Since we can tell all here, I can say that I have a bipolar husband who became very manic this week because he went off meds without telling me. The drama and level of hyperactivity is unreal! I love him with all my heart, and he is the best, sweetest person on earth...except when he becomes a total stranger...manic and off meds. He was in the psych ward for several days, I dealt with that calmly, took care of all the 100 things he wanted done, but when he was released yesterday, all my walls of self protection crashed. I woke up this morning madly itching from scalp to the bottoms of my feet. I just get these tiny bright red chill bumps all over that itch like crazy, and they are triggered by stress. I wonder if you guys notice your flare ups, either in your joints or skin being triggered by stress? I had been so proud of myself as far as pain, and ability to do things this week, had worked hard in the garden and built a rock wall!!! but emotional stress put me under the bridge. I am a very emotionally sensitive and empathic person, and can feel the other persons anxiety and stress, that doesn't help either.
I am wondering if other PsA patients are sensitive and empathic in that way, and that adds to our problems?
My husband is the one with Psoriasis. He is never in remission. His work has been stressful lately, and his P has gotten worse. However, when I went through Breast Cancer, I know he was emotional, but kept his emotions and his P under control. Guess different things affect people differently. Stay strong and take deep breaths. Do you get any couseling on how to deal with his issues? I'll pray for you to stay strong.
Thank you so much. I hope your breast cancer is cured and all is well. Thanks for the prayers and understanding.
Shawn
esaud said:
My husband is the one with Psoriasis. He is never in remission. His work has been stressful lately, and his P has gotten worse. However, when I went through Breast Cancer, I know he was emotional, but kept his emotions and his P under control. Guess different things affect people differently. Stay strong and take deep breaths. Do you get any couseling on how to deal with his issues? I'll pray for you to stay strong.
Wow… Same thing happened to me recently with my husband!! Got off meds secretly & ended up in psych ward… My PsA went crazy even though I’m taking Enbrel injections… My scalp messed up really bad& pain in joints from the stress…
no doubt i can get in a stressful situation and my hands fall apart they go into an incredible itch that cant be quenched i try to avoid stress and stressful situations which are not alway possible to do so
To answer your question - YES! I too am very empathic and I have noticed that my symptoms flare up when I am stressed. I work in a call center for technical support and they are pushing us really hard, micro managing, to get the job done well but in a certain length of time. My stress level has been super high the past month and as a result my symptoms have returned with a vengeance. Not to mention, I can feel the frustration/desperation of the customers (I get yelled at all day, HAHA) which is only making it worse!
I can certainly understand what you are feeling as far as the empathic/stress level affecting the condition goes. I do hope things return to "normal" for you soon so your body will settle down. :) Take care.
Oh Shawn I'm so sorry. I wondered what happened to our conversation. Actually it was extreme stress that finally drove me to get the diagnosis as I became so much sicker. As to the stress it was actually w/my son's situation not my own issues that trigger my symptoms. I really think I take it harder when a love one is in trouble than when I am distressed and it translates into more reactions. Lack of control maybe. For me I'm a major control freak so as long as I have things I can do that seem to give me organization and order I do better but leave me helpless to making a change for say my son I go into stress reaction big time. I had a very insightful doctor's appt this week and although I didn't get any new meds I got a better understanding of this disease and how I can take more "control" of the symptoms. Hang in there and know I'm thinking of you and sending hugs out to you.
So sorry you are absorbing all of this stress, it is difficult not to... it is always helpful to talk to this gang of great people, but I also agree that a professional would do you the most good. Psychologists are so helpful, a lady helped me so much after the car accident that I could just never get over. Just the chronic pain causes us to be so suseptable to such strong emotional turmoil, then add such an emergency situation and BANG! Sometimes it takes a while for it to show up, other times it is immediate.
I do not suffer the rash, but I know from my grandson, how his can really act up when he is tired or emotional. I give him warm oatmeal bathes, and cooler rinses, allow him to 'air dry' a bit (no towel drying) then apply a soothing homeopathic cream called 'Florasone Cream'. It is availble at health food stores, some super markets and on line. Coconut or Jojoba oil is also very soothing to him.
Yes, I've wondered that as well. I deal with various stressors arising from several family members having special needs; from Asperger's, type 1 diabetes, and borderline personality disorder. When things are not going well with these individuals, my pain increases almost instantaneously - especially after they have a meltdown. I think that years of this has definitely taken its toll. Stress affects your adrenals and many other body systems.
