap and I’m taking Cipo 1000 mg/day and doc says to start back on MTX this week. Hello????? This has me worried. — Christy "Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional." Funbugs!!!! Win cash every week playing fun games! http://www.funbug.com/fun/fb_entry?LSID=16773 SWGA Boxer Rescue  www.swgaboxerrescue.org Like to eBay? Visit my auction page! http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/christyd8/ Support and Hope for Autoimmune Diseases  http://disabilities-us.com/shad/

Response:

dangerous. When will your RD be back?  Two weeks sound like way too much time to go by.  And you are right, I would be worried starting the MTX again until you here from your RD. Did anyone ever figure out what was wrong? Duckie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I just came home today from a miserable 3 day hospital adventure. My throat swelled up and looked like I had swallowed a football. The dx by my GP is extreme pharyngitis and dehydration.  My RD was out of town and my GP is eager to do whatever I tell him to do but he knows almost nothing about RA and absolutely nothing about remicade and I was lost.  We stopped MTX (actually I had stopped the week before when it first began hurting) and I continued on my standard meds (prozac, celebrex, folic acid, etc.) and it’s in between remicade treatments.  For three days we did intensive IV push antibiotics on 3 hour schedules. It hasn’t helped at all but the IV continuous fluids did solve the dehydration problem and I can swallow liquids on my own. Doc sent me home this morning and said it may take 2 weeks before I feel any better and to let him know after 2 weeks how I’m doing. My RD won’t be back until Monday.  I need input.  This is a teeny tiny town and I actually caught them twice giving me the wrong dosage of meds. I argued with one, my only argument being that my pills had blue stripes and hers had yellow stripes and I wasn’t taking her damn pills hehehe.  If I don’t tell them "Run this test" or "Do this next" it doesn’t get done here. I still feel like crap and I’m taking Cipo 1000 mg/day and doc says to start back on MTX this week. Hello????? This has me worried. — Christy "Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional." Funbugs!!!! Win cash every week playing fun games! http://www.funbug.com/fun/fb_entry?LSID=16773 SWGA Boxer Rescue  www.swgaboxerrescue.org Like to eBay? Visit my auction page! http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/christyd8/ Support and Hope for Autoimmune Diseases  http://disabilities-us.com/shad/

Response:

My throat swelled up and looked like I had swallowed a football. The dx by my GP is extreme pharyngitis and dehydration.

Christy, Did you have any other signs of infection? After 3 days of IV antibiotics I would think you would feel at least a little improvement. I am wondering if the pharyngitis is actually inflammation from the RA, not infection. Call your RD Monday, holiday or no holiday and ask his advice about the pharyngitis and whether or not you should take the mtx. ~Krissy See my pond: http://members.aol.com/KrissyJo/ponds.html Akron, Ohio http://arthritisinsight.com Knowledge is power…support is essential.

Response:

I just came home today from a miserable 3 day hospital adventure.

Christy: If your RA isn’t acting up too badly, then I would wait before starting the mtx again. What dosage of Mtx are you on? I am thinking that probably the remicade is controlling the RA now, and that the mtx is more for the prevention of antibodies to the remicade. At any rate I think that you should see what your Rd has to say before restarting the MTX. Rose

Response:

Nothing yet. It isn’t as swollen as it was (I swear you couldn’t see my earlobes!) but it still hurts. My brilliant idea was to order pizza for dinner last night. One bite and I was back to jello.  My RD comes back tomorrow so I’ll be first in the door!  I agree with you about the MTX and I haven’t taken any more and won’t until I talk to the doc. I might flare without it but I won’t die. This was a definite eye-opener as to how unprepared I am for something to happen and how uneducated my local doctors are. Christy

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – dangerous. When will your RD be back?  Two weeks sound like way too much time to go by.  And you are right, I would be worried starting the MTX again until you here from your RD. Did anyone ever figure out what was wrong? Duckie I just came home today from a miserable 3 day hospital adventure. My throat swelled up and looked like I had swallowed a football. The dx by my GP is extreme pharyngitis and dehydration.  My RD was out of town and my GP is eager to do whatever I tell him to do but he knows almost nothing about RA and absolutely nothing about remicade and I was lost.  We stopped MTX (actually I had stopped the week before when it first began hurting) and I continued on my standard meds (prozac, celebrex, folic acid, etc.) and it’s in between remicade treatments.  For three days we did intensive IV push antibiotics on 3 hour schedules. It hasn’t helped at all but the IV continuous fluids did solve the dehydration problem and I can swallow liquids on my own. Doc sent me home this morning and said it may take 2 weeks before I feel any better and to let him know after 2 weeks how I’m doing. My RD won’t be back until Monday.  I need input.  This is a teeny tiny town and I actually caught them twice giving me the wrong dosage of meds. I argued with one, my only argument being that my pills had blue stripes and hers had yellow stripes and I wasn’t taking her damn pills hehehe.  If I don’t tell them "Run this test" or "Do this next" it doesn’t get done here. I still feel like crap and I’m taking Cipo 1000 mg/day and doc says to start back on MTX this week. Hello????? This has me worried. — Christy "Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional." Funbugs!!!! Win cash every week playing fun games! http://www.funbug.com/fun/fb_entry?LSID=16773 SWGA Boxer Rescue  www.swgaboxerrescue.org Like to eBay? Visit my auction page! http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/christyd8/ Support and Hope for Autoimmune Diseases

