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reactive arthritis ...

Posted , 3 users are following.

Guest
Guest

Hello All

I am a pharmacist. 44years old.

Last October I was cycling home from work (teaching pharmacology) and I started to feel rough, for the next seven days I had acute diarrhoea. Upon getting better my dodgy left knee became acutely and very painfully inflamed. After a week of agony and immobility and a couple of knee syringes I was taken into hospital for an operation on my knee to relieve the inflammation.

I then started to develop severe stiffness in my neck, rib cage, back generally and curiously on the insides of my legs at the top?

I was diagnosed with reactive arthritis and prescribed diclofenac 50mg three times a day.

After nearly 6 months my pain is still chronic especially if I miss a dose of diclofenac and my knee has swollen up again. I also have pain in my left foot and one toe!

my sympathies go out to all those suffering from this unpleasant and painful condition. Pain killers tend to have different effects on different people so dont give up if one doesnt work, keep pestering your GP for alternatives. Personally Diclofenac controls my pain with an occassional cocodamol 8/500 (available OTC) but it has and I guess will, take a long time to resolve. I think 12 months can be considered \"normal\".

It certainly affects your personal life in terms of activity but have found that getting back on my bike helps my joints and certainly helps my sanity. Cycling is also \"low impact\" on the knee joint.

Some NSAIDs do not irritate the stomach as much as others and you can be prescribed another drug at the same time called a PPI such as Omeprazole which will helps to prevent this side effect.

Oral steroids can be helpful to reduce \"flare ups\" but should be carefully monitored, Steroid injections can help in specific joints and may last for several months.

Methotrexate is a strong drug used mainly in RA but can be effective if the problem is chronic and I know 2 people who have a seriously improved quality of life on this drug.

As it probably auto-immune ie its your own immune system causing the problem it will difficult to \"cure\" . However time does seem to improve the situation.

Hope this info helps.

1 like, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • FredSonoma
    FredSonoma Guest

    Posted

    Hi I also have ReA, dx about 20 months ago. Found a lot of relief from no-starch diet (I live on meat, leafy greens, and fruit) but I still have problems (tired, stressed, no libido)
    • rock8018
      rock8018 FredSonoma

      Posted

      Do you remember what caused it or what trigger the response? Do you have the genetic factor hla b27? I have a theroy that it my be something bactierial that is caussing my continual pain.
  • rock8018
    rock8018 Guest

    Posted

    Do yo remember what you ate that caused the diarrhea? I was in India and ate something that gave me debilitating diarrhea. I came home and was later diagnosed with reactive athritis. I have a theroy that it might have something to do with bactieria. Fasting seems to help me at times. What did you eat?
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