I am scared of my Psoriatic Arthritis

Hi Wendy.

Have you not seen a rheumatologist already? Only a rheumatoligist is really in a position to confirm that yo have Psioratic arhritis. They wil examine you, record your medical and famiy history and do blood tests possible xraysand MRI scans to rule out other condtions like Rheuamatoid arthritis and gout.  Once that is done and a disgnoisis is confirmed, a treatment plan will be discussed with you and you will be put under the care of a specialist nurse.

Naproxen is an anti inflammatory to help deal with flares, but it doesn't supress the disease. I don't have any of the symptoms you have and I don't have heat or cold sensitivity, but PsA syptoms are wide and varied. I was only diagnosed last December and started on Methatrexate which I tolerate pretty well, there are lots of other types of drugs available to try and help you.

Have you had your vitamin D level checked, mine was very low and the symptoms of that can make you feel very fatigued too?.. I have definitely had benfit from being on Methatrexate, but I am far from being able to live a "normal" life.. It's still pretty miserable to be honest, I can't do the activities I used to love, whether it wil improve further I don't know, Im pretty much on the first leg of the journey myself..I hope that helps. You are definitely not alone, there are various forums online that have discussions. I've spent hours and hours reseaching it but having suffered for mnay years without diagnosis, I was actually relieved that it wasn't in my head!

Good luck 

 

Hi Wendy 

I was diagnosed in Jan 2014 I was put on Sulfalazaline at first which worked for a while, I was then put on Methatrexate which has not helped so far but I am now increasing the dose, there are so many different medications for this condition its all a case of trial and error finding which will work for you or what combination will work for you. The condition has so many effects on the body which can be different from person to person it also depends on how long the condition has been active and the damage it has already done, that also depends on the treatment you will receive. Firstly you need to have it confirmed and assessed to the amount of damage it has done then they can decide on the treatment you will need. The longer it takes to be diagnosed the more damage can be done. If it is diagnosed early and treat aggressively and it prevent a lot of damage being caused, but that is up to your specialist to decide the treatment and way forward. The aim by mine is to get me back to functioning as near to normal as possible sadly atm that is not happening for me but I am holding out hope that they find the right medication to stop it and reduce the pain I am in. So there is no clar cut answer to this condition what works for one may not work for another. Wishing you all the best for the future. Rob 

Hi Wendy we are the same age and I have the same problem with my feet and ankles, the weather does play a part in the symptoms. The medication you're on is only for anti-inflammatory and you need a pump inhibitor to stop the naproxen from damaging your stomach, speak to GP asap. The rheumatoligist may well move you onto the next stage of treatment which are disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) they are medications that work by tackling the underlying causes of the inflammation in your joints. They can help to ease your symptoms and slow the progression of psoriatic arthritis. The earlier you start taking a DMARD, the more effective it will be.

Unfortunately psoriatic arthritis is a life long condition and may flare up at anytime.

Look up condition on nhs website, it will give you a clear plan and prepare you for your appointment with rheumatology. Good luck

Well it has been a couple of months since I have posted anything.  I do realize the weather has some to do with this but not alot.  I seem to have the pain either on a cloudy day or a sunny day.  I guess it all depends on what my body feels. It is weird to either have pain in one finger on one hand and one foot on one toe.  I have 1 toe that looks like a cheese puff my daughter calls it.  The toe nail has come off and it has grown back thick and yellow.  Very confusing. My daughter and I joined a gym to help with the stress and strengthing.  so far it has been going good.  I am extremely tired.  My appointment with the rheumatologist is not until November I am so ready to see what will be instore for me.  I just never realized  a person could feel so old when they arent.  My body says I am but my brain says something else.  I refuse to let this get me down.  At first I got p*ssed at it like why me?  But then I just had to realize that it is something I have to live with the rest of my life and learn about it instead of fighting it.  Good luck to all of you!!