Sero negative inflammatory arthritis and COPD ?

Barbieg

i have RA and my hubby has just been diagnosed with sero negative IA. He also has COPD, does anyone else suffer from both please? I'm asking because he was prescribed Sulfasalazine( which I take successfully) and had a terrible reaction to it. He had taken 1 a day for 5 days, 2 a day for 5 days and then it should have been 3 a day for 5 days, but he only got as far as 3 a day. He had just taken them when I noticed a terrible rash all over his chest and back, he had the shakes, bad headache, fever, and his breathing really suffered. It was so frightening for both of us. The consultant saw him straight away and told him to stop it, and to try Methotrexate in a fortnights time to give his body time to recover. I've told him to give himself another week as his breathing has only just recovered to were he was at before, but he is really worried that Methotrexate will affect his lungs in the same way.Does anyone else suffer with COPD and take Methotrexate? Also, he took steroids for short periods while he was being diagnosed , which worked really well, so couldn't he just take a small dose daily of steroids instead?

Sarahd1609

I don't suffer with COPD but I had the nasty rash reaction to sulfasalazine. I was put on methotrexate but had to switch to injection form as the tablets gave me awful ulcers. Unfortunately I had to progress down the biologic route as after several dmards I'm still not sorted. I hope both you and you're hubby get some better progress on methotrexate xxxx

dibdab

That must have been really scary. I have RA and Bronchiectasis, though happily fairly mild so far. I take Sulphasalazine, plaquinel and methotrexate in combination, and whilst I have digestive troubles as a result, they don't adversely affect my chest. Has your husband got a respiratory consultant I wonder......my rheumy and my respiratory consultant communicate to keep me functioning. If he is under respiratory care maybe it's worth a call to the consultants office for advice?

I know that some folks on here have taken, or do take, steroids daily, but there are all kinds of associated side effects which are maybe not good for him, and it's useful to have them as a fall back when the chest is bad.

Perhaps in the short term it would be worth hubby chatting to the GP to ask for advice and reassurance.

Hope things settle for him soon.

Deb xx

dreamdaisy

I have asthma (not COPD) and before I began meth I had to undergo lung function tests to ensure that I would be able to cope with it - I would have thought the same would apply here, it may be worthwhile raising this with his consultant (it could also be that this will happen but no-one's told you, sometimes basic info is forgotten). I've been on sulph for years with no trouble but, alas, we all react so differently to these drugs.

I hope your husband soon feels better and I wish you both well.

Barbieg

Hubby was sent for chest X-ray over a week ago, and had blood tests . Unfortunately the consultant he is under didn't take kindly to me going in with hubby, in fact I was told not to speak, so at his emergency appointment I didn't go in with him. A big mistake as hubby doesn't listen at the best of times. He was told if the X-ray or blood tests showed anything, he would be informed. He is only under our GP practice pulmonary nurse for his COPD as so far he has been fairly well. The consultant is foreign, speaks very fast and softly which didn't help as hubby is deaf in one ear. Perhaps he can have a word with the nurse. Life is difficult at the moment, I never ever thought he would get this but it can be fun when your trying to help each other get in and out of the bath!

stickywicket

Consultants vary in their approaches but neither Mr SW nor I have ever been asked not to speak at the other's appointments though I'm always aware that this is his appointment not mine and I must keep my mouth shut unless he's actually got something important wrong. If your husband has a hearing problem I would think it would be very useful for him to have an extra pair of ears at hand even if the extra mouth is unwelcome

How is your husband now? I hope things are improving.

Barbieg

Thank you for asking, he is feeling much better, the rash has gone and his breathing is back to were it was before thank goodness. My husband is like a lot men in that he pretends things aren't happening, so it will go away, but most of all being deaf in one ear, he misses things and is too embarrassed to ask them to repeat it. I only spoke when hubby was flummoxed. The trouble is you don't get long , ten minutes I sometimes get, so every minute counts.he will have to start the methotrexate next Monday , and he was told to take the folic acid on Friday . Is this right? He is dreading it. I realise how lucky I was to start on sulfasalazine years ago with no side affects and it is still working for me.

stickywicket

Ah yes! The 'bloke factor'. Nothing worse :roll:

I wonder if his consultant is aware of his deafness. It might be that he was told once but would have long since forgotten.

Maybe you could try to impress upon your husband that some things, if missed, must be checked up on but I accept that the bloke factor is a big impediment here.

Folic acid is given to mitigate against any potential side-effects of the meth. All consultants seem to have their preferred doses and you will find people on here who take it between one and six days per week. (I've always taken it on Mondays and Fridays with my meth on Thursdays.) In 15 years I've had no problems despite my mild asthma.

I'm afraid, with all these meds, we can only suck it and see. It is bound to be a scary time for you both. I hope all goes well.