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Posted 9/13/2009 8:28 PM (GMT -6)
So far I'm tollerating the methotrexate pretty well (yay!).  I'm on a very small dose still and will go up to 10mg this coming Saturday.  Today my daughter got the flu, so I'm really stressed about getting sick.  I'm doing all of the preventitive stuff, but my daughter is just 7 and wants her mom when she is sick.  I know your imune system is compromised on mtx, but I'm just not sure how much it is compromised.  Anyone have experience with this?
Posted 9/13/2009 10:23 PM (GMT -6)
Well, maybe this is crazy thinking, but here goes...

having lupus means having an OverActive Immune System
mtx compromises the immune system
so that should balance back to 'normal'

I'd jut do all the normal hand washing, etc and try not to worry too much. I know that's hard with children & our variable health...
Posted 9/14/2009 12:06 AM (GMT -6)
Hippi, If you're on prednisone and methotrexate, I'd be sure to be extra careful, make sure you and your family all wash hands a lot. You can't very well move out, but do be careful. I'd make sure that your daughter takes regular baths or showers, that you don't share towels (I use my own hand towel in the kitchen and don't have to share my bathroom with anyone), and that you use plenty of hand sanitizer. Wash all bedding and towels in hot water. We lupies need to be even more careful. I even go so far as to wipe down the handle of my grocery cart with hand sanitizer. Paranoid? Maybe. But worth it if it keeps me from catching something. Since I've been diagnosed with lupus and take immunosuppressives I get sick more often and take longer to heal.

The CDC's recommendations are here:

www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/preventing.htm.

And the Lupus Foundation of America's recommendations regarding the flu vaccine and preventative measures for lupus patients are here:

www.lupus.org/webmodules/webarticlesnet/templates/new_learnliving.aspx?articleid=2688&zoneid=527

Lynnwood, I'm not sure I agree with your premise. The Lupus Foundation of America explains is like this:

"An individual with lupus is more susceptible to infection than most people for two reasons:

Lupus directly affects a person's immune system and reduces his or her ability to prevent and fight infection.
Many of the drugs used to treat lupus suppress the function of the immune system and leave the body more prone to infection."

The site is: www.lupus.org/webmodules/webarticlesnet/templates/default.aspx?a=93&template=print-article.htm

Hippi, I hope your daughter recovers quickly and I especially hope you stay well.

Take care,

Pat
Posted 9/14/2009 6:41 AM (GMT -6)
Thanks. Pat, you had some great ideas and a lot of them I hadn't thought of. We are all doing lots of handwashing and I am using plenty of hand sanitizer. I hadn't thought about the towel thing, but I think having a seperate towel is a good idea. My rheumy said I could get the flu shot, but not the mist since it is a live vaccine. My daughter seems to have the actual flu and not just a stomach bug. She has the high fever and chills and headache and body aches, etc. If it was a stomach bug I wouldn't worry as much as I do with the actual flu.
Posted 9/14/2009 12:35 PM (GMT -6)
Hippi I'm being extra cautious right now too.  40mg of pred, Imuran and Plaquenil.  With the flu season here I'm not taking chances.  I have one of those paper medical masks that I wear to the lab when I get blood work done.  I'll be wearing it on the plane when I go to Vancouver for Thanksgiving next month.  Might be worthwhile for your daughter and yourself to be wearing one.  Take all the precautions you need to.  I think a little obesessing about this is okay!!
Posted 9/14/2009 8:35 PM (GMT -6)
I hope your daughter is doing okay and you are managing to stay well. It is really hard not to get sick when a household member is. I keep them out of my bedroom, wash linens alot, make sure the sick person bathes and washes frequently and so do I. I go nuts with lysol spray, my mom taught me that. Keeping the house cooler is supposed to stop the spread of germs too. Its pretty hard with kids to stay well, even if you do all that. I just hope you fight it. I know I'm not supposed to, but I sometimes take echinacea and goldenseal pills when around colds and keep some in the house for the family to try to ward it off. I never got a flare from the echinacea but then I'm sort of always flaring it seems.

Well, nice hot tea can be good too. I hope you stay well.
Posted 9/16/2009 1:15 PM (GMT -6)
Well, I thought I had escaped getting the flu, but I'm pretty sure I have it today...yuck, I feel awful. Does anyone know when you should call your rheumy? I hope I'm better soon because I don't want to have to miss my dose of mtx this weekend.
Posted 9/16/2009 2:04 PM (GMT -6)
Today. Please call, Hippi. There may be nothing that can be done for you, but who knows. You may need to be on Tamiflu. I don't know, but I'd want to find out.

So sorry you caught it. This illness sucks! Please take care and let Scott do all the work for the next week. Give your body time to recuperate from the flu.

Sending a big cup of hot tea your way,

Pat
Posted 9/17/2009 8:09 PM (GMT -6)
I was going to call this morning, but thankfully I felt quite a bit better when I woke up. Abby's flu didn't last long either, so I guess I got lucky. I do need to call my rheumy though because I'm getting some mouth sores from the mtx and I don't have anymore magic mouthwash.
Posted 9/21/2009 9:45 AM (GMT -6)
I undestand everyone's advice - and it is good advice.... but......

when my little man gets "pookey" (which isn't very often) I just cuddle the heck out him because he does that for me when I am flaring
up. I know I will probably "catch" whatever he has but I feel like he needs my mommy-love more and its worth the risk for me. I am just thankful that I am still around to do that for him. I won't let my disease interfere with living the way I want to.
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