http://disabilities-us.com/shad/

Response:

Funny you should ask.  I kept saying there was something else because my temp was, at highest, 99.6 and usually around 97-98 this entire time.  The antibiotics are doing nothing it seems. I’m convinced whatever the swelling is would have decreased this small amount on it’s own anyway.  I was soooooo tired (sounds like a flare huh????) and they kept telling me that was the infection and fever but I didn’t have a fever.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My throat swelled up and looked like I had swallowed a football. The dx by my GP is extreme pharyngitis and dehydration. Christy, Did you have any other signs of infection? After 3 days of IV antibiotics I would think you would feel at least a little improvement. I am wondering if the pharyngitis is actually inflammation from the RA, not infection. Call your RD Monday, holiday or no holiday and ask his advice about the pharyngitis and whether or not you should take the mtx. ~Krissy See my pond: http://members.aol.com/KrissyJo/ponds.html Akron, Ohio http://arthritisinsight.com Knowledge is power…support is essential.

Response:

Yes, in the hospital I was on IV push Cipro and now on oral 1000mg/day Cipro and no change yet.  The swelling is down from when I went into the hospital but no voice and it still feels like I have a boiled egg sitting there. RD comes back at 9:30 this morning!!!!!!! Woohooooooo Thanks guys!

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – it should be likely be regarded as infective unless proven otherwise I presume you are on an antibiotic? regards drdoc www.arthritis.co.za Nothing yet. It isn’t as swollen as it was (I swear you couldn’t see my earlobes!) but it still hurts. My brilliant idea was to order pizza for dinner last night. One bite and I was back to jello.  My RD comes back tomorrow so I’ll be first in the door!  I agree with you about the MTX and I haven’t taken any more and won’t until I talk to the doc. I might flare without it but I won’t die. This was a definite eye-opener as to how unprepared I am for something to happen and how uneducated my local doctors are. Christy dangerous. When will your RD be back?  Two weeks sound like way too much time to go by.  And you are right, I would be worried starting the MTX again until you here from your RD. Did anyone ever figure out what was wrong? Duckie I just came home today from a miserable 3 day hospital adventure. My throat swelled up and looked like I had swallowed a football. The dx by my GP is extreme pharyngitis and dehydration.  My RD was out of town and my GP is eager to do whatever I tell him to do but he knows almost nothing about RA and absolutely nothing about remicade and I was lost.  We stopped MTX (actually I had stopped the week before when it first began hurting) and I continued on my standard meds (prozac, celebrex, folic acid, etc.) and it’s in between remicade treatments.  For three days we did intensive IV push antibiotics on 3 hour schedules. It hasn’t helped at all but the IV continuous fluids did solve the dehydration problem and I can swallow liquids on my own. Doc sent me home this morning and said it may take 2 weeks before I feel any better and to let him know after 2 weeks how I’m doing. My RD won’t be back until Monday.  I need input.  This is a teeny tiny town and I actually caught them twice giving me the wrong dosage of meds. I argued with one, my only argument being that my pills had blue stripes and hers had yellow stripes and I wasn’t taking her damn pills hehehe.  If I don’t tell them "Run this test" or "Do this next" it doesn’t get done here. I still feel like crap and I’m taking Cipo 1000 mg/day and doc says to start back on MTX this week. Hello????? This has me worried. — Christy "Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional." Funbugs!!!! Win cash every week playing fun games! http://www.funbug.com/fun/fb_entry?LSID=16773 SWGA Boxer Rescue  www.swgaboxerrescue.org Like to eBay? Visit my auction page! http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/christyd8/ Support and Hope for Autoimmune Diseases http://disabilities-us.com/shad/

Response:

 My RD comes back tomorrow so I’ll be first in the door!  I agree with you about the MTX and I haven’t taken any more and won’t until I talk to the doc. I might flare without it but I won’t die.

