34 awaiting diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis.

Options
kirsty287
kirsty287 Member Posts: 2
edited 23. Jul 2025, 17:07 in Living with arthritis

Hi,

I’m 34 and have had psoriasis all my life, particularly affecting my skin, scalp and nails. In more recent years I have suffered with inflammation in my joints and most recently in my back, neck and shoulders. This has become almost unbearable at times in the last few months and I have been struggling with daily activities such as dressing myself and driving. I have been re referred to rheumatology after being discharged at the beginning of this year, my gp and a private physio have both confirmed they think I will receive a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis which has been under discussion since 2019. Although I have been aware of this for some time, I have found the recent flare up and imminent diagnosis really difficult. I am looking for some support/guidance from anyone who has been through similar to help me navigate this.

Kirsty

Tagged:

Comments

  • Arciere
    Arciere Member Posts: 131
    edited 23. Jul 2025, 05:45

    H @kirsty287


    I’m sorry to read about your situation. Things that helped me initially included the RA Nursing Teams via the Rheumatology Advice Line - your local hospital should have one. Prednisolone oral steroids - these helped to reduce inflammation. The some significant changes to my diet - if you’d like me to explain this further do let me know. Oh and warm baths!

    Following that, I have found that biologic medicine to be very effective. I have landed on the fact that I have Spondyloarthritis which is a collective term for inflammatory arthritis types (reactive, psoriatic, etc)

    What they tell me is that my medication is used broadly across Spondyloarthritis types. (This may need verification). The medication is called Yulflyma, it’s a biologic medication.

    I also think emotional stress can be a trigger, as is dehydration.


    hope this helps let me know if you would like info about diet.

  • kirsty287
    kirsty287 Member Posts: 2
    https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/736247#Comment_736247

    Thanks very much that’s really helpful. I’m currently on Celecoxib twice daily which definitely reduces the inflammation but some days doesn’t feel enough, I’ll definitely discuss biologics with my rheumatologist.


    I’d be interested to know more about diet as this is something I think I could definitely improve to support symptoms. Also any advice on exercise - I used to swim and run but recently haven’t been able to and I am also gaining weight as a result.

    Thanks for your reply!

  • olivia_b
    olivia_b Moderator Posts: 108

    Hi @kirsty287,

    Welcome to the online community. I hope you find it to be a safe space to share any thoughts or issues with us and the members! We are happy to have you here!

    I'm sorry to hear you are going through a rough time at the moment! While I personally don't have any experience with psoriasis, I have seen some of our lovely members have already got back to you with their experiences and advice, and as time goes on, this will only increase.

    Also, please feel free to look at any other discussions involving psoriasis, as you may find that useful as well.

    Best of wishes and please feel free to share anymore issues, queries or thoughts with us and other members on here as we are always happy to listen, Olivia x

    Need more help? - call our Helpline on 0800 5200 520 Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm

  • Arciere
    Arciere Member Posts: 131
    edited 23. Jul 2025, 16:12

    hi @kirsty287

    Do you use Ai - if you ask Chat GPT about links between the gut and RA it’s quite interesting and chimes with my experience.

    If you look on Amazon, there are a bunch of cook books for RA, the one I like also talks about foods to experiment banning.

    On Netflix there is a documentary called Hack your Health, which talks about the microbiome and the impact on diseases such as RA.

    The things I rate that have worked for me include:

    • no gluten (it’s in everything not just bread, pasta and beer). I tend to avoid gluten free products and just eat and drink things that are naturally gluten free - although gluten is widely used in a broad range of things so you need to check. Most restaurants in London now cater really well for gluten intolerance - I feel a movement occurring!
    • no artificial sweetener. I choose natural sugar every time but see my next comment. So that’s no aspartame no Sucralose (they say it’s bad for the microbiome)
    • reducing sugars ending in “ose” glucose, fructose, lactose. Honey is a real trigger for me.
    • no deadly nightshade veg: no potatoes, tomatoes, aubergines, okra, paprika, cayenne pepper or bell type peppers
    • staying hydrated - sparking water mainly
    • adding pro biotic foods to my diet (to help the microbiome) like kefir (plain) and sauerkraut, kimchi etc. there is a fabulous brand of sauerkraut with ginger and tumeric
    • keeping your fibre high through varied veg/beans/pulses (pre biotics)


    There is an amazing cookbook by the food outlet called Leon (who do the best gluten free chicken nuggets fyi) it’s called fast and free - a good example of how to eat without consuming tomato based pasta dishes or white potatoes at every evening meal. Think it’s discontinued, but work a look, Amazon has plenty of others.


    I think the key is reflecting on what you consume and just taking stock. I spent ages looking for supplements, only to find more success with excluding food groups. You could also look at the FODMAP diet - maybe.

    Finally I must mention emotional stress. I was quite poorly for quite some time and I do attribute that to a prolonged period of emotional stress - together with poor gut health and a gene called HLAB27 which apparently makes me more susceptible to inflammatory disease. Talk is cheap, but consider where or how you can reduce stressful situations or thinking. It’s tough, I know.

    finally - do experiment with Ai - it’s really quite fascinating. I guess I should add the caveat that we need to rely on the professionals ultimately and of course my medication works in tandem with my diet.

    Hope this helps

  • Revs1
    Revs1 Member Posts: 7
    https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/64874/34-awaiting-diagnosis-of-psoriatic-arthritis

    Hi Kirsty, I was diagnosed with PSA officially about 18 months ago after 20 years of my GP initially diagnosing me of severe gout. I can honestly say it’s been horrendous at times and has put a big strain on my family, however there is light at the end of the tunnel. My specialist has told me that there are a number of treatments available for PSA, it’s just a matter of hitting the correct treatment that works for your body. At the minute I’m on my 4th form of treatment which is a biologic named rinvok. I’m on day two of it and I’ll keep you posted on here on how it’s going because it could be something for your specialist to consider. Also, the help and support on here has really helped me, through this site I was also put in contact with my local arthritis support group who meet every second weekend of the month and again I’ve found the facility really helpful.

Categories