Advice please

shelbyD

my partner has recently been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and is taking methatrexate weekly. He has had a cold this week and although all symptoms have gone he is not eating and is very weak which isn’t like him at all. He’s also refusing to let me call 111 or the GP!! I guess I’m after some advice really. What do I need to look out for? When do I ignore him and call someone? Forgive my ignorance with all this it’s new and all the information is quite overwhelming. Any advice would be gratefully received. Thanks in advance

Arciere

Hi @shelbyD

I'm sorry to read about your situation. If it helps to read about my own experience then I’ll say that around this time last year, my friends and family were really worried about me, so they arranged a GP phone call on my behalf. They simply said, the GP will be calling you at X time.

I then had a conversation with the GP which led to other things.

The other thing that has helped is my local rheumatology advice line. You ring and leave a message for a specialist nurse to call you back. Maybe look into that at your local hospital. Nurses are usually the patients advocate and I have only positive things to say about my local team.

I hope this helps

Anna

Hello @shelbyD and welcome to the online community,

It’s very hard to care for someone who is unwell but who doesn’t want to seek medical help. Although you want to respect his wishes, it can be hard to see your partner becoming increasingly poorly and not do anything. Perhaps sharing some information with him might help him decide whether he needs to speak to a professional. Here’s some information about methotrexate that might be useful to show and discuss with him. It lists all the possible side effects including those where medical help should be sought.

https://versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/drugs/methotrexate/

@Arciere also makes some good suggestions - sometimes we have to take matters into our own hands if we know it’s for our loved one’s good.

Good Luck, and do let us know how you get on.

Anna ( Moderator)

Ellen

Hi @shelbyD I do hope your partner is feeling a bit better today? Or has accepted your advice and is having some help.

Some people are advised to leave off their methotrexate (MTX) when they have a cold or other infection by their rheumatology team.

I'm sure you are doing a really good job making sure he is drinking at least even if he still isn't eating much. Are there other family around who you can get to back you up a bit?

Best wishes

Ellen.