Is anyone shielding with a toddler?

[DreamingofSunshine]

I have an autoimmune disease and my consultant wants me to go on steroids, which would put me into the shielding category.

I'm at home with 2yo DS and the one thing keeping us both going is being able to go for a walk in the park every day. Tiny patio outside our very small flat.

Also if I shield, I just can't see how I could distance from him or DH, unless we all stay in for the foreseeable?

I'm mid 30s and no other health issues that increase my risk.

[MrsMcGarry]

I’m shielding with teenagers and that’s bad enough.

I would be very reluctant to start steroids atm, even though I always have a back up dose in my cupboard just in case I flare.

What’s the disease? Are you sure there’s no. other treatment your doc can try (some are a bit lazy about thinking of alternatives)

Is budesonide an alternative to prednisolone? It’s a less wide acting steroid so requires stringent social distancing rather than shielding

[DreamingofSunshine]

It's RA. I've been trying to power through for three weeks and it isn't getting better. No other treatment I'm aware of apart from steroids. I already take methotrexate and hydroxychloriquine.

I'm so reluctant to start steroids, but I feel like I'm screwed either way. At the moment I'm in so much pain but because I take my toddler for a walk he tires out and naps do I get to rest, but if we can't go outside I'd lose the rest time.

[Ontheblackhill]

Depends where you live to be honest. We are shielding because of my husband but we live quite rurally so I still take my child for a daily long walk. My husband doesnt leave the house though and all food is delivered. Could your husband take the child on their daily walk before or after work?

[MrsMcGarry]

So many more treatments. If you’ve been on meth for more than a year and are still falling your doc should absolutely be offering you biologics
(I get so angry that so many gastro and rheum docs don’t consider these - I have crohns and arthritis and my first course of biologics was genuinely life changing - I remember waking and being eager to get out of bed and realising this was how normal people felt a lot of the time)

If you start a biological it will mean you have to shield, but only for a few weeks, and they aren’t as potent a risk as prednisolone. Have a look at www.nras.org.uk/remicade-frequently-asked-questions and ask your doctor.

If they aren’t able to start biologics right now, have you tried sulfasalazine or azathioprine? RA is a bitch and often gets used to drugs and finds ways round them so just switching up your DMARDs can help.

Otherwise a shakti mat/pillow has helped my pain a lot. Doesn’t do much for my wrists, but half an hour on the pillow when I wake up means I can move my neck/head without any pain for most Of the day

[DreamingofSunshine]

mrsmcgarry sulfasalazine made me so sick! I've been mixed on mtx, a couple of bouts of neutropenia so the rheumy reduced my dose but it got too low and I flared so my new Rheumatologist has upped it but if it doesn't improve I'll ask for biologics. Off to Google the shaki mat.

[Ducksarsehead]

Can you maybe get an intermuscular dose of steroids? As far as I know you dont have to shield with it?
I have RA and it often feels miraculous.
Really stops the inflammation.

[DreamingofSunshine]

@Ducksarsehead the consultant wasn't keen on intramuscular steroids as he said then there would be no way to remove them if I did catch CV19 whereas oral steroids can be tapered/stopped.

I don't want to jinx myself but the pain is getting better so I'm hoping I'm coming through the other side of the flare and won't need to take the steroids.

Thanks everyone for the advice, makes me feel much less alone.

[mynameiscalypso]

I'm glad you're feeling a bit better. I'm in a similar position albeit in Humira for the second time which has worked well but I know I would benefit from a course of steroids to get my post baby flare under control. At the moment thing, the risk seems to outweigh the gain and I don't want to shield especially with a baby. I'm also in my 30s and no other co-morbidities so I want to keep my risk relatively low! Sympathy from here