Talked with new Rheumy on the phone yesterday. My HLA-b57 came back positive and my xrays show changes in my joints. I have all the symptoms of PSa also have banding and thickening of the toe nails as seen in psoriasis of the nails, but Rheumy states he doesn't want to LABEL me with the disease. I know labeling a disease is just that, but kinda fustrating when a doctor won't give you a definite answer. Anyway, stopping at the pharmacy today to pick up my MTX and plaquenil, so hopefully in a month or two I will have some relief. Luckily I have been feeling pretty decent the last couple of days, just a little tired so hopefully it lasts for a while.
Huh. I wonder why he doesn't want to "label" you. Sometimes medications and whatnot might not be fully covered without a diagnosis.
Hi Jill,
I hope what Stoney said didn't cause problems at the pharmacy. Your rheumatologist might well have coded you for insurance even if he doesn't want to "label" you. So odd! I do wonder if rheumatologists resist the PsA diagnosis because it is not from a dispositive test like, say RA.
As a patient, though, it is really important to have a name for your suffering. It sounds to me like you think you've got PsA--and your symptoms certainly sound very familiar. So let's just all agree that you belong here! And no matter what the doc says or doesn't say you have, you've at least been started on the right course of treatment for PsA. Good luck and keep us posted.