Q: I am a female aged 72 yrs and a patient of rheumatoid arthritis with BP of 160/90mm Hg for more than 10yrs. I take one Aten-50 and two Losar 50 tabs every day for BP. I am taking Arava 20 mg for the last 6 months. Blood tests show a serum creatine of 1.5mg/dl and the blood urea is also raised. My ankles and legs are always swelling up. Nowadays, I don't have much control on urine retention, even if I take Roliten 2mg. My hands and body have also begun to shake more. How can I have control on urine retention as it is embarrassing for me.

A:It is unlikely that the urine control problem is related to the rheumatoid arthritis or the treatment. However, your kidney function is slightly below normal as the serum creatinine and urea appear to be raised. This might indicate a need to modify some of your tablets particularly ARAVA and also because your BP is slightly raised. I would suggest that you discuss this with your treating rheumatologist, who would be the best person to guide you.