I have neglected this blog for nearly a month. I feel like a moron, but I sort of have a valid excuse.
Many arthritis drugs can become dangerous killers if mixed with an infection. In other words, you don't want to risk an injection if you have any kind of infection invading your body. The drugs that help keep the RA under control will allow the infection to run rampant through your body, and the results can kill you - literally.
Some while back I had an infected hangnail. I've had dozens of them over the years, and they are usually a painful inconvenience that heal up in a matter of a few days. I didn't think to mention it to the procedure nurse when she gave me my methotrexate injection. But within a couple of days I had a raging infection in my hand. My rheumatologist told me later that I could have lost my finger. That got my attention!
A few months ago I had to begin taking Cimzia along with the methotrexate. In case you're wondering, I hate it. Because of it's thick consistency, it has to be administered in two separate injections, and they either go in the upper thigh or the stomach. I tried the stomach a few times and then switched to the thigh. Neither is pleasant.
Then I developed a UTI - in fact, it seems to be recurring, so we don't know what's up with that. But I finally was able to stop the antibiotics, and then I developed an abscessed tooth. Have I ever mentioned how badly I cringe at the mention of a dentist? They terrify me. Always have, always will. I've had one root canal in my long life - thank heavens - and of course that's the tooth that is infected.
I wasn't having any tooth pain. I had been suffering from a killer headache for about a week - and thought it was possibly a result of the antibiotic I was taking for the UTI. One night while flossing I discovered a small bump on my gum. Went in to my regular dentist - who I can talk to without hyperventilating (first one that's ever happened with - and he referred me back to the endodontist that performed the root canal a couple of years ago.
Of course, I had to pay for another x-ray, even though my other dentist sent the one over that he had just taken a few days earlier. He told me there was 'probably' a crack in the root and that I could probably wait a year or two, but it would eventually have to come out. I guess the root canal only removes the interior part of the root.
But then he saw the drugs I'm on, and decided the tooth needs to come out as soon as possible. The infection is in the bone, and I guess that's bad.
So now I'm waiting two weeks to get into an oral surgeon to have my tooth, which I've spent thousands of dollars on in an effort to save, removed. So that will mean at least five weeks with no RA drugs. That means I may or may not be able to walk by the time my dental appointment arrives.
The antibiotics they prescribed helped, but I've been off of them for several days now, and the abscess and the headaches have returned. So I'm back on the antibiotics.
Sometimes I can't help but wonder if the drugs that help with the RA pain and destruction don't cause worse problems than I started with. It's like a no-win situation at times.
Hopefully I will get the offending tooth out and back on my regular schedule, and then I can become more active on this blog. This wasn't the post I originally planned for my "I" version, but it fell into place rather smoothly. Serendipitous? I hope not.
Hope everyone else is doing well.
Blessings.
Harmony
