Hello :)

Hi my name is Vicki, I am 31 and was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis about 2 yrs ago and it has only just recently started to sink in:( it has been a long couple of yrs with many trips to the drs also had an operation a yr ago due to having tendonitis of the Achilles heel. I am currently still on sick leave from work but as I have been off for a yr I have just had a meeting with my manger to whether I will be going back or not which is now in the hands of head office to decide. I have my 3 children to look after and at the moment am in pain everyday and tired all the time. I just don't know what to do anymore so thought I would seek out some advise from people who are going through the same thing.

Hi Vicki. You will find this forum has a ton of useful information, a place to vent when needed, and most importantly people who understand.

Thank you CandiP. I think that’s the main problem with my family and husband that they don’t understand what I go through everyday and its just getting so tough at the moment

Welcome Vicki, sorry you are going through such a hard time. Many members here have been and still are in your shoes, you will not feel alone. What sort of treatment are you currently on for PsA?

Hi Easternlady, I take methotrexate, codydramol, was on naproxen but dr changed to fenactol 2 weeks ago, folic acid and lansoprazole. A nice concoction that doesn’t even seem to be doing anything at the moment.

If those meds have been working up till recently and your pain has increased it could mean your in a flare. DMARDS and NSAIDS are the usual first course of action, some people they help, others they don't, everyone reacts differently to meds. How long have you been on the Methotrexate? Has your rheumy talked to you about biologics? It is a process to find the right combination of medications that works.

I have been on it for about 1 1/2 yrs was on the injections to start with but I am needle phobic so was just getting to much doing that all the time so am on the tablets. Haven’t seen my Rheumy for about a yr now my dr is talking about referring me back out the hospital to see them if things don’t improve. It just all confuses me and all the dr seems to do is throw more pills at me:(

Vicki, I’m so sorry that you are in such a difficult position with this disease, and I’m cringing to think that there are big career implications for you. The only thing you are taking that might have a “braking” effect on your PsA is the methotrexate, and it sounds to me as if it isn’t working for you. That should have been clear in three or four months. Why didn’t you get sent back to the rheumatologist last spring? And now it sounds like your career is hanging in the balance.
Yes, I’m afraid you might be right about your GP throwing pills at you when s/he should have been sending you back to the rheumie instead.
I really feel for you: the combination of fatigue and pain is awful, and you are probably suffering depression as well, which is all part of the PsA picture.
Is there any way you can stave off the career decision until you see the rheumatologist and have tried some of the more aggressive therapies?

U have totally hit the nail on the head there seenie, my dr tried to give me anti depressants but I told him that I am taking enough pills already and don’t want anymore he has now referred me to a councillor who i spoke to on the phone the other day and now waiting for them to decide whether group or 1-1 sessions would be better for me. Everything was manageable before I had the operation but since then it’s got really bad, that itself still isn’t 100% due to the Psa. On the work front it’s all upto them now so have to wait for them to decide. Hopefully they will find a solution so I can stay my job is quite physical with a lot of getting up and down from the floor and up ladders which due to my operation I still can not do yet without struggling. I have to call dr during the week to find out results of blood test so might ask him to refer me back to my Rheumy. Thank u :slight_smile:

I'm so sorry you are hurting. Pain is always difficult to deal with, and added to the fatigue....it is just hard some times. You are certainly in the right place for some moral support from people who understand what you are going through. Welcome to the group!

Vicki, if you don’t mind my asking, what was the deal with your Achilles’ tendon? Did anybody ever suggest a cause for your tendon troubles? And what did they do to it?

And you mention waiting for the results of blood work. What is your GP expecting to learn from this? Bear in mind that many of us here have had only very slight indications of problems in our blood work. Some of us have even had perfectly normal inflammation markers at the same time that PsA was destroying bones and joints in our body. With PsA, results from routine blood work don’t necessarily tell the story. (My own blood work showed only very slightly elevated inflammation markers while my hip was so inflamed that I almost bled out during a hip replacement. Not to scare you, but …) Just remember that, if your GP says that your blood work shows that your disease isn’t too bad.

