Drugs and remedies

This category is for articles that address drugs and prescriptions as well as homeopathic treatments for rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis and the Covid Booster

| rx4_g6twub
Covid Booster for RA patient
Covid Booster Rheumatoid Arthritis

This is very serious. We, as Rheumatoid Arthritis patients are taking drugs to suppress our immune systems. Personally, I am dealing with my very aggressive RA. I had been on Embrel for about 15 years without any issue until some very serious stress showed up in my life. My doctor thinks the stress is what triggered my current flare up which has been going on for about 2.5 years. I am gathering information as quickly as I can for obvious reasons. I got the Pfizer vaccine earlier this year. I had a severe reaction to the second dose of the vaccine. My reaction was not an immediate allergic reaction, which is expressed immediately after receiving the vaccine. Rather, my reaction started like the flu with a fever and being very tired and serious muscle ache. This showed up several hours after the vaccine. It then took several days for the flu like symptoms to subside.

I had been through several new biologic drug tests to find full remission. It appears that my RA, after about 14 months has once again figured out how to increase activity and basically require me to change to another biologic. In the meantime my Rheumatologist has already brought up the booster and is very concerned with where we are going to go from here.

I am absolutely taking the booster as soon as I can and I am mentally preparing myself for my body’s reaction, which, from what I have found will be more aggressive than the 2nd dose of the vaccine which caused the above reaction. Regardless, this is the path to safety, I believe, for those of us with autoimmune diseases in the era of Covid.

Good luck and stay safe!

The Delta variant, a booster and RA

| Barney Arronson

So, besides Xeljanz being used for treatment of treatment of Covid pneumonia there is nothing out there I can find regarding the impact of a booster shot with a google search of ra+delta variant+ covid. Currently, vaccinated individuals account for 9-11 % (depending on what you read) of people contracting covid.

Anyway, just yesterday I wrote about my experience with the vaccine, prompted by the glut of news stories regarding the Delta variant and the increase of cases. Furthermore, Pfizer is building a Delta variant specific booster and is saying after 6 months there is a drop in efficacy. At the same time experts are saying a third shot should be sufficient for a long period of time.

Here is the deal, get vaccinated, get the boosters, get it get it get it. Seriously? How is this even a discussion…unfortunately it seems that some politicians and news outlets are still pushing freedom from oppression and the government cant make me do it. I am all about freedom as long as it doesn’t intrude on my freedom. And a highly contagious diseases like polio, the measles, rubella and others have long been forgotten due to vaccines just like the ones for Covid.

Frankly, it is shameful to politicize this life threatening issues IMHO and it is all the more reason for us, those with autoimmune diseases to ensure we do everything we can to protect ourselves and our families. GO.GET, VACCINATED!

Rheumatoid Arthritis and the Pfizer vaccine for Covid

| Barney Arronson
Covid Pfizer Vaccination

Before I start, I want to say I FULLY endorse getting vaccinated. My experience was difficult but I know several people who died from Covid as well as friends that had it and are now dealing with lingering problems. GET VACCINATED!

So I got the first dose of the vaccine around the beginning of March and I remember my 2nd dose being 4/1 …on April fools day of all days. I had a sore arm overnight with the first dose and no other impact. I was sure that I wasn’t going to have any of those issues people with Moderna were having. At least that is how I remember it, boy was I going to learn how wrong I was. I was really excited at the time. I planned a road trip with my sister for 10 days who had just gotten the vaccine and we would be clear in the beginning of April.

Fast forward to April Fools Day…the first thing was the injection felt like it was *on* my collar bone. The nurse stated she was doing that for a reason and I can’t remember for the life of me why and I went home. Within a few hours I started feeling sick and wound up laying down and that was all she wrote…wow. Later in the evening I felt like a train hit me.

I was running 101 fever which lasted for 3 days and beyond that, I experienced what I will call, a super flare up. I had experienced significant morning stiffness and this was the ultimate ultimate stiffness. The pain had me in tears in the mornings and wondering what would happen. I was constipated, swelling everywhere, I started going to doctors, I went and went and went. I probably had 7 appointments. Rhuematologist, Primary care, orthopedic, gastro, and finally, Pain management. It took about 7 weeks to get help, the help came from pain management.

The Pain management doctor gave me a Steroid Taper pack which is a 5 day steroid course that starts with 6 pills,5 pills…until you are done in 5 or 6 days. The affect was fast, within 24 hours I began feeling AMAZING, the next day was amazing. The impact of a course of steroids during a flare up is hard to explain. You need to experience it. Anyway, I got about 6 weeks of relief and I am better than when the ultimate ultimate stiffness started. Most importantly, I know for a fact that I am protected. I was exposed to an entire 6 person extended family who had covid at the party and discovered it with 36 hours of my contact with them. Two asymptomatic (mother daughter) the others were down for a couple weeks with a serious case of it. Beyond that I am really living my life, unmasked whenever possible because of that vaccine.

So the net net is ( I like saying words twice) I know I am protected, I am very glad and grateful to be vaccinated and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat…just ASK FOR A STEROID PACK if you have a reaction!