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Psoriatic Arthritis (PA)

Posted , 7 users are following.

Guest
Guest

I had Psoriasis as a child which was in my hair on neck shoulders and arms which went away after a few years. Over my adult life I had several health niggles such as eye / eyelid inflammations and what was diagnosed as Roseacia on my face for many years and also whenever I exerted myself I found aches and pains would come and go in muscles and joints at times. I often felt something was wrong with me but never quite able to get to bottom of it.

My brother and sister still have their Psoriasis but I never saw it again on my skin ? Another sister was diagnosed with Celiacs Disease and a related lung illness. These illnesses are widley thought to be inflammatory illnesses where the imune system goes wrong and starts attacking the body in various ways, as is P.A.

When I was 46 I had a 'heart attack' but doctors found nothing wrong with arteries etc and suggested inflammation or virus could be cause. I was left quite breathless for months by that attack but did eventually get over it. Also had experienced back troubles mainly aches for sometime, however within a few years of the heart problem my back and neck and pelvis seemed to start stiffening. I sought help from an Oseteopath but found I was worse after treament for 1-2 days or so. I also often found I lacked energy and get up and go at times and if I caught a cold it would go on for months affecting my chest.

Over this period I had started to experience fevers/sweating late afternoon and evenings particulary and I felt a little down and depressed but I think that was really fatigue settling in over last 3 years. I also had a problem with one of my knees resulting in surgery which went after I stood up from my chair at work one night !

Eventually around 51 years old I started having pain in many joints ie hands, wrists, fingers toes, knees, shoulders, hips and feet as well as the back/neck problems and it became difficult to walk at time especially as both achilles tendons were painful were they attach to the back of the heel. My fatigue by this time was quite bad and I was unable to get going for several hours each day.

I also had some bowel related bleeding start and ended up going to see a Gasterologist and then a Rheumotolgist. Had Bowel checks endoscopy, CT scans, Ultrasound and eventually the Rheumo people settled on a diagnosis for Psoriatic Arthritis.

No blood tests are available to confirm it just clinical observation and history. Now on Sulpasalazine Tabs 2000mg a day which comes at 1000mg twice daily. Been on them 6 weeks and noticed some improvement but I will need to wait a few months before real benifits come. I am walking better at times and the redness/swelling seems to have reduced in some joints.

I have also been diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and use an inhaler. This could be related to the inflammation caused by the P.A.

The other problem I had was my Liver function tests were abnormal and this delayed by being prescribed with the DMARD drugs as they affect the liver over time. They found I had a slightly fatty liver on scans but nothing to worry about and some cysts on liver and kidneys also found. Again the cysts are nothing to be concerned about and 50% of people over 50 can get them. There is some thought that the liver and iron blood tests can be abnormal due to the inflammation in the body causing misreadings ?

I hope my story is of help to someone as I believe this illness is difficult to diagnose at first and I have been frustrated at times by the fact that other people could not understand or see what was wrong with me and doctors were not able to pick up on it earlier either ! A truely insidious illness. Unfortunately in my case I had to wait till the symptoms showed later in life to get something sorted out and a diagnosis made.

2 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • smoneva
    smoneva

    Posted

    hi, IAM NEW TO ALL OF THIS, I truely feel for you, you are going through a really rough time, I understand that you are on sulpha traetment, Has this helped the p,a . I know its supposed to slow down the disease, I tried it in Decenmber 07 for 3 mths then took off it as i was experiencing some horriffic burning in all lower body, my rhumey says it could be an allergic reaction or not. I see him tommorrow wit the view to restart it, but it is a nasty drug and very cheap to make. Has your rheumy suggested methrodaxte, or one of the newer type drugs with less side effects.

    I also like you in the way blood tests dont show much, yet your all swollen and stiff, my ankles are very swollen. Iam 40 years old yet i feel like a 80 yera old.

    Have you had any ultrasoud, or even tried the whole diet route? I read so much but it is sometimes hard to follow when you are busy. Take care and hope you find some sort of relief on the sulpha

    x

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Hi

    I have had some improvement using SSZ noticibly I can walk a bit better and some days fells much improved. Then there are days I wonder if I was getting a little too optimisic and return to stiffness and difficulty walking. Only been on SSZ for 2 months so its too early to say if its going to work for me and I think I will give it at least 6 months before making any decision.

    MTX was offered initially by the Rheumo people but they switched to SSZ due to some liver tests being abnornal.

    Yes I too feel like an 80 year old somedays and often find that sitting in chairs at work causes me to stiffen more.

    I had ultrasound and CT scans done on my abdomen and also a colonoscopy last year due to soem bowel related bleeding which was probably down to a reaction to the Ibrufen / Asprin I had used early on to control the pain and inflammation as doctor suggested. I do have a slightly fatty liver and some cysts were found on my liver and kidneys during the scans but cysts are quite common when you go over 50 years apparently.

    The SSZ does make me feel a little sick at times and I do not have my appetite but have not noticed any other adverse reactions yet. I also had some seroid injections at the hospital prior to SSZ which started to help me improve certainly with fatigue and fever notably.

    I will continue with SSZ for 6 months and see how I get on, but I undertand MTX is the preferred treatment overall.

    Hope that helps in anyway thanks.

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    I think another few points I'd like to say that I think helped me out..

    I went on some 'Alternative Medicine' and found Cod Liver Oil helpful. Read somewhere that vitamin D can help and its a good source and also that Omega 3 oils can also help.