As for your depression, what can I say? I suffered from depression for years, and as time went on – despite anti-depressants in increasing doses – it got worse. The anti-depressants did help me, but not enough. In retrospect, my depression deepened as my PsA (undiagnosed until quite recently) intensified. After diagnosis, a year of DMARDs, and feeling wretched the whole time, I was put on a biologic and poof the depression lifted. I think there is a very good chance that your depression is strongly connected with your PsA. If that’s the case, you need a pro-active rheumatologist more than you need a counsellor. Counselling is good, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a slow process and if getting counselling becomes a detour (another way that your GP can put off dealing with the real issue for a few more months and slowing you down from getting the aggressive therapy that I think you need for your PsA) it might not be the best choice for you right now.

Here’s the sad fact, something a lot of us have learned the hard way. There are a lot of GPs and even rheumatologists who really do not have a good understanding of this disease. Scary. But true. Can I suggest that you get proactive, and become your own authority on your disease? In the “Book Reviews” section above, I recommend an excellent book about PsA. The kindle version is a bargain. If you don’t have a Kindle, you can download free Kindle software for your PC and be reading the book in a few minutes.

Many of us here have discovered that when we became knowledgeable about PsA and proactive with our carers, that the quality of our lives started to improve. And I know from experience, that’s a massive task for someone who is in pain, anxious and depressed. But well worth doing.

Thank u so much for all the info it is something to think about.
I had tendinitis of the Achilles heel which was said to of been brought of by the Psa, I had a massive lump on the back of my ankle which they had to go in and scrape away all the rubbish but because there was so much they had to pull the tendon through from my big toe. I was in a cast for 8weeks and wasn’t able to move about as using the crutches was too pain full on my hands I have been going physio twice a week for about 7months but they have signed me off as there is nothing else they can do so I just have exercises to do at home.

The bloods were my monthly check but dr added a couple more to see if there is any sign of Inflamation.
That’s what I don’t understand my bloods have always been fine even when I’ve been really bad.
Sometimes the drs reaction upsets me as he try’s to tell me it’s all in my head my bloods are fine so nothing is wrong:(

I will definatly look into getting that book, thanks again :slight_smile:

OK, that’s good, so at least they recognize that your Achilles’ tendon issue is related to your PsA. That tendon is one of the prime sites for this disease.



I don’t understand why my bloods have been fine when I’m really bad either. And you do know, don’t you, that many of us here have been told in many different ways that this is all in our heads. (Go see a counsellor, LOL.) It is NOT in our heads.



Get the book Vicki.



PS when was the last time that your joints were x-rayed?

I haven’t had an x-ray since I was diognoised.

Oh.



Vicki said:
I haven't had an x-ray since I was diognoised.

Should I have had more done?

If it were me, I’d be asking for hands, feet, hips and knees. A lot can happen in four seasons of PsA.
Your GP should be able to order these, and they could just be useful when you return to your rheumatologist.
JMHO

Thanks seenie, I will speak to my dr tomorrow

Welcome Vicki,

My blood work also shows everything is good, even when I have a ton of swelling. The book that Seenie is recommending is a great read and has been a huge help in understanding PSA. This group has also been a wonderful support. We are our best advocates and with knowledge we have a greater understanding as to why it's so important that this disease is treated immediately along with knowledge or the progression and treatment. I hope you find some relief soon and wish you the best finding the right treatment.

Vicki said:

Thank u so much for all the info it is something to think about.
I had tendinitis of the Achilles heel which was said to of been brought of by the Psa, I had a massive lump on the back of my ankle which they had to go in and scrape away all the rubbish but because there was so much they had to pull the tendon through from my big toe. I was in a cast for 8weeks and wasn't able to move about as using the crutches was too pain full on my hands I have been going physio twice a week for about 7months but they have signed me off as there is nothing else they can do so I just have exercises to do at home.

The bloods were my monthly check but dr added a couple more to see if there is any sign of Inflamation.
That's what I don't understand my bloods have always been fine even when I've been really bad.
Sometimes the drs reaction upsets me as he try's to tell me it's all in my head my bloods are fine so nothing is wrong:(

I will definatly look into getting that book, thanks again :)

Just seen dr who thinks I could have slight fibromyalgia :frowning: yet more tablets to take. Also he his going to chase up my Rheumy to get me an appointment.