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Ok so hi!! I’m new to this here group! I’m Dee- it’s nice to meet u all. I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis in Oct 2012. I’m on MTX 20mg and folic acid and Vimovo. I have been getting on and off blurred vision (I’m short sighted anyway but worse) and shortness of breath/chest tightness usually associated with fatigue. It can get either or both of these symptoms at anytime. Anyone else have this too?!
Welcome to the group Dee! What you will likely find is that many symptoms can be associated with the disease itself, some are side effects, and some are completely unrelated.
As an example, I have a flare every spring, and it lasts the entire allergy season. So one year, it included an asthmatic type condition. I had all sorts of testing done, and lo and behold, it cleared up by early summer, when the flare started to back off. I've never had that particular one happen again.
The blurred vision. . . .Personally I've had problems with vision related to inflammation, but it's not something that comes and goes. It is longer lasting. I went on a new med a few months ago, and my eye doctor is VERY happy with how my eyes look now. If you're having problems with your vision, I strongly encourage you to see your eye doctor.
Do you feel like your PsA is fairly well controlled right now?
Hello,
You should call your doctor Monday. If you notice anything that seems worse you should call hospital asap.
I have not had blurred vision, other than starring off into space longer than I should. I take that back....The first week I took MTX one of my eyes, the left, had horrible periferal <(sp) vision for two days. I upped my folic acid from around 1mg to 2.5mg.
I smoke so I'm not much help for the shortness of breath. However, I do get a tighness in my chest. For me, it is like anxiety. Well, not "like", it is. Sometimes I'm just sitting on the couch and notice how tight my chest is and want to yell or throw something.
Anyway, You should talk to your Doctor.
Thanks so much for d advice!! @stoney my PsA is not in control unfortunately. I wonder if it ever will b!! Some of my joints r better but my right hand is murdering me and the fatigue is absolutely ridiculous. I am much too young to feel this old!!
Hi Dee, my real name is Dee! I get very blurred vision when I’m having a flare up or a particularly bad day with my arthritis. I also get a bad chest even though the doctor always says it sounds fine, I get short of breath at times and at other times my chest aches or hurts when I move.
I said the same thing the other day!!! ( I am much too young to feel this old!!) I just got my first cane... :( Im too vain for a cane but man, I need it now, ugh.
Dee said:
Thanks so much for d advice!! @stoney my PsA is not in control unfortunately. I wonder if it ever will b!! Some of my joints r better but my right hand is murdering me and the fatigue is absolutely ridiculous. I am much too young to feel this old!!
Hi Dee! Welcome here; it is so great to come share experiences, learn and support one another. My vision has gotten a little worse since being diagnosed in 2006. I have had the shortness of breath off and on and talk to my doc about it many years ago and he determined that it was mostly caused by inflammation of the chest diafram. Makes sense since this disease does effect cartlidge and other soft tissues surrounding bone. Once my biologics kicked in for good, the chest issues went away. It happens still when I am super having a bad day but most of the time, it is good.
I recently had to purchase glasses but I could not tell you that was caused by the disease or not. Every year I have an appointment with an Opthomologist to check the inflammation in the eyes. I suppose you have had that referral to do so, too. If not, you should speak to your rhem about doing so.
Hope you have a great day!
AnneMarie
Hmmmm. I am not on any of the meds yet, and I too have blurred vision (it varies day by day, and is always worse in the am...) I also have breathing difficulties. As I'm med free currently, but have had these issues for years, some days I can't ever get a full breath in, I suspect it's part of the illness more than the drugs? Not sure. I have my first visit with my new US rheumy on Thursday, so I may ask her about this. Add it to the list I'm taking.
let me know what your Rheumatologist says!! thanks @redhedgurl!
Redhedgurl63 said:
Hmmmm. I am not on any of the meds yet, and I too have blurred vision (it varies day by day, and is always worse in the am...) I also have breathing difficulties. As I'm med free currently, but have had these issues for years, some days I can't ever get a full breath in, I suspect it's part of the illness more than the drugs? Not sure. I have my first visit with my new US rheumy on Thursday, so I may ask her about this. Add it to the list I'm taking.
Oh No your poor thing!!! but if it helps! did u pick out a pretty cane at least?!
Sara M said:
I said the same thing the other day!!! ( I am much too young to feel this old!!) I just got my first cane... :( Im too vain for a cane but man, I need it now, ugh.
Dee said:Thanks so much for d advice!! @stoney my PsA is not in control unfortunately. I wonder if it ever will b!! Some of my joints r better but my right hand is murdering me and the fatigue is absolutely ridiculous. I am much too young to feel this old!!
