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Septic Arthiritis
Most 2025 Noember, I was feeling weak and listless. A few months prior, I started treatment for my rheumatoid arthritis with Cimza. They gave me all the possible reactions.
I started dropping things, My hands, wrists, and shoulders were not working to par.
Dec 1, I went to the ER, where they admitted me. A day and a half later, I was operated on. It seems sepsis was in my larger arthritic joints: both wrists, y right shoulder and they suspected right shin. It has not been an easy recovery. After two weeks, I was moved to the hospital’s rehab.
Discharged 1/2/26, the month of December 2025 is a blur. I qualify for in-home Physical and Occupational therapy, which has been a God send.
Now I fear reinfection, not having any idea how it all began. No idea but 1000 thoughts how I became infected. I believe the RA treatment lowered my resistance. Septic arthritis can be a killer, I’m grateful to be alive.
Has anyone had any similar experience?
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Please be careful and call your doctor immediately.
What I am seeing is that this can be a side effect of your medication. Bacterial sepsis is a documented, serious side effect of Cimzia. Cimzia belongs to a class of drugs called TNF blockers, which lowers your immune system's ability to fight off infections.
I am sure that your doctor has told you to suspend use of Cimzia immediately.
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2017/125160s270lbl.pdf
Cimza labeling:
WARNING: SERIOUS INFECTIONS AND MALIGNANCY
See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning.
o Increased risk of serious infections leading to hospitalization or
death including tuberculosis (TB), bacterial sepsis, invasive
fungal infections (such as histoplasmosis), and infections due to
other opportunistic pathogens (5.1).
o CIMZIA should be discontinued if a patient develops a serious
infection or sepsis (5.1).
o Perform test for latent TB; if positive, start treatment for TB
prior to starting CIMZIA (5.1).
o Monitor all patients for active TB during treatment, even if
initial latent TB test is negative (5.1)
o Lymphoma and other malignancies, some fatal, have been
reported in children and adolescent patients treated with TNF
blockers, of which CIMZIA is a member (5.2). CIMZIA is not
indicated for use in pediatric patients. (8.4
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2 ReactionsI am a sepsis survivor with extensive osteoarthritis, but I never took the drug you mention. After being put on a respirator because the sepsis attacked my eppiglottis, and staff was afraid I might lose my airway I was put in a medical coma. Instead of all my signs lowering, mine kept going up and up. The aftermath of the incident was that I sustained Brain Damage, the germ identified was Strep/Pneumonia the germ is airborne. Every sepsis survivor has high risk to contract sepsis again. The Sepsis Alliance would be a good source to pursue for precautions and signs and symptoms to look for, also online support group and workshops addressing different kinds of sepsis and the illness it causes. Hope you find the answers you need.
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