Questions for Psoriatic Arthritis sufferers
Hello all. I have posted before about how I've managed to get my psoriasis relatively under control, but in focusing on that, I've kind of missed what may be signs of PsA. Now, I'm not self-diagnosing here, I am definitely going to bring this up with my doc next month, but I was wondering if anyone here has developed PsA later in their plaque psoriasis journey.
My first indication of psoriasis was roughly 10 years ago, and only just recently I've seen other changes. Last year, I noticed pitting in my nails and attributed it to nail fungus, and it seemed to resolve after using an OTC nail fungicide.
However, just a couple of weeks ago, I started getting achy elbows, fingers, and most recently, very painful toes, which, apart from the joint pain, always feel like that pain when you go from freezing cold straight to a hot environment, or vice versa.
Last couple of nights, it's kept me awake (alongside a rash caused by a brush with pokeweed during gardening), and walking after resting for a while is really painful. And the nail pitting has returned. I'm resisting the urge to match my symptoms with those listed on PsA web articles, which is basically confirmation bias, and as I said, I will bring up all the items with my doctor next month, but I wanted to hear anyone else's experience and how they are addressing it.
Note: my family has a history of autoimmune issues, including a younger sibling with severe RA.
Thanks for reading!
Hey
, Nice to hear from you again! Sorry to read about the pain you are in 🙁 Your toes in particular sound really sore. It's horrible when the pain keeps you awake. I am so glad that you have a doctor's appointment coming up where you can discuss this.
I've had psoriasis since I was very young and I developed PsA in my early-mid twenties. Pitting in my nails began in high school, but when my PsA symptoms started my nails actually switched from pitting to detaching from the nail bed (I'm not sure whether anyone else has noticed any changes like this?). My first PsA symptoms were tendon/ligament-related and the actual joint pain appeared a bit later on. I also had a horrendous time with fatigue. I started seeing my current rheumatologist a few years ago and he started me on methorexate, which has made a huge difference to my pain levels and my stamina has improved (although it's still nowhere near what it was pre-PsA).
This is just my personal experience, of course, and we're all different. I hope other community members will stop by and share their journey with you too. You're welcome to browse our sister site for PsA: https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/ and I thought that this information on how PsA is linked to psoriasis may be of interest: https://plaquepsoriasis.com/psoriatic-arthritis-risk-link/
I hope that this is of some help! Please keep us posted on how you're doing, and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. Gentle hugs! -Catherine, Community Moderator
I used to do this before, Pitting in my nails is my awful habit
Thanks for sharing this one, worth reading
I cannot contribute to it professionally but I wish you and your family well and good health
I think, a healthy psoriatic arthritis diet can help keep pain and inflammation in check.
I too, can't contribute professionally but I came across an article that certain diets work.
