I AM SO FREAKING TIRED OF INFECTIONS.... | Arthritis Information

and the fact that the main way to treat RA is immune suppression.... GRRRRRRRRRRRR.... I am what they call "infection prone so I get infections, have to stop Humira and then treat the infection which of course takes FOREVER to treat and several rounds of antibiotics... then go back on Humira and wait for that to work again... only to have this cycle happen again 1-3 months later. Add this to the fact I moved far away and had to start over with ALL my doctors and so getting narcotic pain meds and all the other normal prescriptions I am on is complicated and stressful now until I become established. So I am in the boonies with no pain meds, no prednisone, and basically crippled.

I am just tired of the merry-go-round :-( I want a "normal" life dang it where I can move all body parts at all times without pain. I haven't had RA long enough to have forgotten what it was like "before" but my RA is very aggressive which just sucks when you have a 3 year old.

So that is my whine... I am sorry you had to hear it from me but I am in the dumps right now... I'm tired of choosing between RA being under control and infections being under control and honestly only "you" people out there really understand that cycle and the misery. So thank you for even letting me post it out of my system this evening ;-)
So sorry to read that you are on the RA roller coaster. It must just wear you out trying to keep the infections and RA under control. It's too bad you are prone to infections on top of having RA. I just recently started Enbrel and I don't even know what type of infections I might get. My neighbor is recovering from a serious one in his ankle - he was on Enbrel.

When I try to find a 'positive' in my RA, I always remember how glad I am that I got RA late in life. I can't imagine how bad it must be trying to raise a 3 year old and deal with RA at the same time. My mother got RA when I was 1-year old - it must have been horrible for her.

Hope you can get through this latest episode and get back to some type of normalcy.

Vent all you want. It seems like a never ending cycle sometimes.Right now everyone I know is sick also. So I am trying to be a shut in. Still that changes nothing because I am still sick.

Moving when you have RA is not an easy task either. I hope you find good doctors that can take care of you. Be careful this stuff going around now is hard for healthy people to kick.

I have noticed several people on the board sound like they may be coming down with the same thing.

Get well soon.

Join the vent club! You guys know I've vented before :)

I'm sorry to hear you are having such a hard time. RA is like a roller coaster anyway-a crazy ride. It gets worse when that ride is stopped suddenly due to infections.

When I was in and out of hospitals this past fall, the hospitalist prescribed Bactrim to take at a low dose 3 times a week. This has helped quite a bit. Anytime I'm off my meds for an extended period of time, the cardiac/lung issues pop up.

It is hard with a little one. Mine is 7 and it's just the two of us. I often sit and question how my autoimmune issues affect him. I feel like he not getting all he should. But, many people on this board point out that he is learning empathy. He is incredibly loving confident. Quick to hug and help. Lucky for me he is obsessed with sports. This allows him to get his energy out while I can sit and watch. Comes home exhausted but happy.

I've said many times-I feel lucky that I was diagnosed as a teen. I can't imagine how hard it must be living your adult life and then have this illness thrown at you.

We are all strong individuals. Day to day we get up and accomplish things when other people would give up. I hope you drs can sort out these infections and get you back on your ra meds. Spring is just around the corner and all these winter illnesses will be a thing of the past.

It's tough to make the right decisions regarding biologics......been there, done it and paid for it. I just started Orencia two months ago and am now in week 3 of an URI, so I've missed my last loading dose. I'm not prone to infections, so I was surprised at the tenacity of this one.

Can you call your previous doctors and get refills? Sometimes when you've moved they'll renew RXs for awhile. It's worth a try. I'm familiar with WA state but I don't know where Winlock is located. Is it close to a large town or city?

Believe me we all want normal lives, but I know it's not going to happen and now I have a "new" normal life that includes RA. I'm not sure what normal is anymore and I don't even try to remember, I just go on with the normal life that I've made with RA , and you know it works. Let us know how you're doing, even if it's to vent - that's just part of the process. Take care. Lindy