Not just joints and tendons: PsA can affect your brain as well

As I recall my entire family were on valium. Maybe that’s not considered an anti-depressant & I should have said tranquilisers?:dizzy_face: Anyway, it did seem quite a progressive era, she had hyperbaric therapy too. Anything new that came along, off she went! Someone somewhere was splashing the cash in a way that doesn’t seem quite so obvious these days!

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It’s an interesting thing, and there’s been a lot written about it over the last year or so. I’ve had bipolar/depression for the last twenty-two years (probably longer). is there a link? I don’t know - but it’s interesting that the current course of steroids I’m on, which reduce inflammation, has made my bipolar better than it has been for a long, long time. Coincidence?

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Could be. On the other hand … you’ve had bipolar for a long long time and it just happens to get better while you’re taking prednisone. Sounds like there might just be a connection there, donchathink?

It does seem strange. If nothing else, I certainly feel more alive on the steroids - and now have them for another four weeks at least - so I might actually get to finish the work I’m doing!!

That must be quite a wonderful ‘side effect’ darinfan.

It is - but the only problem with being away for about four more hours a day is that I’m not used to knowing what to do with the extra time!

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It’s a good side effect Darinfan. I get ‘lots’ done on about 15mg a day. Lower than that I’m not as energetic and higher than that I’m a bit too ‘high’. But it is one of plus sides of them.

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Used to think that I didn’t have depression, but how can we help not having some? I am now taking Tramadol for a ruptured disc in my lumbar, it also has a bonus of being a mild antideppresant, and this has helped a lot. I am just taking 3x 50mg, I know that it cannot be stopped without titrating slowly off of it.
Another problem that rampant inflammation causes is a disease called Waldenstrom’s macrogobulimia, it is a Non Hogkins Lympoma, luckily it is slow growing. I was dx’d with this after detecting a IgM spike in my blood work.

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This was great thankyou.
I have always been a stressed, anxious, person which is why i probably caused this disease to switch on in the first place. i am a recent diagnoses. And i have definately gotten very upset and my emotions are ruling me. As well as a massive flare up at the same time. Even my fingers etc.
I beleive the anxiety, depression side is definately a big part of it.

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Not saying be careful how you phrase things at all. But as you have happened to write

I’d just like to say don’t blame yourself. I bet people who ‘keep it all in’ sometimes think that helped trigger the disease too … at certain points we’re all likely to look for something we’ve ‘done wrong’ along the way. But it’s almost impossible to identify any pesky triggers. Step one: you’ve got a diagnosis. Not what anyone wants but, believe me, that’s an achievement and the first step towards feeling hopefully a lot better. You’ve done good!

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I agree with Sybil - you didn’t cause this disease to switch on, your genes coupled with other environmental factors probably did. But you can do lots to help yourself sort out anxiety and depression. Although that takes time and patience and persistence. I got awfully angry and then depressed when I was first diagnosed. I decided though that was a natural reaction as frankly I was just grieving. Once I cottoned on to that I was somewhat gentler on myself as grieving of course wends its own ‘merry’ path and there’s not a huge amount you can do about it but travel it.

When I discovered I fractured my pelvis in June without falling so probably due to my steroid use, I truly did get awfully low and depressed, far worse than I expressed on here. And it was god awfully painful. That frightened me but having done ‘talking therapy’ in the past I pushed myself to remember some of the tools to use. As my fracture has got better I’m doing an awful lot better too, thanks to those tools.

So why don’t consider some sort of ‘talking therapy’? I spent 18 months doing it before any of this disease manifested itself so for other reasons and just learning about who I am and how to manage me better was so incredibly useful. Once I can get out more I’m seriously thinking of going back given this disease and its prognosis and how badly I did this summer. I do think I need help in coming to terms with it better than I have done to date. And wouldn’t it be nice if you learnt how to stop beating yourself up for being an anxious stressed person and revelled in its energy instead?

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although i never read anything similar to this so far, what i’ve read here does makes sense and that’s even more scary. Thanks for sharing as that’s really important to know even though it is so frightening to know this. Am I the only one who feels like this? Am I the only one who daily thinks of some kind of a miracle dianabol drug that would be invented and you take it and you’re all good? But sadly i realize this is only a dream. the fact that it affects your brain, as i said, is something i never read before, but always suspected…

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I have fantasies that the AI revolution will come sooner than later and we’ll have nanobots injected into our bodies that can fix all that ails us… lol.

I suffered from depression from about 18 on, and through meds/counseling felt better in my mid-20s. There were other factors there (death of my mom, dropping out of college, burying myself in video games) that all sort of make me wonder if the depression was the chicken or the egg. Now I find myself wondering the same with PsA.

For me, as of right now, I think the PsA creates the depression. When I wake up and haven’t stepped out of bed to see how my feet feel, my mood is normal. If I get up, and it hurts to take those first steps, my mood is immediately affected. It’s a pretty direct correlation. I had cortisone shots in my feet last week and those first days afterwards with no pain were amazing… like a veil had been lifted. Once the inflammation started creeping back… well back to feeling bleak.

I haven’t even really thought of it working other way around, so this thread has given me something to consider.

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And the evidence just keeps mounting. This article is about RA, but there’s no reason to think that it wouldn’t apply to PsA as well.

How’s everyone here doing? Let’s have a thread revival!

I’m crazy busy, but fine. The big excitement in my life has been getting a pair of shoes that fit my deformed feet, are beautiful to look at, and gloriously comfortable! (I know, it’s a sad state of affairs when a new pair of boots makes an old lady happy. Oh well…it is what it is. ROFL)

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I’ll be interested to see if effective treatment of my joints might sort out some of the “brain” things that seem to be going on… I live in hope :blush:

But… oh… new shoes… and beautiful at that :smile: of course you have every right to feel excited by that!!! Shoes are such a bug bear, I was excited to just have some that fitted correctly, and they are not beautiful by any stretch :laughing: but they are functional… am just waiting now for the winter boots I’ve ordered to arrive too :smile:

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Whatever turns your crank, Seenie! :rofl: Don’t worry, you’re not alone…

And, about PsA linked with depression, I definitely agree it very well could be. For me, the preoccupation with the nagging pain or knowing there will not be a day without pain is enough to cause depression! Just the fact that because of my constant worrying about my condition is why I’m on Sertraline now makes me think it’s all linked together. The weird thing is, though, I never got depressed from having just psoriasis. And, really, it is something I’m sure many people get depressed about …. “the heartbreak of psoriasis” …. remember that phrase from a TV commercial?
It’s a wonder we don’t all go stark raving mad!!! - I’m serious!

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Lol. Yes, I’m old enough to remember “the heartbreak of Psoriasis”. I have a friend who bemoans the heartbreak of sobriety. Very funny.

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I know. Far from it!

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New shoes that are comfortable should make any girl happy!!

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I’m going to read these links later but I have definitely struggled with anxiety and some mild depression ever since my symptoms began. Since being on prednisone I feel completely better. So upbeat with no anxiety and plenty of energy to tackle my day with my 3 children. I wish I could stay on it forever lol

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