First of all, I know we're all patients here and not doctors. BUT we are the ones dealing with this first hand and care more than doctors so there might be some answers here.
I posted back in March that I had to call 911 because of an extreme flare with chills and high fever, delirium, etc. It happened again the other night, this time the ER admitted me. The hospitalist assigned to me assumed that I had an infection because of the fever and ordered boatloads of tests. Blood cultures, urine cultures, chest x-ray, ultra sound of heart, EKG. She assumed I had an infection because my white blood cells were going up.
I tried to tell this young lady that an RA flare is an attack of white blood cells on the joints. She insisted I had a mysterious unknown infection. They eventually brought in Infectious Diseases who cleared me to go home after 4 days on antibiotic and Dilaudid drips. He asked why I was not on steroids and told him the hospitalist denied steroids saying it would be bad for the mysterious infection. He shook his head and said "You are having an RA flare and need to be on steroids."
Anyway, I'm home, trying to recuperate. I am trying to find a connection between these extreme flares with severe, bed shaking chills and high fever (103 degrees). Can anyone here give some feedback?
{{{Tara}}} I'm glad you went to the ER and had all the other stuff ruled out, at least it will give you validation and peace of mind... maybe some info your RD can use too. I have had flares with fever and chills in the past, but nothing near what you describe. My fever was always low grade and the chills were more a chilled feeling rather than bed shaking.
Did they start you on steroids? Did you call RD and get a report to him too? I know you were on Cimzia for awhile, but I don't recall if you were able to start something else (Orencia?) right away or are between meds? It seems so weird to have such a severe reaction when you are on meds! )
Tara,