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Reactive arthritis : all this started after a sexual encounter?

Posted , 5 users are following.

samjo111
samjo111

Hi all,

At 24 yrs of age I had the physical relationship with a girl whom I met over Internet for the first time in life...right fter that I had this strange feeling while urinating I don't xctly rember the problems but yeah it was something unusual I was experiencing in my urine organs....well after that the body ache, fatigue started I thought I have contracted HIV , went to doc told me everything but he dint do much...then this pain in joints and inflammation started...i was like wht is happening in my body...those were the symptoms I was experiencing for the first time in my life...post 2 months of this I went to doc again...he did alll the STD test...but for Chlamydia and gono he dint write any specific test...may be becoz I did had the uti issue then...he wrote a urine culture only which was negative...I don't know whether it was suffice to rule out Chlamydia and gono...gave me azithromycin for 5 days 500 mg each day...his prrovisonal diag was ReA

Slowly the joint pain and symptoms reduced and I was OK after 2-3 months..from the initial symptoms....

But now almost 1.5 yrs later out of nowhere the same symptoms of joint pain in knee then in wrist. Ankles hip now in shoulders ....appeared again it's been 5 weeks now....but the problems are risising only....I wen to see this orthopedician he did various test all came negative but same problem....I m now really worried ....I thisnk that it has definitely have some connection with the physical relations I had a year back...that was my first and last ...

I don't know what should I do...can anyone share their expeexperiencence with this....well I m negative for HLAB27....

I fear that if it was becoz of some STD....wht is the prognosis...

I told this thing to NY ortho doc he gave me augmentine and doxy for 2 weeks but no improvement....please share ur experience with this situation. ...I hope there are many ppl who conquered this thing...I have read many positive stories....

Thanks God bless u

1 like, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • roy40659
    roy40659 samjo111

    Posted

    Good morning , least this is the time in Canada I am sorrt to hear of another person contacting Rietiers or Reactive Arthritis, a very silimlar experenced happen to me when l was 20years old in the military on my first leave when l developed great pain in the right knee and very warm to the touch had very sore eyes with redness also experenced great   fatigue all this  lasted for about a month there was lots of blood tests but in the end Rietiers Arthritis / Reactive Arthritis as it is now called was what l have contacted. over the past 50 years there have been times when it has come back the same knee pain back pain and of course the wonderful fatigue that goes with this virus in the blood system durning the past 50 years i experence very sore small bumps on my head the doctor gave me low dose of amoxicillin which helped clear this problem up. intersting note 6 years ago had my prostrate removed having experenced flow problems ,interesting to note the prostrate was not in larged which is unsual with prostrate when having problems in this area but they did tests and decided the cancer count was low in the prostrate it was up to me if l wanted to have the prostrate removed happy l did as the prostrate was almost 70% cancerous so l would suggest that when you get older in life to watch theses area its unfortunate that most doctors don't want to talk about this virus as they its not easy to treat the treatment recommended is low dose of amoxicillin helps some folks and is recommended as possibility on the mayo clinic web site other then this is super asprin treatment. all the best keep in touch with how you are doing ,R from Canada
  • Anon
    Anon samjo111

    Posted

    I sound exactly the same as you in everything you said how it started and symptoms. Sounds like my symptoms are the same but occured in different orders to you. I thought I had HIV years after reactive arthritis. Completley new symptoms appear. It is probably why it has been so confusing for myself. Anti-inflamatories (celbrex) seems to help alot but it never cured my problem. It helps put it into the background for myself but reactive arthritis is always there. I ussually get worse at night but can happen anytime. Ussually if I am doing things and moving about I feel better
    • Anon
      Anon

      Posted

      I think another bacteria or infection can cause flare -ups. I think even flu shots, so I dont get them now. I am scared of bacteria and am very careful about food poisoning. Get tested for food intolerences etc. It could make a big improvement to quality of life to remove triggers like alcohole or even caffine. If I eat rasberrys I get flu like symptoms. I get it from thai. I must be intolerent to certain chemical and after 7 years I cam finally seeing a dietition who speacialises in illness. It is too complicated to work out on my own
    • Anon
      Anon Vincentworld

