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Psoriatic arthritis vs rheumatoid arthritis!

Posted , 6 users are following.

carol303055
carol303055

Seriously, it's no competition. No one wants either I'm very sure but where does psoriatic arthritis sit? I'm a registered nurse and I'd never heard of psoriatic arthritis. Whenever I look for information I look under R.A. and I'm struggling. I've been on a range of treatment including humira, sulphasalazine and more recently methotrexate and etanercept. Unfortunately, I'm now experiencing side effects of methotrexate, namely pulmonary fibrosis. Methotrexate now doscontinued but etanercept clearly not enough on its own. Comments, suggestions welcome x

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • lyn1951
    lyn1951 carol303055

    Posted

    I have psorasis arthirits, but I come back negative to the genetic test they have done, but I have psorasis on my skin, have always had it, also my Dad had it.

    I did ask once many years ago, where it was on the levels of severity compared to RA, and the Rheumo said one step down.

    I have been on Leflunomide, ohhhhhh the relief, but it does have side effects, and mine have become so annoying night sweats, drenching wet, and waking up soaking up to four times a night.

    They started me on 10mg of leflunomide worked and settled down my ESR and CRP, so the specialist decided to try me on the 20mg leflunomide, which is apparently the more regular dose, blood pressure became dangerouly high, didn't know what was wrong until I went to regular GP Dr.

    They have run out of options for me, so they are going to try some of the biologicals, but I came back with positive TB tests, BSG injection when I was a child, common in NZ at the time, so they are having to be very careful.

    • lyn1951
      lyn1951

      Posted

      Leflunomide - also makes your bowels very loose, known side effect, so I worked out that taking it at night was the only way I could manage it, the family knew to leave the toilet free for me in the morning, as many a dash and if their had been anyone else using would not have been pretty.
  • EileenH
    EileenH carol303055

    Posted

    https://patient.info/health/psoriatic-arthritis-leaflet

    https://patient.info/doctor/psoriatic-arthritis-pro

    It is treated much the same as RA - plus treatment for psoriasis as appropriate.

    But I'm surprised you can't find info. I've given you the two I can without the post given for moderation but all I did google psoriatric arthritis and got loads fo links - including one for the psoriasis association uk and one for papaa (The Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Alliance (PAPAA) is a UK registered charity dedicated to providing a positive approach for people affected by psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis)

  • tony35673
    tony35673 carol303055

    Posted

    There are specific medications for psoriatic arthritis, consented being one of them, I've just changed to this med after being treated for RA. Unfortunately, you are dealing with a condition which has no known cause, no cure, no specific tests, your Doc can only make an educated guess based on symptoms, blood test results and your reaction to meds. It's all a guessing game, but a Doc's guess is guaranteed to be better than an armchair or Google Docs. PA is linked to psoriasis, but the two don'necessarily come as a pair..

  • tony35673
    tony35673 carol303055

    Posted

    Side effects are the name of the game, RA and PA meds are very powerfully meds so you will not escape. The trick is to decide on what is worst, the side effects or the condition. Providing of course the side effect don't seriously affect your health.

  • carol303055
    carol303055

    Posted

    Thanks, everyone for all your responses. It was very therapeutic 'talking' to people who are wearing the same tee shirt and understand. It seems like I still have a few options open to me but they haven't been discussed yet. I doubt the Etanercept will be enough as a mono therapy but the lung problems has scared me big time from the methotrexate so I won't go back on that. Has anyone come across the trials being done on bioelectronic devices for potential management of RA and other auto immune conditions? I know we're looking a long way down the line but it's good to see research being done in this area.

    • Gloria814
      Gloria814 carol303055

      Posted

         Thanks for mentioning the bioelectronic devices.  I just searched the internet and found info on the investigational studies being done using the devices.   Another trial with patients is to start this year and possibly 2019 

      they will hopefully be on the market.  But that is a few years off and much testing will need to be done before approval is granted.  But it is good to know research is being done.   Medications don't always work as you know and the side effects are alarming.   I only had 3 injections of Humira and I had steady palpitations/  lightheadedness/  elevated blood pressure and blood sugars.  I felt horrible.   So onto the next biologic and will see how that goes.    

    • carol303055
      carol303055 Gloria814

      Posted

      The drugs are so toxic it's very exciting to see research going in this direction. I believe Kris Famm is leading the research here in England. My background is in cardiology where devices are being developed and used at a phenomenal rate so yes, I am excited!

    • lyn1951
      lyn1951 carol303055

      Posted

      Carol - interested in cardiology as well, my husband has major heart failure, EF 23%, and then this time last year the electricals in his heart closed down, 100% bundle block, three lead pacemaker installed and he turned around immediately, discharged the following day.

      Cardio dept junior Dr's stuffed him around for 15months previous saying pain in his arm was not heart related, scary that they could be soooo ignorant, consultant attitude completly differnet, he was angry we had not been listened to earlier, even in emergency dept with heartrate at 30BPM, telling me the pain in his arm was a pinched nerve in his neck, and asked what medical training I had by jnrs, got them back when I was able to speak to consultant. Jnr's will not take my opinion so lightly again, there is a note on husbands file from consultant, in capitals, listen to wife, she knows what she is taking about. But thats another story.

    • carol303055
      carol303055 lyn1951

      Posted

      Hi Lyn, it sounds like you and your husband had an extremely scary time. It's so frustrating when you're not listened to. So glad things are improving for you both. Cardiology uses a lot of devices which are getting more sophisticated and smaller. Much can be done now to improve the quality of lives of heart failure patients and their families (which also has implications for the wider healthcare economy). Kris Famm also briefly mentions heart failure in his lecture when talking about devices for auto immune conditions but I don't know in what context. Even though the study in Holland(?) was very small I think it could be an exciting time for the treatment of these conditions which are so painful and disabling. Fingers crossed x

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