Latest flare-ups triggered by oral sex/link to statins?

First thing I want to emphasize is that no one should lose hope in fighting this disease. The myopic nature of Western medicine (and doctors) can be frustrating when dealing with symptoms that are very real to us but not so to those treating us. However, I've found that the key is to educate oneself, reach out to others in the same boat and try to find healthcare specialists who are willing to think outside of the box.

I've been dealing with ReA since it was first diagnosed after a chlamydia infection in 1991. Joint pain in the hips, knees and feet are the most severe manifestation of the disease in my case, with minor urethritis. My flares are almost always the same in severity and duration, never lasting more than two weeks. Fortunately, I've had very long periods of remission during which symptoms were minor and did not affect my life in a big way. I am HLA B27 negative.

Since 2011, I have seen a ramp-up in the number of flares. Coincidentally, that is the year that my doctor put me on a statin to control borderline cholesterol. A few of the flare-ups have been triggered by food poisoning or bad colds, but the majority occurred after unprotected oral sex. All my STD tests came back negative. My doctor prescribed antibiotics to treat what he thought was prostatatis, though I was dubious.

I believe that something has caused my immune system to go into overdrive, causing it to overreact to what should be considered normal bacteria (in a woman's mouth) during oral sex and triggering the the ReA flare. Has anybody else had this experience? Does it make sense? I'm also wondering if the statin I've been taking since 2011 has played any role in making me more susceptible to flares.

I'm considering dumping the statins on a trial basis to see if it makes a difference, though my doctor will think I'm crazy.

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