      Posted

      Hey mate how you been lately hope you’re feeling ok ? hope things are settling for you.

      inflammation has settled a bit in my shoulder and my neck feels a little better now (its still there not as tight). This inflammation can be a total headache. I still have mobility issues due to dislocation and labrel tear and excessive inflammation. I saw one of the best shoulder surgeons as a second opinion and he mentioned that I have torn my labarum all the way around and that I can’t tear it anymore lol. Surgery was not a good option at the moment unless it starts dislocating or doesn’t improve because looks like mobility and inflammation is my major problem. Looks like I have a case of frozen shoulder also which seems to be possibly reactive arthritis. I really don’t know and I don’t think the surgeon can really answer what the cause is but that some people can get these problems after dislocation and it can even take upto 18 months to settle even without reactive arthritis. So I guess this answers a lot of my questions. To be honest it has been pretty difficult and why I have come to these forums. Nobody understands at times and I just had no idea what to do. Inflammation can be relentless as we all know but seems like it needs a little help or time to settle it down. such as a cortisone injection which honestly helped significantly and possibly celebrex. I will have to get another if it gets worse again. He said I may end up getting surgery if I do not improve but there is no harm in waiting as it is torn all the way around. I just have a lot of hard work and physio to improve. I have to be careful not to provoke it. The labrem is like a piece of calamari that goes around your shoulder joint and connects to other things etc. Possibly why I am getting so much pain and stiffness at the moment. It generally tears after dislocation and may have torn it all the way like a month ago. I believe I am dealing with more than just a labral tear. This is when you deep down know its also ReA but nobody can answer you except the best of professionals wink We cant even work out what the hell is happening to us and it must be even harder for the professionals to answer your questions. This surgeon that answered my questions today was awarded a medal for the highest marks across all surgical disciplines, he seemed to answer my questions better than anyone else.

    • samjo111
      samjo111 Anon

      Posted

      Hi Jay...how did ur symtoma started?

      Did u go in remission ever?

      What about ur blood tests?

    • Anon
      Anon samjo111

      Posted

      I never totally went into remission. I still have it everyday but I guess its less severe. I still struggle with frozen shoulder now and constant neck pain. It just seems to be never ending. I had chlamydia a long time ago but I never suffered from reactive arthritis severe until a few years later. So 10 years later I was considering just learning to live with it until today.

      I spoke to my dentist and he also struggles with some sort of auto immune that is very similar arthritis pain etc. He mentioned humera. He said he takes it everyday but it has stopped his pain etc. I might consider trying humera. I feel like I can't get a break from it or just want to feel normal for once. I do remember what it felt like to have no pain, it just feels like such a long time ago. It is not the pain that gets to me . It is more the flu like symptoms or just feeling sick for no reason. I find this happens mostly at night when it becomes unbearable I just go to bed feeling like I have a bad flu all the time. I ussually wake up fine. I find it very difficult to deal with mentally even 10 years later. I get very fustrated or just had enough of it. I feel for anyone going through this kind of torture to always wish to be better. luckily atleast I got better but it doesnt change the fact I still have it everyday. This is why I will try humera, I just need relief for a while before I lose my marbles ahaha This illness is a bit of a circus act trying to keep up with it. I have never really understood why it reacts, but I have started to notice food is a major factor over all this time. It seems to be a delayed reaction possibly. Could even take 2 days to react to food I guess. I noticed that rasberrys give me that strong flu like pain and symptoms. I believe it is intolerence to certain chemicals. I still havnt worked it out because It is very time consuming process of elimination. I can just feel that sometimes my ReA reactes to food, takes a few hours to notice it.

      I first started noticing symptoms of re occuring stiff neck. Somebody grabbed my neck when I had chlamydia. I believe this triggered some sort of reaction. I have never been the same since. It got really severe when I got treatment from a physio and he progressed it to flare up in my spine. He did disc immobilisation technique, My ReA went absolutly nuts. I couldnt sit down for like 2 years. I have never been the same since it progressed bad. I have always had this illness but it fluctuates. It is still a lot less pain than it use to be.

