Me, the flare up & my G.P!

bubbadog

As you may know I've been suffering from a flare up that will have been going on for a month tomorrow! I've been keeping in regular touch by phone with my G.P thoughout the flare up. She got the results of my blood test on Tuesday and called me with them, they show that my markers are as high as you can get them and she thought I would be hearing from my rhummey pretty soon, I actually got the appt letter the next morning and have an appt booked for 1st week of Sept. My G.P called me yesterday late morning saying she had sat with my notes having a chat with my Rhummey and they thought it would be benifically that while I waited for his appt and while I was suffering with this flare up to try a short,high dose of steroids so yesterday I started a 5 day course of Prednisolone to see if it would help with the pain and swelling to make a difference with the flare up. So I will notice any changes if it's making a difference by the weekend. And my G.P is going to call me on Monday to see if it has helped at all. I have already told her I will not go on Steroids for a long period of time, I'm 100% against them. So will see over the weekend if there's any change in how I feel fingers crossed I will feel a little better!!

mig

Hope this short course will help,fingers crossed.Mig

fowls48

Hi Amanda

Hope things settle soon for you ((()))xxx just to help you along the way .


karen.

valval

you have a great gp there so glad they are helping you short term should be big help good luck val

earthspirit

this sounds like good news and im interested too to see what results you get. ive had an 18 month flare and had 2 kenalog intramuscular shots and 3 weeks on sulf (made me too incapacitated) and only now take the pain stuff.

im resisting dmards & it would appear that the joint damage has not got any worse and although im in lots of pain and got swelling i am not any worse than i was at the start. i am well aware i could be treading a thin line not taking dmards, but i have done my own research , i have discussed it with the experts and that is how it is for now.

something like a 5 day coursse sounds like something i would like to try but way back at the start my doctor said she really did not want to give them to me due to "risks". i didnt particularly ask what they might be, but probably cos im older (52) quite heavy smoker, at risk from deep vein thrombosis due to highly raised platelets. do any of you know enough about steroid tabs to know if this is reason not to give me them? what would be the effect on the body?

Numptydumpty

September seems a long time to wait for an appointment, when you've already been flaring for a month! So I think you're right to try the pred, I hope it helps you.
Wishing you well,
Numpty

Susiesoo

Sorry to hear you are suffering. I hope the steroids help and things soon settle down.

Best wishes, Susie

ruby2

AW sorry about this Bubba.. I do hope the steroid course helps soon.
Perhaps by the weekend you may have perked up. If it doesn't do the trick try to get an appointment sooner to see the rheumy.

((()))

bubbadog

Thank you for your kind messages, you are a really lovely bunch of people I'm so glad I have you around! I've started to notice since yesterday the prednisolone are giving me that light headed, sleepy, drunk feeling! So nice side effect!! As for any change nothing at the moment. As for me and the Rhummey I didn't get a good vibe/bedside manner off him! Any doctor who hasn't bothered reading back notes as to understand where a patient is and what they have been through to end up in their clinic and during all the time the patient is in the room with you, you don't even look at them properly or examine them. I don't feel confident with them! And when the Doctor turns round to you and say's I don't believe you have any sort of Arthritis, I'm sending you off for x-rays, scan's and blood tests. I believe they will come back showing everything is normal so I'm going to sign you off. If by any chance they come back showing something then I will call you back to see me. I really don't want to see him after that, so I'm happy to wait to see him and when I do see him I will wheel up to his face and say 'told you so!' What annoys me the most I saw the Rhummey nurse before and after seeing Dr Rhummey 'I'm a ****' ! (had to bleep because what I think of him is extremely not lady like!!) And she pulled up my file and took my blood pressure and saw how extremely swollen I was and even said to me before seeing The doc 'you must be in a lot of pain with the Osteoporosis for someone so young'. So when I came out and saw her we had a chat again and of course I was a little upset to say the least and I told her what he said and she said after picking her jaw off the floor 'it's all here in black and white!'. So I don't feel very confident with the Rhummey I'm under!

PowerOn

ROFLMAO ****' ! (had to bleep because what I think of him is extremely not lady like!!)
Yep, sad to say I can totally agree with that feeling.
Why do medical peeps think non medical peeps are lying all the time, especially when x-rays etc show there is a problem.
I hope the attitude changes and the nurse with sense is around for future appointments.

bubbadog

Glad I'm not the only one PowerOn! If we didn't laugh we would cry! I'm lucky to have a great G.P who always stands in my corner, she wants to have a phone consultation with me on Monday to see how the Prednisolone are doing, sadly I was woken up by extreme pain in my left knee at 5.35am this morning it is very swollen. I hope these meds take a while to take effect because if they are suppose to make a difference within 24hrs (like the side effect did!) they are not helping. Another med to cross off the give it a try list.

tillytop

Hello Bubbadog - just wanted to say how sorry I am that you are strugging so much. Hope that maybe the pred is starting to help you? Maybe, if not, a higher dose is needed (unless that makes the side effects worse too). It sounds as if you had a dreadful time with the consultant but I am really pleased that your GP is fighting your corner.

Thinking of you.

Tillyxxx

fowls48

Oh Amanda


Really sorry to hear this , you are really going through the mill , it really is not fair Get over one obstacle only to have another knock you back Hope the preds kick in soon , i must admit mine took about 3 days for the pain to go away but the swelling did take a couple of weeks .Hold on there sweetheart hope the doctor can help with something else .((()))xxx

elainebadknee

Hi Bubba

Heck youre going through it at the moment arent you? Have read your later posts on here and cannot believe a rhuemmy doctor would say something like that to you, thinking you dont have arthritis!!?? I dont think I could have been ladylike to him in return as why the hell does he think youve been referred and are getting close guidance and much needed support from your GP....
The preds dont sound as if they are touching your flare do they but guess they had to try it.....They are wonderful things if they work but the thing is they can be so lovely, alleviate the symptoms that its not good for the body in any more than short term...
Im hopeing you'll update us to tell us youre getting some relief...

Hugs..

Elainex