Psoriatic arthritis

V8skull1 · 4. Nov 2022, 11:35

Hey 👋,

I have had arthritis for 24 years and l was only diagnosed that it is psoriatic arthritis that l have around 5 years ago. It is mostly in my hands but now it has spread to my knee and l seem to be getting flare up on the lower of my back and around my hips.

Does anyone else get this or has this pain??

Chris_R · 4. Nov 2022, 11:42

Hi @V8skull1

Welcome to the online community,so good you found us.

You say you have had Arthritis for 24years but only diagnosed with Psoriatic arthritis 5years ago.

Mostly in your hands and now its spread to your knee lower back and hips flare ups.

Flare ups are common in some arthritis but also very painful,here on the forums everyone has some form of arthritis and will chat about their personal journey on the forum.Its a good place to chat as everyone understands where you are coming from.

Here are some up to date links that may help you.

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

https://www.versusarthritis.org/

hope these links are benificial to you.Do go on our forums and chat to others it often helps.

All the best Christine

jamieA · 4. Nov 2022, 13:19

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/58895/psoriatic-arthritis

Hi @V8skull1

I was diagnosed with PsA in 2020. Initially it was my left knee that was the problem, quickly followed by my hands and right hip. At present my hands and both my knees are the worst areas I have. My lower back aches - I had previously been diagnosed with bulging discs. Last year I was given an MRI scan of my lower back and when I asked about the reason I was told that the sacroiliac joints that connect your spine to your hips are an area that can be affected by PsA and be a good indicator of PsA.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-68456-7#:~:text=Sacroiliac%20joint%20involvement%20is%20one,chronic%20changes%20associated%20with%20sacroiliitis.

I was prescribed Ralvo lidocaine patches and I find these help my lower back. I use compression gloves for my hands which I find help. I was also prescribed capsaicin cream for my joints and wear knee supports which trap the heat generated by the capsaicin cream which I think helps my knees.

V8skull1 · 5. Nov 2022, 19:46

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/700826#Comment_700826

V8skull1 · 5. Nov 2022, 19:50

Hi Christine,

Thanks for getting back to me , for years it took a while to get a diagnosis of the type of arthritis that l have as their has been a lot of complications.

I will have a read at the information that you have sent over.

Thanks Val

V8skull1 · 12. Nov 2022, 18:33

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/700832#Comment_700832

Hi JamieA,

Thanks so much for all the information and l am sorry that you have had to go through so much. Can l ask you is the pain travel from hip to hip, lower back and down your legs also my back locks to. I asked my GP for lidocaine patches hes but she wouldn't prescribed them to me so l am just using heat pads and voltarol cream.

I am just waiting on my appointment with the rheumatologist and hopefully get an MRI then.

Thanks again

Val 🙂

jamieA · 13. Nov 2022, 08:53

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/701145#Comment_701145

Hi @V8skull1

When I first suffered the symptoms of PsA in 2020 my shoulders, hands, hips, lower back and left knee were the worst. I had been diagnosed with bulging discs L1-L4 in 2016 so I've suffered from sciatica before this and felt I did again when PsA arrived. However a rheumatologist said it sounded like enthesitis as I wasn't getting the pins and needles you normally get with sciatica. It felt like my muscles were being crushed in a vice.

I said in another post earlier this week that I now feel like the symptoms I get are a bit like a whack-a-mole game. At different times different joints hurt but to nowhere near the same level of pain they did before I was moved onto biologic adalimumab.

I was referred to a pain management consultant by my rheumatologist last year who prescribed lidocaine patches and capsaicin cream. I've seen it stated here before that GPs have refused to prescribe both due to cost. I think that's a nonesense as a box of 30 lidocaine patches costs the NHS £75 and a tube of capsaicin cream £13. Considering they last me a month I don't think that's expensive.

I hope you get sorted soon.

Psoriatic arthritis

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