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PsA - on Plaquenil for 10 months with great results- but still weighs on me

Posted , 4 users are following.

ERL88
ERL88

I am a 28 year old female Diagnosed with PsA in may 2016 - started on plaquenil with great results so far.  Only one major flare  in the last 10 months and my body is no longer riddled with pain.

It still weighs on me. I want to travel nurse and i know that having this diagnosis on paper will look 'bad'.

i guess this is the first time i am reaching out and talking to others with the same condition. Iam doing my best not to let this disease define me and it has yet to stop me working at my job (which includes long stressful hours)

i am doing my best to maintain good health and lower my stress levels which i know plays a big role in this disease. I feel opitimistic that long term i will conquor this chronic disease and will live the life that i want. i would like to hear from others about your experience with this disease and what kind of things you have found helpful in managing it. 

thanks for reading 

1 like, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • gabriellaroma
    gabriellaroma ERL88

    Posted

    Hi - glad you reached out. I joined the forum for the same reason. I'm 25 years old (female) and was diagnosed August 2016. I'm still pretty much in denial and still push my body way more than I should. The good news is since I started taking Methatrexate my skin has been almost perfect. It's a huge confidence booster as I used to have psoriasis swelling and rashes all of my face and ears. I still am in a lot of pain though and I kind of refuse to stop living my life like someone my age. I make sacrifices where I can but it's a hard thing to accept - I know I still haven't. I have this hope that the doctors will tell me they made a mistake and it's not actually PsA it's some other joint problem that can be fixed with surgery. 

    Anyways it's nice to hear someone is in a similar situation! 

    • ERL88
      ERL88 gabriellaroma

      Posted

      hey it means a lot that there are people out there in similar situations! thanks for replying to my post. i often get quite anxious thinking about the future potential side effects to my medication. it stresses me OUT. but at the end of the day remission is better than no remission? i day dream about being able to go med free one day but i know thats not going to happen unless i want to be back at square one! im really glad to hear that treatment has been going well for you. and yes dont let it hold you back or live life to the fullest. whats the point in treatment if you cant enjoy yourself?
  • randomperson2
    randomperson2 ERL88

    Posted

    I am a 28 yr old female. I became diagnosed actually a couple days ago April 6, 2017. I work as a nurse too. There is a lot of standing, walking and pushing patient beds involved. I'm not sure what you mean by "it looks bad on paper". Does your company require you to list your medical conditions on paper? I am not a travel nurse, but I recently changed to a new department, and they did not inquire about my health issues.

    I think it is great you are getting positive results out of your treatment. I don't really care what people think about my condition. I just want to focus on myself and get better.

    I have just started a drug treatment sulfasalizine, I don't know how it will work on me. And yes I always worry about how my condition will affect my work. I still hope I can work for the next 30+ years -__-

    • ERL88
      ERL88 randomperson2

      Posted

      hey thanks for your reply! how are things going with the sulfazalizine? it can take a few months to get positive results and ive heard as much as a year to get the full benefits from DMARDS. im feeling very good these days making lots of positive life style changes. i had to take some time away from the busy ER and took a temp doing day time hours and it feels really good to feel like myself again. ive definately identifed some triggers and i only really feel the arthritis if ive been out drinking for a few days or havent slept at all!!! the beauty of shift work. i hope you have been feeling well. 
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