colds and meds. | Arthritis Information

How sick are you when you decide not to take your meds and when to go to the doctor? This is my first time being sick(cold) since starting my medicine. what worries me is getting a sinus infection or bronchitis or pnuemonia. I have had such a weak immune system for the last couple/few years, and have heard all the stories on here. I put a call into my rheumy to see if i should hold off on my meds until the cold is over or not. I am waiting for them to call me back. Thanks for all your input friends

kel

Kel,

Deciding not to take meds should never be done without consultation with your doctors. They will give you some kind of guideline to work within in this situation.

Don't wait for them to call you back, you call them back and keep calling if you don't get some action. You need some info and you need it right now. Sometimes we have to be persistent.

I have a great gp (general practitioner), I think you guys have another name for it in the US who really works with me and whom I may call every day if I need to consult with her. I live in the country....20 mins from town so she has me set up to manage infections quickly as I usually have a made up script of antibiotics at home and if I feel the slightly cold coming on, I call her and start taking them.
I agree ask your doctor first.What meds are you on?

Hi Kel,

I always consult the Rheumatology Nurse Specialist if I am sick - I spoke to her today as my virus is still bad and she advised me to have a week off from MTX and enbrel to allow my body to fight it. In the past I had a throat infection and stopped MTX straight away to take antibiotics but we decided to wait a week with this virus to see if it would go away as antibiotics won't help with a virus. I would say that you should get medical advice, on another thread I suggested it's important to check anything you cough up or comes out of your nose (even though it's gross) and if it's any colour other than clear or whitish get to the Dr quick as that's a sign of infection. If you're worried get medical advice.

Hope you feel better soon!

Hi, this is such an important question , we should all be asking our doctors???What do we do incase of an infection? Unfortunately there are so many diff reasons for infections tht I doubt we'd be given a prescription to treat ourselves. My darling GP, always is so easy to get in to see if it is important and I think I have an infection he wants me to come immediately (he talks to my Rhuemy) Lynda

KT- i placed a call to my rheumy this morning and she never called me back! its 6;30pm. i guess since I was suppose to take mtx on sunday,i will wait till next sunday to take it. and call her back tomorrow top see if i should take my enbrel. I just cant believe thay dont call you back, or atleast have a nurse call you back.

kel