I get arthur in my throat, sometimes I think I have a sore throat but there are no other symptoms, including fever.  A couple times I tried an increase in prednisone, and it helped.  Good luck hope you get some answers. — MZ

Response:

{{{{{{christy}}}}}}} I lost my voice several times since May. RA is in my throat cartilage lots of prednisone helped. My ENT wanted to inject into my throat but I chicked out<g Belinda hang in there

Response:

it should be likely be regarded as infective unless proven otherwise I presume you are on an antibiotic? regards drdoc www.arthritis.co.za

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Nothing yet. It isn’t as swollen as it was (I swear you couldn’t see my earlobes!) but it still hurts. My brilliant idea was to order pizza for dinner last night. One bite and I was back to jello.  My RD comes back tomorrow so I’ll be first in the door!  I agree with you about the MTX and I haven’t taken any more and won’t until I talk to the doc. I might flare without it but I won’t die. This was a definite eye-opener as to how unprepared I am for something to happen and how uneducated my local doctors are. Christy dangerous. When will your RD be back?  Two weeks sound like way too much time to go by.  And you are right, I would be worried starting the MTX again until you here from your RD. Did anyone ever figure out what was wrong? Duckie I just came home today from a miserable 3 day hospital adventure. My throat swelled up and looked like I had swallowed a football. The dx by my GP is extreme pharyngitis and dehydration.  My RD was out of town and my GP is eager to do whatever I tell him to do but he knows almost nothing about RA and absolutely nothing about remicade and I was lost.  We stopped MTX (actually I had stopped the week before when it first began hurting) and I continued on my standard meds (prozac, celebrex, folic acid, etc.) and it’s in between remicade treatments.  For three days we did intensive IV push antibiotics on 3 hour schedules. It hasn’t helped at all but the IV continuous fluids did solve the dehydration problem and I can swallow liquids on my own. Doc sent me home this morning and said it may take 2 weeks before I feel any better and to let him know after 2 weeks how I’m doing. My RD won’t be back until Monday.  I need input.  This is a teeny tiny town and I actually caught them twice giving me the wrong dosage of meds. I argued with one, my only argument being that my pills had blue stripes and hers had yellow stripes and I wasn’t taking her damn pills hehehe.  If I don’t tell them "Run this test" or "Do this next" it doesn’t get done here. I still feel like crap and I’m taking Cipo 1000 mg/day and doc says to start back on MTX this week. Hello????? This has me worried. — Christy "Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional." Funbugs!!!! Win cash every week playing fun games! http://www.funbug.com/fun/fb_entry?LSID=16773 SWGA Boxer Rescue  www.swgaboxerrescue.org Like to eBay? Visit my auction page! http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/christyd8/ Support and Hope for Autoimmune Diseases http://disabilities-us.com/shad/

Response:

I’m with Krissy.  Sounds like your RA to me.  CALL THAT DOCTOR! Char "Remember, I’m pulling for ya’.  We’re all in this together."  Red Green

Response:

I just came home today from a miserable 3 day hospital adventure. My throat swelled up and looked like I had swallowed a football. The dx by my GP is extreme pharyngitis and dehydration.  My RD was out of town and my GP is eager to do whatever I tell him to do but he knows almost nothing about RA and absolutely nothing about remicade and I was lost.  We stopped MTX (actually I had stopped the week before when it first began hurting) and I continued on my standard meds (prozac, celebrex, folic acid, etc.) and it’s in between remicade treatments.

This thread reminds me how much I owe all you guys.  Doctors aren’t always good about telling us stuff (and we aren’t all great at really listening.) I had a nuisance cough before Christmas that turned into a whopping case of bronchitis Christmas Eve.  And I suspect that the Saturday dose of MTX before that gave it the push it needed to get going.  None of my REAL doctors are available but at least I’m reminded on the group that the MTX waits till they get back and say OK before I take any more of it. It was funny, as soon as the infection got really going, my hands stopped hurting.  I couldn’t take the antibiotic I had on hand (Bactrim – pre MTX supply) so waited till the morning after Christmas to get in to the on call Doc for something else.  And I’m thinking that this is a cool autoimmune response, that my body is fighting the infection and leaving itself alone right?  Took a few days for it to dawn on me that maybe it was the 60mgs of prednisone I took so I’d keep breathing!  (I have chronic asthma and always start 20MG a day if there is unusual breathing difficulty) It hasn’t been a fun week but at least we got thru Christmas before everybody got sick (Husband, SIL and grandsons came down with the same thing).  And we are all on the mend now. — Jo Firey

Response:

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