Just diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis

gracefurness

I was diagnosed on Monday with psoriatic arthritis. At the moment I have two fingers involved, neck & back problems. Also two big toe nails involved. I have not, as yet, been given any medication, but she expects that will come soon. I have psoriasis on my scalp, behind one ear, in both ears & a patch on 1 elbow. My poor old Dad was covered in large plaques and I'm the only one of 4 that has inherited the condition :sad: . Any advice? I'm 54, generally fit aside from the above. Cheers!! Grace

tjt6768

Hi Grace, my Arthur is different so no advice, sure someone will be along soon though..
Just wanted to say welcome...

dreamdaisy

Hello gracefurness, it's nice to meet you. I too have PA - you are following the classic route of PA, I did it differently.

I began my problems in 1997 but was not put on any medication until February 2002 (long, boring story). The first drug I tried was sulphasalazine and I am still taking it now. It was meant to help the A side of things but I now realise it keeps the P part at bay. I had my first recognised doses of P in October 2006, with plaques and bllisters on my soles and palms. I do not get the P bit that often and I think that is partly due to the sulph.

Another standard entry-level medication is methotrexate, usually given in tablet form. I have also been on this for years and currently self-inject. I have no doubt you will check the names of these things on tinterweb - don't terrify yourself over the info you might read there. Side-effects are common, but not usually too bad: the body often adjusts, learns to tolerate and they can be very effective treatments for some. It sounds as tho they have got a 'handle' on you quite fast, so hopefully the meds will have a good effect for you and on you! With regard to other meds, well you name it, I have probably tried it. I can only tell you about them from my point of view, these drugs do vary so widely in their effectiveness. I wish you well. DD

I have just re-read your post and I am not clear if the 'she' you refer to is a rhuematologist or not. If she is, then I would have thought they would whack you on the meds pronto. Could you clarify please, I would appreciate it. DD

jennylynn

Gracefurness,

You are in good company, as there are a few PA sufferers on here. And i must say DD is by far one of the most knowledgeable (the forum would be lost without her!)
My PA was very similar to yours when it first appeared. i have two affected fingers (index and little) on my right hand and some back problems. Getting the diagnosis is half the battle so now you know what you are dealing with its just a case of knowing your bodys limits and awaiting some advice re: medication.

Get plenty of rest, dont push yourself too much and be honest about your aches and pains - if you arent vocal about them then not only is it hard to monitor the condition, but it makes it so much harder for you in the long run.

keep us updated when you have your next appointment and i'm sure if you have any questions someone will be able to help.

Jennyx

speedalong

Hi Grace I don't have PA, I have OA so no good advice to offer. But just wanted to say welcome.

Speedy

barbara12

Hi Grace
Sorry I cant help with your question, but I just want to say welcome to the forum, you will get lots of support from everyone.
Hope to see you posting more very soon.
Barbara x

dreamdaisy

Hello gracefurness, how are things going? Please feel free to ask me any questions, either here or via a PM. I will do my best to answer. DD

gracefurness

Thank you so much for your welcome! I am under a rheumatologist who has a very good reputation. My psoriasis, at the moment, is very slight - scalp, ears and a small patch on my elbow. I've never taken a lot of notice of it, as my Dad was covered in large plaques and it was something that was just part of him. We aren't aware if he had PsA. He would have been 95 now and had psoriasis from childhood.

I do also have OA all down my spine and both knees (confirmed by xrays and MRI) so I've got it both ways! I agree that I now need to be honest about my aches and pains, as I try to ignore them as much as possible. I am starting to keep a diary, which should help with deciding treatment.

Many thanks again! Grace

dreamdaisy

The diary is a good idea, it gives the rheumatologist more information about you. I used to have one on my old computer - 'The Diary of Wounded Knee' it was called: I need to sum that up on my lappy, I think, and start adding to it again. I used to note the starting/end dates of medications etc and I haven't done that for ages, which is not very good! I used to wonder if I was being a little too self-indulgent in keeping a record, but I then realised it was a good way to keep track of it all. I have let it slip and I should address that. And I will. DD

nanarose

Hi there, and welcome to the forum.....sorry you have to be here in the first place though.

I too have psoriasis and have had it for at least 15 years. It started on my scalp, remained there for some time, then decided to make a journey round my body. My lower limbs were completely covered, my back, elbows, hips and numerous other places.
It was a misery, never being able to wear skirts, short-sleeved tops or anything dark coloured.
I started with the arthritis part a few years ago, but didn't get properly diagnosed until the summer. Because of that, I have some deformities now on my toes and my knees.

I am on injected methotrexate now which has marvellously cleared up all the psoriasis, but is struggling to keep the arthritis under control.
I expect you will be given the meth first, it seems to be the usual pattern, and hopefully this will work for you.
I have had like others, to try and pace my activity according to how I feel, and this I have found to be one of the hardest things to come to terms with. I tend to go at everything, or used to, like a tornado!
You will probably need to rest more too, and again I still feel guilty when I have to give in, sit down, or rest in bed for an hour, but it really is the only, and best thing you can do.

I wish you all the best in your treatment, it is worth getting as much info on your condition as you can, but some of the stories on the internet are way off kilter, and very scaremongering, so just be careful - you may be someone who has no side effects at all, fingers crossed!
Oops, I didn't mean to write a mini-novel....... xx

lorica

Hi Gracefurness,

I too have PsA I was finally diagnosed in May after almost a year of tests, but at the same time I was also diagnosed with OA, and gouty Arthritis. My rhummy doctor put me on Methatrexate, and various painkillers. I have PsA in my toes, ankles, knees, both wrists, fingers, right elbow and lower jaw, back and shoulders :sad:

I started Methatrexate in september, and im now just beginning to see an improvement, the patch of psoriasis on my head and behind my ears has just about gone, and my knees are not so painful. Unfortunatly my knees are damaged.

I hope the doc's sort out your medication quickly. As a side note I did alot of rersearch about the condition and drugs used and scared myself to death with it! :shock:

Take Care

Mark

julie47

Hi grace
Sorry that you have just been diagnosed with PA,
I hope you get sorted with the right medication very soon.
Take care
juliepf x

stickywicket

I've never heard of this. I don't think Arthritis Care has either and I could find no reference to it on ARUK.

So I googled it to find it will 'make your skin lighter' :shock:

I suspect, however it works, it is not good for psoriasis and will certainly do absolutely nothing for psoriatic arthritis.

Natalie1712

Hi Grace,

Welcome to the forum and I hope you get some medication organised soon. The forum is very helpful if you ever need advice

Natalie x

stickywicket

Natalie, this is a very old thread which someone resurrected in order to peddle their snake oil treatment to the unwary. Hence my rather abrupt reply above.

I reported it to the Mods who clearly worked quickly to delete it.

We used to get a lot of this stuff but, thankfully, have much better protection these days.

Thanks, Mods.