Can stress alleviate as well as cause Arthritis/Psoriasis?

MickyLuv · 23. Mar 2015, 09:36

Hello,

I've had a combination of arthritis and psoriasis for several years. It is often debilitating, with or without the painkilling drugs prescribed.

What mainly interests me just now is there have been 2 significant events in the last few years that have removed the symptoms completely.

Both were highly traumatic events, the first one mainly psychological, due to a family crisis, the second mainly physical due to my contracting Legionella and being hospitalized as a consequence.

Diet, or lack of it may have played a significant part in both events, though the stresses involved went beyond dietary effects.

The second event in particular caused my arthritic and psoriasic symptoms to disappear completely for a period of time between six weeks and two months.

I am interested in learning more about these effects and to what extent they may be related to recent newspaper articles suggesting that a 3 day fast resets the immune system, thus relieving associated disorders.

helpline_team · 23. Mar 2015, 12:12

Dear Mike,

Thanks for your post to Helplines. I've a feeling that there may not be much that we could offer on this issue. You may want to repeat your post on the Living with arthritis forum and see what other folk feel about this.

I'm familiar with a book Diet and arthritis by the rheumatologist Gail Darlington and there's a whole chapter where she talks through exclusion diets to see if your inflammation is triggered by particular foods.

I don't know where the stress exploration will lead, because I don't know that anyone would willingly submit to emotional trauma for medical research...

How are you feeling at the moment? You have to eat something sometime, so on the healthy eating front, the existing evidence would encourage going for the Mediterranean end of foods and having some omega 3 fish oil.

I hope you get some more posts which you find helpful.

Kind regards

Guy

MickyLuv · 23. Mar 2015, 12:50

Guy,
Thanks for the helpful reply.
I'll take your advice and re-post my question. I'm feeling good at the moment and as for the Mediterranean diet, I'm there, doing exactly that. Just acquired 2 large Mackerel for dinner.

I don't know of anyone who would willingly subject themselves to psychological or any other type of trauma. But there may be recorded examples of arthritis sufferers who have undergone such trauma and may also have observed similar effects on their symptoms. It's not like such a rejuvenating event is insignificant. Not the way I experienced it anyway.

helpline_team · 24. Mar 2015, 06:12

Hi Micky,

If you'd like a chat you'd be very welcome to ring us. By the way, the kind of arthritis you have, is it psoriatic arthritis?

One way or another there might be a discussion with people who are medically qualified about the medical side and the management of your arthritis.

Kind regards

Guy

MickyLuv · 25. Mar 2015, 06:41

helpline_team wrote:

Hi Micky,

If you'd like a chat you'd be very welcome to ring us. By the way, the kind of arthritis you have, is it psoriatic arthritis?

One way or another there might be a discussion with people who are medically qualified about the medical side and the management of your arthritis.

Kind regards

Guy

Thanks a lot Guy,
I'm in Spain just now, heading back to the UK. I'll be there by Tuesday and would really appreciate it if I'm able to resume this discussion then.

Thanks for the help and advice. It's much appreciated.

frogmorton · 27. May 2015, 13:48

MickyLuv wrote:

Guy,
Thanks for the helpful reply.
I'll take your advice and re-post my question. I'm feeling good at the moment and as for the Mediterranean diet, I'm there, doing exactly that. Just acquired 2 large Mackerel for dinner.

I don't know of anyone who would willingly subject themselves to psychological or any other type of trauma. But there may be recorded examples of arthritis sufferers who have undergone such trauma and may also have observed similar effects on their symptoms. It's not like such a rejuvenating event is insignificant. Not the way I experienced it anyway.

Mickyluv

I have no idea whether this is of interest and of course is very subjective and personal, but last year my youngest was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia - a HUGE shock and stress. I spent most of the year in hospital with her and was largely well the majority of the time. However once the real crisis was under control about Nov/Dec last year (and treatment for her much lower key), I found myself under the weather well and truly. Back on an even keel now thank goodness

Toni xx

Jen · 22. Jun 2015, 11:08

Hi Mike

I hope its ok to post here (I am not part of the helpline team)

Its interesting and likely there is a reason the body prioritises what focus the stress hormones target, that is quite an accommodating mechanism considering it may be able to switch off arthritis / Psoriasis in these extreme traumatic and stressful situations.

I am unsure though if there will be any investigation into developing medication that might be able to do same because the stress hormone in itself can cause other issues when over active, like cardiac and premature aging, so I am not sure if it would be possible, although on the other hand I could be wrong and I am also thinking it would be great to have the option to have a pain free holiday now and again with a drug prescription under supervised medical assessment and monitoring.

I have both arthritis and psoriasis, I've had psoriasis long before the arthritis developed but what I have noticed in this recent arthritic flare is the psoriasis is also having a say.

When I have endured trauma and times of extreme stress in the past, I experienced that those incidents did make me ill (but this was prior to having arthritis) I don't recall if my psoriasis flared. I was in a poor way for 1-2 years after the trauma and stress I experienced and I guess my whole recovery period was helping myself come out of it so likely I would not have been aware of much else.

Hope you have enjoyed your time in Spain.

Jen

stickywicket · 22. Jun 2015, 11:45

Jen wrote:

I have both arthritis and psoriasis, I've had psoriasis long before the arthritis developed but what I have noticed in this recent arthritic flare is the psoriasis is also having a say.

As you know, Jen, I also am just an ordinary forum member but I know on a previous thread you said you had OA. Have you ever seen a rheumatologist? Arthritis plus psoriasis can so often mean psoriatic arthritis. If you have that you really need Disease Modifying Meds to keep it under control. It could possibly be that your OA has arisen because PsA was untreated. That's how several of us on here got OA - because our auto-immune arthritis was treated too little, too late. Please give it a thought for your own sake.

Jen · 22. Jun 2015, 13:51

stickywicket wrote:

It could possibly be that your OA has arisen because PsA was untreated. That's how several of us on here got OA - because our auto-immune arthritis was treated too little, too late. Please give it a thought for your own sake.

Thanks SW no I've not seen a Rheumatologist, but the doc has referred me because I am not doing the OP drugs, also I have been thinking along the same lines as I have another illness where there is a psoriasis connection also, I will be mentioning it to the doc.

stickywicket · 22. Jun 2015, 14:07

I think it's good that you're going to see a rheumatologist. With luck, that will sort out whether or not you have PsA and, if so, you'll be put on the right meds.

As for osteoporosis - it's my GP who treats mine, not my rheumatologist.

helpline_team · 23. Jun 2015, 06:07

Hi all,

We are happy to field any questions or listen if there are points about this that you'd like to go over. I can't hear any distinct questions in yesterday's points - but do come back if I've missed anything.

Kind regards

Guy
Helplines

Can stress alleviate as well as cause Arthritis/Psoriasis?

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