Flare-up symptoms
Hi there,
I was diagnosed back in October and I’m still trying to understand all the ins and outs of my condition, seronegative PsA and psoriatic spondylitis. especially flareups I’m unsure what they look like or should look like. I understand they are different for everybody.
I’m in the middle of a flareup now and was wondering if other people have the same symptoms. Apart from the joint pain and at times debilitating fatigue, I also have a very woozy head. The best way to describe this is almost like being drunk but not in a good way. I feel a slight pressure on my head, i’m a little dizzy, unsteady and don’t feel like myself. Basicalily, I feel ill and not able to work when at its first.
The first symptom of my flareup which started last week was this weird head, lack of concentration and a warm feeling all over my body.
I have been on methotrexate/methoject for 14 weeks now and I’m still getting used to the drug. i’m still getting nausea and have yet to see the benefits of it. Could the funny head be from the drugs?
Does anyone else find the same?
Thank you.
Comments
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Hello @Inarinori
Here is a link to the VA site information about methotrexate in case you haven't seen it:
I don't have any experience of what you describe, but hopefully there will be someone else here on the forum who can comment.
Best Joanne
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Hi there
Since it sounds like we have the same disease profile I thought I’d share my two pennies.
I think from participating in this forum, disease symptoms and medication side effects are indeed very individualised as you say. The Rheumatology Nurses are absolutely the best port of call for help.
A flare up for me, pre current medication, was terrible stiffness and then fatigue kind of in waves, to the extreme of having to stop and be still. When this occurred, I did experience some cognitive issues in that I just couldn’t think straight, or concentrate. I found sleep didn’t really help as I would wake unrefreshed which was particularly difficult with work and what not. So I just had to ride it out and in lots of cases, try and hide it.
My first Rheumatologist said my body was litterally on fire when we first met, so I think of a flare up as inflammation raging.I had a flare up recently and again I just felt totally wiped out. I could almost feel the inflammation moving in my body. I think I’ve said this before, but I spent lots of time looking for a pick me up before learning that actually, excluding some things from consumption actually made me feel better. In my case now, I am of the belief that accidental gluten consumption caused my latest flare up - this is total speculation however. It may actually just be the disease. I also think stress plays a part - not just busy work stress but any stressful thinking as such.
As for the methotrexate, I took tablets and had a 3 month wait time to see if they worked before we moved to something else.
If you want something to research and ask your Rheumatologist department about then you could look up Yulflyma (brand name) and other Adalimumab (drug type) medication. There are risks involved but the risk benefit for me is acceptable and I am mostly well, despite still moving slowly after being sedentary :-)
Take care0 -
Hi @Arciere 🙋♀️
Thanks for explaining your flare-up symptoms in detail. The heat…. interesting! All in all I think I only had three flare-ups, all in the last 12 months. So, I'm quite new to this still. And in between some stiffness and joint pain that's more constant, rather than in one big wave - does that make sense?
I'm quite lucky really as my rheumatologist considers my illness as 'mild' and 'we caught it early'. Personally, it doesn't feel mild, but reading other people's experiences, I can see that it could be a lot worse.
I've been trying to pin down what could have been the trigger, the most likely culprit I think is my work. I love my job and it would be hard to accept that I couldn't work full time anymore.
Anyway, yesterday was the worst day in terms of symptoms. I woke up and felt as if I had been hit by a truck and had a run in with Mike Tyson all at once! Totally wiped out. Feeling better today so I think, things are going in the right direction again. Phew!
The rheumatology nurse mentioned sulfasalazine last time I saw her, maybe they'll try that next. The only benefit I got from the MTX so far, is that my scalp psoriasis has gone completely. It would be nice to keep that benefit, I can finally wear black again ;)
It's definitely a journey and I'm learning a lot, some text book stuff but also here on the forum, valuable personal experiences that people generously share. So, thank you for taking the time to reply! x
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