Another rheumatology referral

LJCxox

HI

This is my first post on here - nice to meet you all.

I already have a diagnosis of osteoarthritis in my knees, greater trochanteric pain syndrome (bursitis in both hips), fibromyalgia, functional neurological disorder and rosacea.

Tomorrow I have another appointment with rheumatology because I have started to develop what I believe to be psoriatic nails. There is a family history of PsA, I have some limited skin flare ups which could be psoriasis but they are not constant - I have patches on my scalp which are hard to see, my belly button flares up occasionally and my legs are very scaly and itchy but this is always passed off as dry skin. This referral was made by my GP due to images that I sent in of my nails which are bending(clubbing around the tips of my fingers), ridged, lifting from my nail bed and becoming thickened.

When I had my diagnosis of fibromyalgia, I had multiple MRIs and ultrasounds of my back and pelvis, I have had CTs of my head and MRIs of my spine due to the FND and ultrasounds on my knees for the arthritis. I asked the last consultant I saw if she thought it was PsA due to all off the symptoms but they refused to acknowledge the issues on my scalp as psoriasis as it cannot easily be seen (I have a lot of hair!).

Anyway, I am just wondering what diagnostic steps to took for you to get anywhere....

I am almost 37, I don't want to wait until my 50s (like my mom did!) to be able to get a diagnosis because I know that early intervention is key for sustained positive outcomes.

I also believe that I have Raynaud's - as I type this I am sitting in a thick blanket with a heat pad on in a relatively warm room but my hands and feet still feel like ice and they are so very painful!

Thank you for reading war & peace, I look forward to reading your replies.

Chris_R

Hi @LJCxox

welcome to the online community great to see you posting and telling us all your symptoms and diagnosis,as you say war and peace.

You have a lot to contend with all that is happening to your body and joints.To add to it all you may have Psoriatic arthritis too and would like signs and symptoms of PsA.

Here is a link that may help

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/psoriatic-arthritis/

Hope this helps.please tell us how you get on and do chat with others on our forums,everyone is friendly and ready to give advice as they all know how you feel,because we all have some form of arthritis.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/raynauds-phenomenon/

the link above may help too

All the best Christine

jamieA

Hi @LJCxox

I was diagnosed with PsA 2 years ago at the age of 65. I come from a family with a history of psoriasis - my dad had it bad and 4 siblings also have it. My psoriasis has virtually disappeared in the last 15 years but the rheumatology consultant who saw me said it didn't matter as family history - and inflammatory arthritis symptoms - are enough to point them in the direction of PsA. I also have ridges in some of my nails and my nails are easily - and painfully - lifted off of the nail bed. I used to be someone who couldn't take hot weather but now I'm wearing thermal socks in summer and walking my dog at present I've 5 layers on and 2 pairs of gloves. My hands and feet are particularly cold and my consultant at one point though it might be Raynaud's but said my hand skin colour didn't show this. I took a heart complaint in the middle of the severe flares I was having last year and was put on blood thinners. I saw a cardiac consultant a couple of weeks ago and when I mentioned cold hands and feet he said a number of his patients on the same blood thinner had complained of the same so he is changing me to another drug to see if that helps.

Hope you get help soon.