I am using a walking stick now but I made sure I bought a leapord print one to make me feel a hit better lol!
YES!!!! I have been back and forth between pulmonologist, opthamologist, cardiologist and rheumy... no one seems to know for sure what's going on...
My GP sent me for an X-ray when I was feeling SOB and they found inflammation at the apex with no explainable cause other than follow up in 6 months... 6 months later I still had occasional SOB and inflammation. Around the same point...I also saw an opthamologist because I started Plaquenil (needed baseline measurement). My vision was very blurry up close and photosensitive. The doctor said "next you will definitely need glasses". So 6 months later... spring.. good day no flare ups no SOB... can see without reading glasses and she remarks "you have perfect vision".
Now, we haven't completely found the cause of the SOB BUT my pulse rate is always high. Also, I had several episodes when I couldn't sleep at night (in pain) and SOB. I checked my blood pressure and it was 198/130! This happened a couple of times.
I normally have pressure at 120/75 so I "normally" don't have blood pressure but she was concerned about the episodes. My SOB only occurs at rest and usually after a flare-up. I don't have chest pain but I noticed that if my pulse rate is high enough without pain, I have no SOB. With the SOB I also get a funny sensation..maybe some tightness too but just feel "sick" and lying down doesn't help.
I got a cheap ECG and it occasionally captures "suspected missing beat" during SOB and again higher pulse but nothing that my cardio can put her hands on because it is so transient. BTW I had a full workup for mitral valve (common RA patients) and my cardio can't figure it out (but she has been patient and trying to figure it out with me). With the BP med, my resting pulse came down a little from 98bpm to about 80 but I still get the SOB. Hope the info is helpful and please let me know if you find anything else about it!
Oh my god @Bigfoot- ur having an awful time of it!! It helps to know I am not the only one!! I am surprised they didn’t start u on steroids r an inhaler for the inflammation!! How do they expect it to go away? I hav a mixture of tightness and SOB but as I said it only happens mayb once r twice a day usually in d evening. I mite get myself an ole X-ray too if it doesn’t go away.
Ur BP thing sounds worrying. I’d b afraid u’d hav a heart attack with a BP that high!! Hav u had a stress test and or a holter monitoring done??
By the way I just want to say a huge thank you to every one that has commented/is commenting with advice, encouragement and their stories. I am so moved by the support!! I only joined here 2 days ago. I really appreciate all the help! It’s nice to b able to talk about things! X
Hi Dee. Glad you're here. I had blurred vision and fatigue on Mtx too....I was really out of it all the time. I couldn't stay on it...it was way too much for me. I also had really bad muscle aches. I ached everywhere. My memory was really bad too. Couldn't function.
I don't really have blurry vision but it would be hard for me to tell I think because my eyes are so bad anyway, I wouldn't think twice about it. I did recently have to give up wearing contacts because of severe dryness in my eyes and inflammation and go to glasses which I hate but hey at least I can see. I also went to the doctor last week because of SOB and an irregular heartbeat. I too am a smoker - and before anyone yells I will quit when those grandbabies are born - and I thought my problems may be related to that. After many, many tests he said nothing is wrong, it is just another symptom of this lovely disease. I have now aadded blood pressure meds to the ever growing list of ones I now take. I don't have the official diagnosis handy because I am out of town but the results were pretty clear inflammation from psa is the cause. As far as memory loss goes - what was I saying? I'm never sure if it is a symptom of psa, old age or being a blonde.
Forgot to add… I’ve been on prednisone for 3 years (low dose) and passed the stress test. When I started the Plaquenil, as I said above, my vision got better which is the opposite of the side effect “blurry vision” common with the drug. (?) Also, when I get really bad I get a butterfly rash on the face - cheeks (no I don’t have lupus) with the other symptoms mentioned.
I get short of breath and my chest feels tight and I feel exhausted. I have had all sorts of tests, they did not find anything much wrong with me. When the medical profession can't find any answers I tend to put it down to PSA
It is always important to get all chest pain checked out, even if it is to just rule out anything serious.
I was having inflammation in eye but it was more than blurred vision....I couldn't see and was in horrible pain, constant headache I had to have steriod injections in my eye. Rheumy changed me to Humira and eyes cleared up also helped my joints. I have also experienced to inflammation in chest wall haven't found anything that helps; just wait til the flare up is gone.
Now that you guys mention it...I must have SOB! It must be a bad case too! All the time people, even strangers, look at me all crazy and say "SOB!" I didn't know what it was untill now!!!!!! My wife says I should get it checked out?!