Hello, nice to meet you all

Im looking forward to learning more about this disease ,helping and giving support.

I was diagnosed with PA about 5 years ago after a long painful and discouraging trek.Started with pain in middle of my back and very sore heels.

I have been on cimzia and now currently taking humira 2 times a month, prednisone, methotrexate and tramadol

Lately aside form the curled up toes and losing nails, painful knees and fingers. I recently developed a very painfull left side of my jaw and the top of my spine is a piercing pain. Im getting worse!

I own a home improvement company and rely on my body for my career, I lift a lot of weights and on the outside im in very good shape but on the inside I am a mess! believe it or not I do not have any pain while lifting.

I have lately been thinking of what this might do to my career and long term effects and must say im a little worried. I try to remain positive and do what I have to do for my family but this work is hard enough without the pain of this disease adding to it!

Hope I can help in any way here, nice to meet you

David

Sky Tech

Welcome to the group David! You mentioned that you feel as though you're getting worse. It is a progressive disease, but often a med adjustment will be helpful in slowing things down again.

That's interesting that you don't have any pain while weight lifting. I just started going to the gym, and doing the weight machines. I am not lucky enough to have no pain while lifting, so I do light weights and more repetitions. It's good for you, that you're able to keep on moving. Staying active is important.

You'll find lots of great support here.

Thanks Stoney,

I consider myself lucky being able to workout as much as I do, keeps me looking and feeling better about myself.

I really don't feel pain while Im lifting kind of a getaway haha

keep doing light weights and work through it I believe it will help you a lot!

I will be going to another DR soon, pain has gotten out of control

great support here

Welcome
Exercise can release endorphins which are “natural narcotics”, might be why lifting doesn’t hurt you. I am just the opposite… Any stress on my ligaments and tendons and I am very much in pain. Will take me a day or two to get back down to my baseline pain. Like the the other person commented… Don’t push your body too hard. Light weights are good. Lifting big stuff may accerate joint damage.

Again. Welcome.

Hi Skytech, sorry to hear how awful you’re finding PsA! I was a nurse most of my adult life, getting bathed ready for night shift one evening, got out and heard load crack!! MRI showed 4 slipped discs! Then I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis and then fibromyalgia and PsA! It meant I was unable to work so I was medically retired in 2008! It’s tough, I’m on shed loads of painkillers inc., 2 types opioids plus morphine patches and I’m still in pain! It gets you down, support is essential but I find people who are ok joint wise, don’t understand at all! My shoulders and feet are very painful, it’s very damp here at the moment! Please can anyone suggest anything to help?

Thank You KT

im sorry to hear that, I can only offer support. I really do not have any suggestions to help with the pain only try to keep as active as possible

hope it clears up a little

David skytech

Hi Skytech. Welcome to the group. I'm glad you found us, but not glad you have the PsA that lead you here. I used to be the CEO of a nonprofit organization, and you would think that would be primarily a desk job...but it so wasn't. I helped with just about everything from unloading trucks, moving office furniture, building/tearing down walls, to complete remodels of people's houses who were living in poverty and couldn't afford basic maintenance (meaning most of those houses were falling down around our ears while we were in there trying to make it as safe as possible for people to live there). I worked on average about 80-120 hours per week, and the stress was, literally, killing me. I finally had to call it quits 17 months ago, and have been fighting with SSI ever since. I try to stay as active as I can, but I keep getting conflicting information from doctors. My Rheumy tells me that until I get this flare under control, to stay off my horribly inflamed and ouchie knees as much as possible, while my GP tells me I should be walking at least two miles a day. So I try to meet both of their expectations somewhere in the middle and just kind of plug through life as best as I can. I always know when I've pushed the envelope too far when I start getting incredibly bad muscle spasms in my back and legs and my knees feel like shards of glass rubbing together. :) Sounds like fun, no?

I believe that I know my body better than anyone else does, seeing as I live in it 24/7, so I listen to it's cues. If something hurts beyond a normal work-through-it kind of pain, I don't do it. I know pretty much, through trial and error, what I can get away with and what I really can't get away with. So my best advice to you is to listen to what your body is telling you. If you can continue to lift weights, do it...but be cautious. If you can continue to work, do it. There is nothing worse than taking a formerly very active and engaged person and putting them on the bench. Depression sets in, you start feeling worthless, and pretty soon you start buying into your own drama. Don't let that happen to you.

Most importantly, make sure you have lots of support. The folks here are really knowledgeable and caring. They will truly empathize with you when things are really bad, and they'll give you a gentle kick in the rear when that is whats needed. Mostly, though, we have all been down a similar road, and we really do understand what you are going through. Sometimes that's really all you need.

Hello Tmber

Thank you for the nice introduction, very pleased that I found this site. I must say I do feel blessed that I can do my workouts and can do my physical work though with pain but doable.

I do see a lot of people hurting here some worse nd some better but just the same.

If I can help in any way to deal with this for anyone I will!

Thank You

David skytech