Feel like I am stuck.

jessica09

Hello 👋.

I am new here and just looking for support and advice.

I have for the past 4 years suffered from mild to severe pain in my right foot which has came and gone but a mild pain has always been consistent. My third and fourth toe have also been consistently swollen and will not separate unless I manually make them.

I went for x rays and mri's to be told there is nothing wrong. Fortunately in February a physiotherapist took me seriously and carried out another another MRI which showed arthritis to my midfoot, tendinitis and tenosynovitis and a excess of bone marrow edema. She has referred me to orthopaedics but that isn't until October.

Unfortunately The last 9 weeks has been the worst flare up I have ever experienced and I am physically unable to walk without crutches as my foot feels like it is being crushed and shredded all at once and my heel is burning. My left foot is now also displaying midfoot pain and my little toe has swollen and unable to move😢. My gp has just been throwing codeine and naproxen at me but finally agreed to meet and agreed the inflammation is too much on both feet and believes I may have psoriatic arthritis as I have had psoriasis for over a decade. I have a blood test this week.

I am just in so much pain, constant pain. It hurts to stand in the shower, I have to walk down stairs side ways and can't walk far. I have a four year old child and work in healthcare but have been unable to work for the past month due to this. I am terrified I am going to lose my job. I am also displaying numbness and tingling up both legs which has only occurred in the last 3 weeks.

My fear is the blood test results though, I am scared they will say it is all fine and send me away like they have before and I will be left in limbo like I have been for many years.

Is it always this difficult to get taken seriously? Is there anything I can do to ease the pain in the mean time?

Sorry for the long post.

Jessica

MaryL44

Hello  @jessica09 and welcome to the Community. We are a friendly and supportive group and I hope that will be your experience as well.

I'm so sorry to hear how down you are feeling. Our website is a mine of information so do look at it. You might be particularly interested in:

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

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/foot-and-ankle-pain/

You will also find that a lot of our members have a great deal of experience in all aspects of arthritis. I am sure you will get some replies from people that have been or are going through your experience.

From personal experience I would say don't worry about the blood test results. If there is an indicator in your blood that points to the type of arthritis you have they will find it and once you are on the road to diagnosis and treatment you will feel much better.

Please keep posting now you are here and let us know how you are getting on.

Best wishes

Mary

Arciere

Hi Jessica

I too have been diagnosed with PsA (although I contest this because I don’t have Psoriasis). We’ve agreed inflammatory arthritis…. I know how it feels to struggle with stairs first thing in the morning!

I also had a long wait to see a specialist. The best thing for me personally (it might not be for you) was / is steroids, both in the oral tablet form - Prednisolone - and the injection (which I don’t know the name of).

The rheumatology department at my local hospital wrote to my GP asking them to consider a Predisolene prescription, while I waited for the specialist appointment. This did really help.

I do find Naproxen works if I take it as per the instructions for a few days. I wish it was instant relief for a flare up, but it isn’t for me.

jessica09

Thank you MaryL44 for the information you have posted on here. I will have to read through them.

It gives me hope that there is help out there and that once I receive a diagnosis I can lead on to treatment and basically live my life again.

jessica09

Thank you Arciere and yes, I have decided that stairs are actually the work of the devil! As is uneven pavements 🤣

I will have to speak to my gp once I get my bloods back about future medication and what can be offered. Atm they are limited but Im finding naproxen is only causing me headaches but continue to take them incase it needs more time.

Moira

Hi folks,

PsA - aparently you don't need to "have" obvious psoritis. I had a German locum who asked me more and wide ranging questions than anyone else did. It turns out my "dandruff" isn't actually dandruff at all but a form of psorasis.

The rhumatologist I had in Ipswich, once said, that there are so many types of arthritis and they are learning new variants all the time. Finding the right medication seems to be a bit of trail and error. I suppose we are all different.

When we moved to Wales, 7 years ago, my notes from England, weren't passed on and I have been treated as osteo until one locum asked me to outline my history. But because the waiting list to see a rhumatologist is so long here in Wales, she advised going private and I have an appointment in July at our local Spire Hospital.

Versus Arthritis has been such a help over the years. I don't know what I would have done without them - right from the days when it was Arthritis Care.

Stairs can be a problem but my physio said they are one of the best exercises you can have - so I perservere and go slow. 'Fraid my dancing days are long since gone!

Good luck folks with finding the right medication for you.

Arciere

Not sure if this will work for you, but I did acquire a water based foot spa from Argos. It does provide some relief to my feet - I.e warm water with rollers etc. It’s a bit gimmicky but can provide some relief.

[Deleted User]

What is the difference between osteoarthritis and psoriatic arthritis? I have arthritis but the podiatrist said it wasn't psoriatic even though I do have psoriasis.

Arciere

Hello

I’m not a medical professional but I explain it as; Psoriasis and Psoriatic Inflammatory Arthritis are autoimmune diseases. Osteoarthritis is damage to cartilage. (Happy to be corrected here !)

In my case, I suffer with widespread inflammatory flare ups, for reasons I have not yet been able to identify - even the weather seems to play a part and everything I read says diet can contribute, as will stress etc. So some days are dreadful, I ache all over - am extremely stiff and totally exhausted. Other days I can be better.

In a nut shell, it feels more like my tendons and connective tissue are on fire, rather than my joints and the pain comes and goes. Hard to explain. I also have tender joints etc.