Psoriatic arthritis

Damo23

Hi all

I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis last year I am 34 years old now and currently live on the south side of Glasgow. I have been taking methotrexate injections this whole time as well as co-codamol and etoricoxib as the pain is quite severe at the minute but I feel it’s not working so I spoke to my rheumatologist about starting biologics treatment has anyone done this and is it effective? I suffer from pain mainly in my hands and feet sometimes in my knees and neck has anyone any exercise advice or therapeutic therapies that help ease the pain and stiffness? Also does anyone know of any local support groups as I don’t know of anyone with arthritis in my personal life. Thanks in advance Damo 😊

jeddison1985

Hi @Damo23 firstly let me welcome you to the forum I hope you find the information and support you are after from our wonderful community.

I can see from your post that you have had Psoriatic Arthritis for a while and have been treated through Methotrexate and NSAID’s. Your consultant is now considering biologic therapy and you want some further information.

The site is full of information and I wanted to signpost you to some information that could help, linked to below Adalimumab which is likely to be the first biologic tried.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/drugs/adalimumab/

Personally I also wanted to share my experience of biologic therapy, with the caveat that everyone is different and responds differently to the treatment. I have been on Humira (brand of Adalimumab) for 10 years now for AS (form of inflammatory arthritis) but I started with Psoriatic Arthritis. It was literally a life saver for me reduced my pain enabled me to exercise more and take pressure off my joints. It led me to a significant period of remission with a few years of no pain at all. I have had no significant side effects from it in all that time.

Please feel free to search the forum for others with similar experiences and I am sure that some of our community will be able to help offer some useful suggestions.

Take care and I hope you get some relief and biologic therapy will work for you.

Thanks

Joe

Damo23

Hi joe,

thank you so much for your quick reply it has given me some reassurance and I will have a look at the information you have shared. Damo 😊

jamieA

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/56008/psoriatic-arthritis

Hi @Damo23

I was diagnosed with PsA in late October 2020 at 65. Like you I live in Glasgow - we've probably been seen by the same rheumatologists if you attend the QEUH. I was started off on Sulfasalazine, then onto MTX and finally onto Amgevita(Adalimumab) biologic in July 2021 as the sulfasalazine and MTX hadn't worked and I was in a great deal of pain. The Amgevita certainly seems to be working for me - I'm not in any pain. My joints still ache but I'm back to doing most of the walking I did before this suddenly all happened. According to the rheumatology clinic nurse I see I was lucky that the first biologic worked for me - I think she said there were 7 that they could try to get the one that works for the individual patient.

Damo23

Hi @jamieA

thank you for your message it was extremely helpful and help me understand a little more about what medications are out there. I’m mostly seen at the New Victoria Hospital. Do you take the biologics on its own or with any other medication and is it an injection which you take yourself ? Cheers damo 😊

jamieA

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/689229#Comment_689229

Hi @Damo23

I still take 3gms (6 tablets) of sulfasalazine daily, 10mg (4 tablets) of MTX once a week as well as a 40mg fortnightly self injection of Amgevita. The rheumatology clinic said the drugs work in conjunction. I was wary of the self injection initially but I found it quite easy to do - the instructions were easy to follow.

Before I was put on Amgevita things were really rough, I couldn't close my hands, couldn't move my shoulder joints, put any weight on my left knee and my right foot and ankle were a real concern. I'd had 10 Kenalog steroid injections in 9 months, was on oral prednisolone for 4 months and ended up on morphine injections. At one point I was taking about 200 pills a week. It was complicated by me also taking chest infections/pneumonia/atrial fibrillation at the same time and I ended up in hospital 6 times.

3 weeks after starting Amgevita - the week after the 2nd injection - I felt a difference and it continued to improve to the point they reduced my MTX from 20mg to 10mg in October. I think it's reached a plateau now. I'm very functional and able to walk 50-60kms a week with my dog - though on flat surfaces, not hills. I'd describe my joints as achy - not normal but less than aching. I walk with a limp and my hands and particularly my wrists let me know what's possible - can't lift cooking pots one handed for instance, or open lids. I'm struggling to get back to my hobby - photography - but hopefully as the warmer weather kicks in I should be able to .

I was also given a 12 week one-to-one physiotherapy session live online and that was great - it got me moving and I'd recommend it. I also was referred to a pain clinic - again online one-to-one with a pain consultant who prescribed Calsaicin cream for my joints which I think helps me. I wear fingerless compression gloves and feel they help a lot, I bought them from Amazon.

Best of luck with your treatment.

Damo23

Hi @jamieA

Right okay so they work in conjunction with each other that’s what I was unsure of as I take the self injected methotrexate pens which I prefer as the tablets where given me the feeling of something in my throat like globus sensation. I only heard about the pain clinic through this group which a lot of people seem to be apart of so that’s good to know. Thanks again your information has been really helpful and made me feel a bit more positive about it I hope you get back to your photography and good luck with your treatment 😊