    • Anon
      Anon

      Posted

      I sometimes get a wierd burning feeling when peeing. This happens every few years. It feels exactly the same as when I first had symptoms from chlamydia. So the burning sensation can react after alcohole or even sex. I have thought I caught sti again. So for some reason it can flare again creating completly new symptoms or symptoms I have not had for a long time. For me reactive arthritis is constant neck and back pain that fluctuates. flu like symptoms, ligament and muscle strains, itchy skin, frozen joints or just sore, tender points all over my body, bleeding gums, headaches, crunching in shoulder when I rotate them, dry skin, sweaty arm pits, swollen lymph nodes occosaional under arm and I think on neck too, itchy arm pits all the time, nausea, feeling like Im going to be sick but never throw up(flu like symptoms). blocked nasals or funny feeling in nasals. my main symptoms is spinal pain upper and lower which switch and fluctuate. its pretty random stuff
  • Vincentworld
    Vincentworld samjo111

    Posted

    Can you go back and ask for following test?

    Chlaymdia, Gonorreha, Trich, Mycoplasma Gen NAA Urine Test?

    You need to take Doxy for 30 days along with 2000mg of Azithromycine one shot (4 pink pillls (500mg each)

    This disease is f'n mystery. I'm dealing with this for last 2 years. There is nothing anyone can due.

    Do you know your HLA-B27 status? Find out, it's blood test.

    HLA-B27 will determine lenght of this disease.

    I really hope you are not 2% of chronic case like me and Jay. Your life will be living hell - not trying to scare you.

    Do whatever u need to stop this disease from progressing to your spine.

    If all test are neg then ask your doc for HUMIRA.

    Have you tried steriods?

    • Vincentworld
      Vincentworld

      Posted

      Sorry, instead of doxy - can u ask for minocycline?? Get that , it's better.
    • Vincentworld
      Vincentworld

      Posted

      Forgot to ask, with your flare do you have any URETHRITIS symptom still? How about prostate pain???
    • samjo111
      samjo111 Vincentworld

      Posted

      Negative for HLAB27... Plz read the post one more time....

      I did not had urithitis issue in my first time

      But thistime I had urethritis kind problem for 4-5 days...I saw doc he ruled it out by a normal routine test and culture...both were negative ...no pus cell...anyways the urine issue resolved by itself...

      I m mostly negative for all blood test....my doc says I don't have ReA...but in the first episode my dp suspected ReA....he was the only one...m bloody fed up....my knee joint inflammation....

      Add to that the second episode started after 1.5 yrs later and it's like 3 mints the pain is more or les. Same....i MOT taking any medicines...my DOS prescribed me vitamin b12 and pain killer only when required

    • samjo111
      samjo111 Vincentworld

      Posted

      Hey Vincent I hope u r doing good.

      Didn't u ever go into remission after the exposure?

      I am negative for hlab27 and most of the blood test...but one thing I am sure of that I got this thing from the sexuual exposure through it was protected but I don't know if I did it safely or not...

      No Dr is listening most of them discard my talk and problems because of noraml blood work so far

      I don't know if I had chlamydia or what...neither now I can know..because I had 5 days abx course in the beginiy of it and agaain 2 weeks abx course in the second episode.....

  • Chuuch11
    Chuuch11 samjo111

    Posted

    Hello, I was diagnosed with Reactice Arthtritis about two weeks ago though I noticed symptoms in my heel, left knee, right hip, shoulder, wrist and spine. I recently had a chlamydia infection, so that's where this came from. I know it's painful and tormenting.. But we can do this. I'm currently starting on a diet and doing my best to enroll in a yoga class. Those are very beneficial. I was given a shot of Depo-Medrol which didn't seem to help honestly.

    Pomegranate seeds and pineapple chunks for breakfast.

    For lunch, I'll eat broccoli, green leaves, and 2 pieces of salmon.

    For a snack I'll have crushed walnuts and celery.

    And for dinner, a good serving of vegetables and salmon

    Here's my anti-inflammatory diet

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