Psoratic Arthritis Advice Please?

sirles

I have just been diagnosed with Psoratic Arthritis and prescribed Sulphasalazine (hope thats spelt correct!) I am in my early 40's and a Fireman so having pains everywhere (hands, fingers and wrists are the worst) is awful. I have been prescribed various drugs to try to relieve the pain which is shocking in the morning. I spoke with a Chinese Herbalist today who said about Acupuncture and Herbal Tea. The cost is £35 per session for 12 weeks and the tea is £35 per week. Has anyone tried this? and does it work? before I spend a fortune which might do nothing? Any advice very much appreciated.
Thanks

annie_mial

I haven't got PsA, so can't advise, but wanted to say hello and welcome you to the forum.

I does sound an awful lot of money for something not proven.

Annie

dorcas

Hi sirles and welcome to the forum

I've had a diagnosis of PA for 15 yrs and have had acupuncture through the NHS in the past.... which was very helpful in alleviating the pain form a troublesome hip.

I've not tried any alternative medicines / Chinese teas.... as my rheumatologist warned me against their possible interaction with traditional meds as they had not been clinical tested nor proven safe to take in combination.

£35.00 x 2 a week for six weeks is a considerable amount to be paying for something that may or may not work.

Acupuncture is available through the NHS... so why not consider going through that route?

Have you spoken with your doc or rheummy about Chinese medicine and whether it's safe to take alongside the sulpha?

I would suggest sounding them out before embarking on any alternatives...

There are few of us PA peeps on the forum so I'm sure you'll get more responses over the next few days... weekends can be quiet!.

I've posted you a link to the Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Alliance which has a lot of useful information about PA and treatments which I hope you'll find helpful.
http://papaa.org/tiki-custom_home.php

Iris x

ps. feel free to post any questions... this is a good forum community to join! and folks are happy to offer advice and support.

sirles

....for the replies.

cebeem

Hi Sirles
My diagnosis has more recently been given the title Asymmetrical PA
so still looking for a few answers myself! (currently skin is quite problematic)
I work with children in schools, so its challenging, awkward and frustrating ..not as challenging as your position and hope you are being supported by your colleagues and managers regarding your condition.

Iris is a wonderful mentor (thank you Iris) for us all with PA and also many other difficulties...so take her advice,suggestions and direction, it is the voice of experience from the heart.

I am prescribed sulpha (but hate them and often miss one or two) and the problems are mainly in my hands, fatigue is another downer.
The support here is second to none...real advice from real experience.
I await the responses to your post regarding the chinese tea etc.....I would pay it too if the results were favourable. Good luck Sirles speak soon.

skezier

Hi Sirles,

Its not an easy job to be in with your hands and wrists playng up and I so hope the sulfa will help you very quickly. I got pa and was on sulfa for around 9-10 months and it did help here and there. I don't know how long I have had it cus it was just said it might be for a few years before it became this obvious.

Acupuncture I used to get for the oa in m knees and back long ago and it did help then but as it deteriorated it stopped being that effective and when I lost the reflexes in my leg they wouldn't do it anymore. Its a lot of money though if its private.

I also agree you got to be careful what herbal things you take if your on prescription drugs so just check first. Nice to meet you. Cris x

dreamdaisy

Hi sirles, I too have PA. I have been on sulpha for over eight years and it does a good job at keeping the psoriasis at bay, but in my case it does little for the arthritis. I am also on methotrexate, humira, naproxen and oral steroids and regular pain dullers.

I must admit I am sceptical about Chinese meds: PA is caused by an over-active immune system, which is a genetic defect. For the life of me I cannot grasp how swallowing foul-tasting herbs will affect that. If these things were so good there would be no illness anywhere, would there? After fourteen years of this malarkey I know I am cynical - if you do go ahead tho, be very careful of the interaction of the herbs with the sulpha. My hospital does not allow me to take any kind of supplement apart from calcium. I wish you well. DD

sirles

...I once tried the herbs years ago which was supposed to help my Psoriasis, it was basically a load of twigs and herbs which you boil up in a saucepan and drink the juice. It tasted pretty awful! The Chinese doctor was saying the Acupuncture would ease the pain and the herbal tea helps within the body to fight the psoriasis. He said the Dovobet ointment I currently use only pushes the psoriasis inwards? Funny thing is I have never seen anyone Chinese with Psoriasis? With regards work, I haven't told them as although the Fire Brigade pretends to be a caring employer, nothing could be further than the truth and I would probably be placed permanently unfit. I will work through the pain and speak to the Rhumatologist on my next visit. He first prescribed me Methro, but I didn't like the look at the side effects, so asked for Sulpha. My 3 year old daughter also has PA in her knees, but thankfully has gone into remision and doesn't need to see the Doctor for a year. Perhaps me praying that I would take it off her worked! It was bad enough to know that because I suffer from psoriasis, I passed it on to her. When people talked of arthritis, I used to think that it can't be that bad, How wrong I was! Many thanks for all the replies and I will stay in touch on here.

dreamdaisy

I think the figures for the UK are something like 1 in 7000 has psoriasis, and of those only 1 in 700 go on to develop the arthritis (I think!). I don't think I have seen 7000 Chinese people all in one go so I don't know if the same applies! I guess any race has similar genetic problems, diet can play a part in treating some conditions but I still think that if the essential 'wiring' is faulty then there is not a lot to be done. Western meds tackle RA, PA etc by reducing the immune system to virtually nothing, thus stopping it from firing up over nothing. Would a herbal brew have the same effect? Psoriasis is caused by the too-rapid renewal of skin cells - what should take place over a period of 28-31 days happens in 3-4. Conditions such as ours run in families, for the simple reason that people have children. There is no point in fretting over your daughter - at least you will be in a position to help her with meds and treatments should the need arise. I wish you both well. DD

cebeem

Serles I have taken sulpha for 4 years...then a break due to remission..... then for 7 - 8 years now ..I had no siggn of psoriasis ...that has been a recent thing....so it has not kept it at bay for me!

my daughter shows signs if the rotten rash ...and it is worrying for us! She is fit and healthy otherwise but as young girls do she focusses on it!

I personally try to play it down with her trying to focus her on her other beautiful attributes!! and keep her confidence positive!
Fortunately fashions are very diverse these days and everyone doesn't have to be wearing the same things...thats how she get round it.....being a little bit different and enjoying it!
Best wishes.

dolittle

Sirles,
Sorry I'm a bit late with this. I have RA and went to a Chinese Herbalist - I must stress that he was also a conventional Orthopaedic Surgeon as well. This was immediately I was diagnosed. It worked very well FOR ME. It's horrendously expensive.

I've nipped in to tell you that there came a time, 6 months into the treatmet, when he said he needed a blood test to establish what effect it was having on my immune system. NOBODY would do it for me - even though I'd been quoted £196 by one healthcare company - because it was for alternative medicine. The Chinese doctor then told me he wasn't prepared to give me any further treatment because he needed to know what the blood tests were.
I'd spent hundreds and had to then go cap in hand to the conventional channels.

Hope you see this and find it helpful.
Dolittle