    Also took Oil of Evening Primrose and think this is useful for nail strength

    On top of those I used Gin Sing for help with fatigue and garlic and Ginger root for help with inflammation.

    I think its worth a try for several months and I believe some of these have helped reduce some of my symptoms.

    I also had problems with NSAIDS like ibufren and asprin and had bowel bleeding problems. I think some people use anti acid stuff like Gaviscon of similar to limit the effect on the stomach when taking these.

    There is some thinking that suggests arthritis may be worse if bowel related problems arise and I was wondering if people taking NSAIDS may aggravate the bowel at bit causing symptoms to get worse. I do not use NSAIDS at all now and use Co-Codamol for help with pain.

    Sulpasalazine does tend to help in the bowel department and also noted for helping in the liver repair from what I have read. Maybe NSAIDS and sulpazalazine do not work so well together ? Just a thought.

    Just a bit more of my thoughts/experience which maybe could be of help to someone.

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    [quote:de09580550=\"R.B. \"]I think another few points I'd like to say that I think helped me out..

    I went on some 'Alternative Medicine' and found Cod Liver Oil helpful. Read somewhere that vitamin D can help and its a good source and also that Omega 3 oils can also help.

    Also took Oil of Evening Primrose and think this is useful for nail strength

    On top of those I used Gin Sing for help with fatigue and garlic and Ginger root for help with inflammation.

    I think its worth a try for several months and I believe some of these have helped reduce some of my symptoms.

    I also had problems with NSAIDS like ibufren and asprin and had bowel bleeding problems. I think some people use anti acid stuff like Gaviscon of similar to limit the effect on the stomach when taking these.

    There is some thinking that suggests arthritis may be worse if bowel related problems arise and I was wondering if people taking NSAIDS may aggravate the bowel at bit causing symptoms to get worse. I do not use NSAIDS at all now and use Co-Codamol for help with pain.

    Sulpasalazine does tend to help in the bowel department and also noted for helping in the liver repair from what I have read. Maybe NSAIDS and sulpazalazine do not work so well together ? Just a thought.

    Just a bit more of my thoughts/experience which maybe could be of help to someone.[/quote:de09580550] :?

  • kerriesava
    kerriesava

    Posted

    hi i just joined this site, i have had psoriasis since being 4 years old i am now 41, i was diagnosed with P A, about 4 and a half years ago my rhumatolagist suggested sulfasalazine which i ve been taking since no side affects that i have noticed.

    It has helped a lot, but since i found out is dose not halt or slow down the PA in the spine, my Dermatoligist is now giving me Methotrexate after trying UVB treatment and it cleared my skin for a while but its come back with avengence,

  • julie59
    julie59

    Posted

    hi i'm new to this site, but have had PA for about 12 -17yrs now(it took a while to diagnose). i first noticed something wrong in 1995 i was working full time and was just sooooooo tired all the time. i was picking up colds left and right, and just put it down to the fact that i was working full time and a mother of two young children too. a year later i had the most awful burning of my hands and feet, then everything thing got worse. i was in so much pain, constantly tired etc. i gave up work to concentrate on getting betting, but i ended up much worse. i had heart and breathing problems, and my mobility was restricted as i got "shin splint"on both legs, they felt like they were going to explode! i went from doctor to doctor to try and find out what was wrong. i eventually found my heart was down to stress and i had surgury on my legs to release the pressure on the shins. that, i thought , was that. until 1998 i went back to work and was doing really well, in 2000 whilst at work my right hand "exploded" it was very painfull and twice the size it should be. i was lucky to have medical health with my employers, so off i went, and found out it was PA. since then i have been on so many different drugs, some worked against the PA but were making me ill in other ways, and some didn't do anything for me. i tried gold injections and ended up with a bowel problem. morphine was tried and i became addicted to it, but now 12 years on i'm on dyhydrocodine, and although its not giving me complete pain relief its helping. my main problems are still coming to terms with the effects of PA , i now use a electric scooter as walking is too much for me, my husband does all the house work, cooking cleaning etc, i get very bord and frustrated.

    having shared my story, i hope it helps. and also if there is anyone out there that can give me any idea on what to expect in the future i'd appreciate it, as at the moment i am more or less house bound, i spend alot of time either in or on my bed as that is where i am most comfy. i am very reluctant to increase my pain relief as i don't want to be addicted to anything again. once was more than enough!!

  • ginamarienj
    ginamarienj Guest

    Posted

    Hello. I'm trying to better relate to my brother Mark who has had PsA since the mid 90s- hence when a large influx of GMOs were introduced to the food supply but I know that's another topic. I wish I could trade places with Mark. I hate to think about in any pain. He bought a tanning bed to help with the P and was on Enbrel for 10 years then it stopped helping. He is now on Stelera and that cleared up a lot of the P but he takes Dilaudid for pain which kills me to think about. 

    After reading your post I'm wondering if you were ever checked for Sarcoidosis. Sadly we lost my dear mom almost 3 years ago from it. The lung symptoms you describe sound similar to what she went through She had a lung and skin biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. I know this is a little off topic but if it helps one of you reading this to get a proper diagnosis and treatment then that is my dear mothers kind heart coming through. Be well. 

  • snowycat
    snowycat Guest

    Posted

    Just say hi.... and god luck with your treatment, take care x
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