Throat Infections and Psoriatic Arthritis

jamieA
jamieA Member Posts: 841
edited 3. Dec 2024, 12:01 in Living with arthritis

I'm presently suffering my 2nd throat infection in the last 3 months - as well as an upper chest infection. I saw my GP on Thursday about it. It wasn't my normal GP but a locum doing holiday cover. She examined me confirming both the chest and throat infections then casually mentioned that there was a known link between throat infections and PsA. I'd never heard about this but googled it when I came home and sure enough there are a number of clinical studies that report that throat infections, tonsil infections and upper respiratory tract infections are possible triggers for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Prior to being diagnosed with PsA in late 2020 I'd suffered a series of upper chest and throat infections after a bout of covid.

Comments

  • KazandNoo
    KazandNoo Member Posts: 134

    Hi Jamie

    That's very interesting. My weak spot since childhood has been tonsillitis, sometimes still get it when run down. A few months prior to being diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis I had had a nasty upper respiratory infection. My mother had worsening psoriasis from her mid thirties so there is that link too. I had had psoriasis only behind my ears and a small patch on the back of my head for a few years but after the upper respiratory infection I started having joints trouble big time. Fortunately I saw a really good doctor who immediately referred me to rheumatology and they diagnosed me a few months later in 2019.

  • jamieA
    jamieA Member Posts: 841

    Hi @KazandNoo

    I've a family history of psoriasis - myself, my father, 2 brothers and 2 sisters all have/had various levels of psoriasis. Funnily enough my psoriasis had reduced considerably from the age of 50 and was only in my ear canals when the consultant I saw about my swollen knee asked if I had psoriasis. I didn't understand the question initially as my psoriasis was unseen at that point. He then diagnosed me with PsA. Actually 3 weeks after my PsA diagnosis I was admitted to hospital with what turned out to be pneumonia. Like you by then my joints had gone into overdrive. One of the medical papers I read detailed the known link between streptococcal throat infection and psoriasis and hypothesised that the T cells that drive psoriatic skin lesions might originate in the tonsils.

    Funnily enough that's not the first time a medic has linked my PsA to another issue I have. I was diagnosed with trigger finger 18 months before my PsA was diagnosed. It was only at my 5th orthopaedics consultation earlier this year that the consultant casually mentioned that trigger finger was linked to PsA. Similarly my rheumatologist reckons that the plantar fasciitis I was treated for in 2018 was actually enthesitis.

  • KazandNoo
    KazandNoo Member Posts: 134

    Hi Jamie

    Are trigger finger and carpal tunnel syndrome linked? Because I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel years before my psa was diagnosed. I managed,just, to avoid surgery by splinting my wrist overnight. Strangely it seemed to resolve when I started on Amgevita.

  • jamieA
    jamieA Member Posts: 841

    Hi @KazandNoo

    I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel many years ago but avoided surgery and it disappeared over time with splint use. It was my right wrist which is the wrist that swells now due to enthesitis. So prior to being diagnosed with PsA I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel, plantar fasciitis and trigger finger. My rheumatologist has suggested these may have been early signs of PsA and enthesitis.

    Unfortunately my chest infection turned out to be something more serious and I’m presently in hospital after a procedure for a blocked heart artery.

  • KazandNoo
    KazandNoo Member Posts: 134

    Hi Jamie A

    I'm sorry to hear that you're in hospital.

    Get well soon.

  • Ellen
    Ellen Moderator Posts: 1,879

    Very best wishes for a speedy recovery @jamieA I very much hope the procedure has gone well and you will be home soon.

    Ellen.

  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,149

    My Goodness @jamieA I do hope you get well soon I'm so glad they found it and are treating you ((()))

    Toni x

  • jamieA
    jamieA Member Posts: 841

    Hi @KazandNoo @Ellen and @frogmorton

    Thanks for the concern. I'm home now after treatment and have had a stent fitted. I'm now on statins. Previously I'd read that psoriatic arthritis was linked to higher blood triglyceride levels and therefore higher cholesterol. For the last year and a bit I was trying to reduce my cholesterol levels without drugs by taking cholesterol lowering drinks, margerine spread and eating raw nuts. It was down to 4.9 but when my GP added in my comorbidities to their programme calculation they had asked me to start statins. I take so many other medications I wanted to try these other measures. In hindsight I should have started the statins last year.

  • aucuparia
    aucuparia Member Posts: 13

    @jamieA Oh dear. Glad to hear you are home and hopefully "on the mend"

  • Arciere
    Arciere Member Posts: 93

    hey @jamieA

    We must have very similar disease profiles. It was psoriasis in my ears that signalled PsA to my consultant and I also had plantar fasciitis previously. I did have my hands cut open for CT release but it wasn’t u til I was facing a great deal of stress that my body went into overdrive with inflammation. It’s funny you mention throat infections because if there’s one niggle I have it’s a funny throat every now and then.

    Anyway - trying to reassure you that you’re not alone in all this and I hope you’re improving health wise.

  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,149

    @jamieA I had a TIA in April even though my cholesterol is 3.9 they want me on statins too😕 ah well.

    As long as you are ok really it's all that matters what's another tablet in the grand schem of things eh?!

    Take care (())

    Toni x

  • jamieA
    jamieA Member Posts: 841

    Hi @frogmorton

    Hi Toni,

    I hope you've recovered ok. They've started me on the maximum dose of statins with the hope of reducing it as it starts to work. It's got to be the biggest tablet I've ever taken - think they may have mistaken me for a horse! The problem I have is they withdrew 2 of the 3 heart drugs I was taking for atrial fibrillation and tachycardia and replace them with 8 different drugs - so including my PsA drugs I'm now on 13 different medications. It's a full time job to manage them. My pharmacy delivers 4 weeks of blister packs at once and had delivered 2 days before I had the heart attack so I've had to return them all to be binned and replaced with the new drugs.

  • jamieA
    jamieA Member Posts: 841

    Hi @Arciere

    Although I'd been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, trigger finger, tennis elbow and carpal tunnel at different times in the past it was only during a chat with my current rheumatologist when she said that these were all possibly early signs of PsA and enthesitis. In the 8 months between me having covid and being diagnosed with PsA I'd had monthly chest infections and multiple antibiotics so I do wonder if there's a link.

  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,149

    I'm absolutely fine thanks as far as the TIA is concerned @jamieA did they start you on atorvastatin? I think there is almost a formula after an event such as yours and mine. We are given A, B and C. My statins were too big too so they gave me smaller tablets just had to take more of them at a time.

    Hopefully things will settle down for you and maybe they can reduce the meds in time. I have to agree what a waste🙄 maybe some can really be re-sued if it's obvious they are unopened.

    I volunteer at the foodbank and we are donated so so so many bottles of ensure and the like which unfortunately are prescription only so wasted 😕

    Onwards and upwards eh?!

    Take care we are still here and still doing ok👍

    Toni x

  • jamieA
    jamieA Member Posts: 841

    Hi @frogmorton

    Yes they've started me on atorvastatin 80mg - it's a huge pill - I though sulfasalazine was large but this is significantly bigger. I saw my GP yesterday and she said I'm on that dose for life after a heart attack.

    My worry is that the cardiac rehab nurse who called me the day after I got home casually mentioned that they recommend coming off biologics for 6-12 months. I don't think that's something I want to contemplate.

  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,149

    Sorry @jamieA I wasn't clear I meant ask the Dr to prescribe smaller tablets 40's maybe mine was prepared to do this for me as I struggle with tablets already. You'll have to take two but it might be a bit easier for you.

    I do hope you won't be forced off of your biologics for 6-12 months though sending best wishes

    Toni x