Hello! - New to the community and getting to grips with PsA

stushep

Hello!

I've just stumbled across what looks like such a supportive community and is exactly what I need at the moment.

At little bit of a back story. I'm a 36 year old Music teacher from Manchester. I had lots of trouble with plantar fasciitis about 4 years ago and tried all kinds of things to support me with it. There was nothing to suspect PsA at that point until I suddenly ended up with a very swollen knee. I had an arthroscopy as they thought I had a torn meniscus but when I came round after the procedure they said that I needed to be referred to rheumatology. Fast forward to today and I now have two swollen knees, a swollen elbow, jaw and (perhaps the most irritating) lots of swelling in the tips of my fingers and a diagnosis of PsA.

I've been on methotrexate for a couple of years which really helped with the ankle pain once I managed to deal with the nausea (reduced from 20 to 15mg and split the dose). I also ended up on sulfasalazine but that doesn't appear to have helped much. So, as of Tuesday I'm starting on benepali once a week. A bit nerve wracking due to having to inject myself but I've read lots of good things about it so I'm feeling positive.

Has anyone had a similar experience to me and how have people found benepali? I'm worried about long term implications but I suppose it's a balancing act! My GP is convinced stress (relating to teaching) triggered the PsA!

Looking forward to getting to know lots of you and supporting in any way I can.

[Deleted User]

Hi and welcome from the moderation team,your'e right - the members on here are very supportive and I'm sure you will find what you want on here.
Al

dreamdaisy

Hello, it's nice to meet you and I am sorry you have had to find us. We have had quite a few join this week who are newly-diagnosed with PsA, we're obviously in vogue at the moment! Briefly I am now 59, I began aged 37 with no psoriasis, just a swelling left knee, then in 2003 the right knee joined in. I started meds in 2002 and then osteoarthritis (OA) was diagnosed in 2011. I was born with eczema and developed asthma aged seven so all of this was always on my cards.

My current meds regimen is weekly injected meth and fortnightly injected humira. Disease activity is well-controlled but obviously the joint damage cannot be undone and they do nothing for the OA. My GP ignores the PsA, my rheumatologist likewise with the OA. I do my best to ignore both, the disease may affect me but it does not define me.

I've been messing about since 7am and awake since 3am so I'm off now for a rest. DD

stickywicket

Hello from me too I have RA not PsA (same chap wi' a different hat on) and I get by well on meth and hydroxy but I put 'benepoli' into our search engine and lots of threads come up https://tinyurl.com/m9hgf79 . I know 'long term implications' are something we all worry about but you will be very well monitored with your regular blood tests and, frankly, the long term implications of PsA without the meds is a more likely problem to encounter.

I don't think stress, on its own, can trigger PsA. It's an autoimmune form of arthritis and so you must have been a likely candidate for whatever reason. But stress certainly makes it worse. I started at 15 (O-levels) then flared slightly at A-levels, more at first year uni exams and then at finals. It then went beserk after the births of my sons so, yes, I guess stress is a factor :roll:

By the way, I don't know any teachers who aren't stressed. I'd hate to go back to it.