Decision Time

I'm new to this group and I'm very excited that I found such a place to go to and share, learn and support those like me who are afflicted with PsA.

I've been diagnosed in the last year and suffered a silent heart attack in July. My blood work was always great, no issues at all. Neither my cardio nor my rheumy seemed to think the PsA was to blame. I was on Azsulfide and prednisone before the attack and have been using a strong topical steroid for years for the scalp psoriasis. A heart cath showed a thickening of my left artery, but my cholesterol is perfect. My cardio put me on blood thinner and cholesterol meds and my rheumy wanted me to start methotrexate and then a biologic after a month. I haven't taken the cholesterol meds, because I have no cholesterol issues, and haven't taken the meds my rheumy prescribed me either. I've tried to take a natural approach through diet and supps.

I'm slowly getting worse. My hands and back hurt constantly. I work as an electrician and need my hands to do my job. Two years ago I was running and lifting weights 5 days a week and now there are times that I can't get out of bed. I'm just totally exhausted. I've decided to go back to my rheumy and start a biologic. However, based on my research I feel like methtrexate would be a waste of time.

Any suggestions would be helpful!

Thanks

I am very new - diagnosed about 1 1/2 months ago, got x-rays, MRI and blood work to be able to start the DARMDS - including Humira. I have not only trolled around the internet, I also read a lot from this support group and then consulted with a brother-in-law who is a pharmacist and works for a well known medical facility and has familiarity with these meds and also has talked to specialists. There is no question that you and I and the rest of those on this support group will do better on the meds than not using meds. That does not mean diet or other things that others have tried are not helpful and may be able to switch from meds at some later date -- but meds are much more helpful than not taking them. The warnings you read about the meds are a legal cover your a__ and also includes warnings for cases which are for cancer - MTX was originally created for Lukemia - not PsA. I expect to start the meds this coming week, so I personally have not been on any of them yet but comfortable about them at this point.

Welcome to this site!. I can only go on my experiences and eating healthy has not been enough for me to contol my PsA without meds. A lifetime of eating much healthier than most people did not prevent me getting PsA. I can't know if by eating healthy all my life delayed the onset of full blown PsA until I reached my sixties.

Plaque Psoriasis started when I was 45 years or a bit earlier with some small spots that came and went. I suspect that I have had low grade symptons of PsA and flares on and off for most of my life but I was never diagnosed and eating healthy may have played a vital part in preventing it get to this stage until later in life.

By the time I went on to meds the damage was already there in my feet, toes, shoulders and quickly progressed to damaging my fingers and hands. It wasn't until the damage was obvious in my feet and toes that I was diagnosed after two years of suffering continual bad pain.

One of the main reasons for meds is to prevent the permanent damage to your joints.

To put is simple. Not using Methotrexate is like not putting in a over current protection devices. The result in not good. Metotrexate is to slow the progress of the damage that PsA can and will do if left untreated. Think of Metotrexate as baking soda and PsA and Battery Acid.

I hope you come to the right decission and soon.

Hi BP,

Welcome!

When you rely on a certain part of your body to be your income source, then there is great pressure to either get better asap or work out how to block out the pain. Nothing like healthy pressure :wink:

It would be viable to listen to your rheumy who I daresay has much experience in the personal stories of what has worked for his clients. Despite the heresay of certain drugs not working, remember…what does not work for 200 people, may indeed work for YOU.

Thank you all for the info and support. I'm hoping to get things going in the right direction before the wet and humid Florida summers!