MTX and really bad cold

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

I just found this group and am so glad!! I need some advice/opinions

about a situation now and look forward to learning from everyone in

the future.

I have been treated for RA for about 7 years I think. I have been on

Vioxx, Celebrex, Azulphidine (sp?) and Mobic. Last November I

started having a lot of upset stomach problems (w/diarhea constantly)

and my rheumatologist took me off of Azulphidine and Mobic. He put

me on MTX pills. I stated out with 4 pills once a week, then upeed

it to 6 and then to 8 pills. I felt like I could see it was helping.

In December, around Christmas, I started feeling like I was coming

down with a cold. I know for sure I felt flu like on Dec. 31st.

Anyhow, I had forgotten my dr's. instructions about calling right

away if I felt like I was coming down with a cold. The cold got

worse until on Jan 10th, I felt

like I had pneumonia. I called my rheumatologists office and spoke

to nurse practitioner. She took me off of the MTX and she called in

an antibiotic to my pharmacy. I took it for the full 5 days. I still

felt poorly. Coughing spells that had me peeing in my pants or

having flashes of headache (that is only way I can describe it) and

eventually throwing up from so much coughing. No sneezing, no

phlegm. I called back on Jan 17th and the nurse practitioner had me

come in. She listened to my lungs and said they sounded clear. She

did give me a prescription for a cough syrup which I had filled

and said to stay off the MTX until further notice.

A week later, Jan 24th, I called their office again and the nurse

practitioner left a prescription for me to go and have chest xrays

done. I did this and they faxed a report to my dr's. office. The

nurse practitioner called me and said it showed nothing! My lungs

were clear. It did show a node which was benign. I am not sure what

that was from. She said it may take up to six weeks for this cough

to go away!

Anyhow, I had an appt. scheduled with rheumatologist for two days

later on Wed, Jan 26th. I went in. Since I hadn't been taking the

MTX, they didn't do the bloodwork which they normally would have. He

listened to my lungs and said they were clear. Said for me to stay

off of MTX for 2 more months at which time I would be seeing him

again.

I left there confused. My coughing was worrying me. Also, the fact

that at times, my breathing was very labored. My husband insisted I

call my family dr the next day. So, on Thurs, Jan 27th, I called and

they saw me right away. I left there with a different prescription

cough syrup (the first one had a narcotic in it and was knocking me

out for 18 hours!). He also gave me a pill for a cough suppressent,

Advair inhalant disk, Serevent pills, and a pill for heartburn which

he found out I was having when he asked me. He seemed surprised that

my other dr. would let me leave without treating the cough/breathing

issues.

Now, today, Feb. 4th, I have called my family dr. and made an appt.

for Monday morning. I am still coughing. Sometimes at night, I

can't sleep laying down, but instead either sleep sitting up on the

couch or with a bunch of pillows propping me up in bed. My sister

things that I am having asthma problems. She is very familiar with

this as she has two sons with severe asthma.

Hopefully, I will get proper treatment next week. I am tired of

being tired all the time, falling asleep in the morning after I have

gotten up. Thinking of all the personal things I need to be doing at

home and then thinking of all the business things I need to be doing

and then, picking the one most important business thing I need to get

done. Kind of like taking one step forwand and three steps back.

Thank goodness I work for my husband at a home office or else I would

have already lost my job!!!

My concerns are:

1. I am wondering why my rheumatologist treated me for 7 years for

RA and now continues to keep me off my meds even though he thinks

there is nothing really wrong with me as far as having a cold/cough.

2. After reading more about MTX and the immune system, I am

concerned that my dr. seems unconcerned.

Any insight, opinions, advice or related situations are welcome.

Thanks to all.

Michele