Swollen stomach, stomach pain, belching and now urinary incontinence

Wow, RA is the gift that keeps on giving! I'm a year in and actually was picking up well compared to last year. The meds appear to be working ok but after a rather stressful two days where I had to work longer hours than planned I'm now in a bit of a state. Last night I peed myself walking back to my hotel - came from no where - totally unexpected - suddenly I was peeing... highly embarrassing. And today I've had increasing belching, distended stomach and now quite a bit of pain. I've taken all the pain killers I can and really not sure what to do next. Just wondered if this rang any bells with anyone else - maybe its nothing to do with it!!  

Sounds like some sort of stomach bug rather than RA!  Very embarrassing for you though.

Regards from C. 

Wow!  Never have heard that one before!  I haven't been diagnosed that long with RA but that never has been brought up!  Personally I think you should look into going to another doctor who specializes in gastric issues!  The bloated stomach might suggest another issue!  Don't wait and keep us updated!  Good luck!

Sounds like an infection, which would need dealing with quickly if you are on immune suppression drugs. Go to your Dr!

Hi Jo.  I don't know what medication you're on (and probably wouldn't know anything about it anway) but is it possible that you're taking a relaxant which may potentially affect control or that the stomach problems have caused pressure on the bladder?  It may just have been a one-off but this must have been so upsetting for you.  Do you have a Rheumatology Helpline like the one in my local hospital so that you could call and have them ring you back to advise.  If not, I'd call the hospital department and see if anyone there can help you.  I sometimes have to call for other members in the family to various departments and they can be very helpful and understanding.  I do hope that you've already sought advice and feel much better.  Good luck.