Absolutely go into a flare here when stress escalates. Things were tough here yesterday and I woke up middle of he night with my joints in a full burning flare. My foot has been in full scaling peeling mode for a week. i have so many cut places I can hardly walk. I know exactly when it ecalared based on other events so I do feel your pain. I hope things get better for you soon
I believe stress plays a factor in many auto immune diseases. I've had RA for over 20 years, and was diagnosed with PSA 2 years ago. During that time, stressful things happened, as happens with us all. Mental illness with my oldest, my middle was diagnosed with lupus, my youngest has gastroparesis and severe migraines. Who knows if that made me worse or not? I don't know, but I will tell you that you need to be careful about working in your garden, etc. I just was told by my docs that my soft tissue damage is starting to effect the ligament and tendon ability to support my skeleton. I'm 52, love to garden, play piano (since I was 3) and keep a clean house. It is a struggle - and now I'm limited to only pulling weeds with a small weed tool - no digging, carrying, etc., or they believe my joints will start pulling out of their sockets. It happened to a thumb last week, and they are trying to determine whether they can do surgery on the ligaments to put it back in place. Don't know if I'll be able to play-but I'm telling you this to warn you that the damage you might do to your tissues isn't seeable until later. So please be careful, and don't try to do everything to hold the house together. You'll pay for it later. God bless you, and I'm glad you have found us so we can help you and listen when you need to talk.
Hello, I'm new here so I hope you don't mind me commenting.
My husband is also bipolar and whist he is still taking his meds, he isn't taking them as he should. He is also an alcoholic and during the week we separated (this is why I haven't popped in to say hi - sorry). It's been a very stressful time and yes, both my P and PsA has gone beserk :( Last weekend he got very abusive, verbal as well as physical, and not only raised his fists to me but to our 14 year old daughter also. I called the cops and he has moved out - into our caravan in the shed. He is not allowed to come near us within 12 hours of drinking but I can't stop the kids from going to see him.
So, in answer to your question, yes stress does make my P and PsA worse. I have a uni exam on Tuesday and that isn't helping either.
Really Terri? OMG. You really do understand then. I'm not on embrel but will be soon. My scalp goes crazy too, it doesn't show I don't think but itches like crazy. My back is what always goes out and my neck, I can always tell by my neck tightening way up. Hope your husband and you are better now.
Shawn
Terri Whetstone said:
Wow.. Same thing happened to me recently with my husband!! Got off meds secretly & ended up in psych ward.. My PsA went crazy even though I'm taking Enbrel injections.. My scalp messed up really bad& pain in joints from the stress..
Thank you Maggie Ray, I hope things are better soon for you too. My heels peel like that and bleed. One is now, so I understand.
Maggie Ray said:
Absolutely go into a flare here when stress escalates. Things were tough here yesterday and I woke up middle of he night with my joints in a full burning flare. My foot has been in full scaling peeling mode for a week. i have so many cut places I can hardly walk. I know exactly when it ecalared based on other events so I do feel your pain. I hope things get better for you soon
Hi Shawn. I've known several bipolar people, some who were on meds and some who weren't, and each one was a rollercoaster ride to be with. I can only imagine how stressful it must be to live with one, even though you love him too. It's a tough disease, especially when those suffering from it are blind as to how their behavior is impacting others. Sometimes it feels like you're with an extremely naughty five year old who'll do anything it has in its power to do. And that's exhausting.
I'm sorry that the stress of the situation has affected you physically. I can certainly understand how and why it has. I think it would affect anyone, let alone someone with a disease such as this. Except you have the love for your husband that helps to put things into perspective.
I think the best thing you can do to de-stress is to come here and talk to others who KNOW. Unburden yourself here of those things that upset you. I think this site is a wonderful place to recharge one's battery. Life CAN be handled, all of its odd little ups and downs, once we are recharged and have some peace restored in our minds.
My best to you. I hope that hubby gets back on his meds soon, for both of your sakes.
I was on speaker phone with my daughter (who has PsA) and her doctor last week who feels that stress is not a factor. I think I have to disagree with him, but he is her doctor and I am just the mama. I think stress takes an amazing toll on our lives. I have found that I can deal with the stress when it happens - I just go into that "mode" and then a week later, when I decide to "rest", my eczema goes into high gear.
Treat yourself to a massage :) We mamas need to stay healthy so we can keep on keepn' on.......for everyone else that depends on us - and ourselves.
I can certainly say for sure in my case stress in the major contributor to my condition. I didn't have any symptoms until this flare up started last April. Just before that I had almost declared bankrupcy and my middle son was diagnosed with ADHD and had started treatment (trials of which pills he should be on) which some of the pills caused him to be worse. All this stress at one time is certainly why PsA triggered in me and I notice it gets worse at night when I have a battle with my son.
OMG Silkie! I am so very sorry! It is a horrible disease, bipolar I mean, because the person you love and trust turns into a complete stranger. It's so sad because you remember who they really are down inside and want that person back. I hope things are calming down for you. It isn't here, they shouldn't have let him out. He was in no way stabilized.
Silkie said:
Hello, I'm new here so I hope you don't mind me commenting.
My husband is also bipolar and whist he is still taking his meds, he isn't taking them as he should. He is also an alcoholic and during the week we separated (this is why I haven't popped in to say hi - sorry). It's been a very stressful time and yes, both my P and PsA has gone beserk :( Last weekend he got very abusive, verbal as well as physical, and not only raised his fists to me but to our 14 year old daughter also. I called the cops and he has moved out - into our caravan in the shed. He is not allowed to come near us within 12 hours of drinking but I can't stop the kids from going to see him.
So, in answer to your question, yes stress does make my P and PsA worse. I have a uni exam on Tuesday and that isn't helping either.