I'm new here. I've got an issue and an introduction into my coming about into this situation. Considering the stuff I'm reading, I'm hoping to get some insight into helping with this newfound illness inside of me, but I apologize in advance for my extreme use of parenthesis. Anyways, here goes...
I'm 24 Year old male, and I've been diagnosed for about two to three months now with PA. Originally, I was started on 10mg of Methatrexate. After hunting for a way to fund this, considering I'm a full time student (8am to 3pm every weekday) and work full-time (4pm to 11pm), sometimes saturdays, I've been set up for Remicade Infusions, as well as an increase to my Methatrexate to 15mg.
Its taken me YEARS to figure out why my back always hurt, 2 MRI's that showed next to nothing, COUNTLESS x-rays, chiropractors (2), Neurologists (stabbed and zapped, that test sucked!), Dermatologists (who didn't even take samples, just wrote me prescriptions for skin cream), and about 10 different primary doctors later, I finally hit home when an Orthopedic looked at this huge collection of stuff and shot the idea out to me, and it took the Rheumatologist about 5-10 minutes to take a guess at it, and of course many MANY x-rays and vials of blood later, was for certain.
First off, I have to say, for the INSANE price, for me its worth it... Its been 6 years since I last ran, and last week I was able to run to get out of the rain... My shoulders had been out of commission for the past year and some months, unable to lift, my fingers were unaffected and can type really fast, and considering its my field if study, having them go is my biggest concern. Having to work like that required chairs with arm rests, and getting up, felt like my tail bone was falling off (or to use the phrase my bum is falling out). Co-Workers offering me a better chair, pain killers, and sympathies at work, telling me as no offense, that I seem like an old man (no offense to anyone here as well).
Now with these infusions, after phase one, I woke up two days later, for the first time in about 5 years relaxed! Every night for years, tossing and turning, stiff as a board, waking up, having to rock my body back and worth to get momentum to get up, making sounds like I'm on my deathbed, is now gone. With extremely decreased soreness, I waited two weeks for my next infusion, and from those results I couldn't wait, given the life that was being taken from me getting no where over so much time, it was worth the risk to me. Now since phase two, I've got back 95-99% of my total body functions, with total loss of random back pains, shoulder weakness, etc. Unfortunately I can tell its about time for another one (Was supposed to have one today) because I'm starting to get sore, and can't do the things I've been doing for much less an hour without starting to ache to a level of bad discomfort. I need to do some physical therapy with my shoulders since Its been so long i used them their weak, muscularly but otherwise, work just fine.
HOWEVER... I've had this annoying cold for a month now... I'm on 2 vials (however much that dosage is) of Remicade, and take one Benedryl and some Tylenol during the infusion to combat side-effects since I have no ride home (the bene knocks me for a loop or they'd give me two). No side effects while getting the infusion so far. However, I've got this really annoying cold... There was one going around at the time of my second infusion, and thats around when I had caught it. I've taken some random Tylenol severe sinus (caplets), Tylenol severe cold (the orange fluid), and I've even got some nifty Vicks scented tissues, But no luck. After some random chest pains, heeding the warning of my Rheumatologist, I went to the ER to get some x-rays and blood work, but no pneumonia... It just wont go away...
Outside of that, I've recently developed as I've discovered from my dentist, an abscess tooth, my right wisdom to be precise, which also happens to be impacted... I'm on 300mg Clindamycin HCL (generic, and 3 times a day) for the infection, and its been 2 days and no signs as of late of improvement... also my infusions was scheduled for today but postponed due to this infection. After it goes away, they have me on a waiting list, because both bottom wisdoms "need" to come out. One is going to run through the upper portion of my gums and the other has been trying to mow down other teeth in its way.
I'm in phase 3 my infusions, this was to be my 3rd infusion (week 7), and we've pushed it back a week, possibly longer. I'm understanding this "suppresses" my immune system. So obviously I don't want this tooth problem to get crazy out of control because of it... I'm developing insane ear pains, headaches, dizziness, upper teeth aches (though the dentist said they were all fine), my eyes feel like their sand (like when u wake up) in the center near my nose but they continue to be dry and feel like that the ENTIRE DAY!. My mouth is also extremely dry, and my nose (though when i blow it with the tissues I can continue to produce lots of mucus) holds dryness as well.
So basically my questions are, Any input, insight into this information? Oral surgery... is there anything I should know related to what I'm taking, and how it affects my body? They mentioned a possibility of needing to take steroids before they put me on local anesthetics to knock me out for it. Any good over the counter stuff I could use to attack this cold? It's extremely annoying, and the dryness in my eyes makes me feel so tired, though I'm awake and somewhat alert depending on the headaches. I'm thinking these random head pains (random points) are related to the tooth problem considering their all ONLY on the right side. Everywhere else in my body excluding stomach (lots of NSAID {Advil x600 - 800mg} and the anti-biotic are really tearing me up, and the best i can do is jello/soup/canned soft veggies) is fine otherwise. No random pains or numbness, except for a bit of flareup in my joints, and when I goto sleep it clears up for the most part... Any thoughts? And to those of you who made it, congratulations on reading my NOVEL lol, hopefully i get some good feedback, I'm VERY new to this stuff, and being very young, I don't know any particularly good resources to use to get any real information and I find asking those with real experience to give some good tips.
Hi Mohgeroth, and welcome.
You do need to stop the Remicade until the tooth is taken care of. I do not know of any other precautions about the surgery. I had surgery on my knee this summer and I did have to stop Remicade until the stitches were completely closed.
The eye problem is pretty much hand in hand with PA. I have punctal plugs in all four of the tear ducts to help keep my natural tears in my eye and not have them run off so quickly. Watch your eyes they can get really bad really fast. I am living proof of that. You do need to see an Optomitrist or an Opthamologist. Call and see if any could work with you. You do need to make sure your eyes are taken care of.
YOu will find a lot of resources and most of "us" hang out at the RA sight. I would copy what you have written and post it there.
Good luck and welcome. shel