Doctors understand diseases from a clinical standpoint, not as the actual participant. I think each doctor should be presented with some of these discussions, and asked to read over them, so they can gain some real life knowledge of the disease, not just what the book tells them. If people keep saying that stress exacerbates the illness, then maybe doctors should pay attention, instead of just following the book. People aren't machines. Our bodies are all unique. Docs need to heed that a little more frequently.
You have beautiful children Jackson. I am sorry you are having to deal with ADHD, and since I am a school art teacher I've dealt with a lot of these children. The right medication can be almost miraculous. It's a very difficult job though.
JacksonJ said:
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.
I kept trying to tell my GP and my Rhuemy the same thing. When I became stressed out my whole body had bright red bumps and claw marks where I had scratched them. When I saw my GP he kept smarting off that I didn't have any signs of psoriasis and therefor he doubted if I had PsA and wouldn't do anything, he said, "Well, if you do have that there's nothing we can do about it anyway". I am looking for a new GP.
Petunia Girl said:
Doctors understand diseases from a clinical standpoint, not as the actual participant. I think each doctor should be presented with some of these discussions, and asked to read over them, so they can gain some real life knowledge of the disease, not just what the book tells them. If people keep saying that stress exacerbates the illness, then maybe doctors should pay attention, instead of just following the book. People aren't machines. Our bodies are all unique. Docs need to heed that a little more frequently.
Shawn,
I do not have psoriasis, not at all, I do have the pitted fingernails, some don't even have that, but you could have the hereditary disease and the damaged joints, from what I have read it could take 20 years for psoriasis to arrive! Not something I wanted to hear! Find one that will do the bloodwork, but again it may not even show up there. When you find the right GP or Internist, they will guide you to the right Rheumatlogist.
I will tell you that stress can produce hives, and according to my allergist there are many kinds of hives. They can be welts, pinpoint rash, and tiny bumps, who knows how many garden variety there are. My grandson gets them all over his face, starting under the outside of his eyes, if he gets on a crying jag, he is ADHD, so he can go there believe me, he also has psoriasis, and it really 'comes calling' when he gets upset!
He takes a prescription that helps trememdously but goes off the meds on weekends, I wonder if he will be off them all summer! I have found that if I am careful with his diet, and he gets enough sleep it is much better, and sometimes unnoticable. Sugar makes him crazy!!!
If it were me, I would try some benedryl, take it tonight if you cannot go and lay down during the day, it should take it away, can't hurt to try it, it will help you sleep, ease that itching they say is not psoriasis, best advice I got from 3 neurologists, Benadryl for sleep, (take with a big glass of water, it can really dry you out, especially if you take enough to help you, follow directions, of course.)! There is also a homeopathic liquid I use on him sometimes called 'calm child',it helps too. A baking soda bath will also ease the itching, but don't make the water too hot, go warm.
I'd be looking for a new Doc too, he should have realized that they could have been hives, or some kind of stress related reaction. I agree with Petunia about some Docs, they should have stayed in the lab, or the morgue!!
Hope you both are doing well!
SK
Please take into consideration that you need to be careful with drug combos, so please call your pharmacist about taking Benadryl with your prescription meds and any other OTC you may be using!! If the doc won't help, they may even be able to tell you IF you have hives, call them out for a look at you! Good luck!
Karen, when everything happened and he was committed, I did the same...I went into protection numb mode. I dealt with everything for a week. When he was released on Friday and things were no better, then everything hit that I had denied. That is when I woke up in bad shape. I am definitely going to take care of myself for my kids and grandbabies, and you are exactly right about that. Thank you!
Karen said:
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.
Shawn,
I have the same problem, I'm very sensitive to others emotional states and they can cause me to flare time and time again. Usually I do fine during the actual "crisis" stage, but once things begin to return to normal that's when I start to flare.
my ex-wife was bi-polar. She never acknowledged it till long after the divorce. Anyway, Yes, when she was manic my psoriatic arthritis would flare like crazy. As you are well aware when bi-polar folks go manic, they can and often do exhibit some very self absorbed traits ( wow i filtered myself there). I find I would also get the little red bumps, not like normal psoriasis. I thought they were hives, or something worse, but I went to the dr and he said they were indeed psoriasis. They went away relatively quick. I have noticed now that when i get them, they pop up quick, but only last a few days. I hope yours go away quickly.
Good luck with your Husband, and I hope you can get him to realize the toll it takes on you when he goes manic. From what I have read and experienced, when in a manic phase most bi-polar candidates are so self absorbed they do not care. The best way he can show he cares is to take care of himself.
cheers
T
Thank you, you understand completely. When they are manic they only see themselves and all the dramas they are creating around them, they are oblivious to the damage it causes their family. It's like you become completely invisible, and any and everything I say means a personal attack and it becomes a fight. You have to worry all the time about what in the world they are doing out there and if they will come home or not, or be killed by some of the bullshit they get into. Anyway, when he was in the hospital last week I was releived, and as soon as he got out it all started over again. I want my real husband to come back, not this insane , cruel stranger.
Shawn, thank you for your kind words. You are so right when you say that you remember who they really are and want them back.
I am so sorry things aren't getting better for you and I hope that it all gets sorted out for you soon. Do you think he needs to be hospitalised again? Would that help?
Shawn said:
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.
He hasn't been home since getting out, doesn't even come home at night. I don't know how much he's sleeping but he did see the doctor yesterday and I got to talk to the doctor on the phone. He gave him seroquel to sleep at night. I hope he will take it. I'm glad when he doesn't come home because of all the drama and yelling, but I'm worried about him too. I have to go tomorrow to talk to the doctor with him. Thanks for understanding, sorry for all the craziness here.
me too....reading about your struggles makes me thankful this is a place where you can talk and people listen - and care. My cousin married someone who became bipolar after 5-6 years of marriage. I remember him saying, "I married her for better/worse in sickness/health.....and she is sick.
Absolutely!!! I definitely notice a difference in my symptoms when there is more stress in my life. I also suffer from panic disorder and had a panic attack at work the other day which actually required me to go to the hospital via ambulance. Well, once I was done there and got home and had a chance to just try and relax, my joints and tendons were just screaming in pain and a psoriasis skin flare on my scalp showed up the next morning. I usually have daily pain, but when I get a flare-up it's bad, and lasts for weeks to months. Of course, having a flare-up adds more stress which is a catch-22 and pretty much never completely lets up.
Suzanne
I loved the quote from Karen, when you said 'she is sick'. It really is a disease and that disease is very treatable if they will stay on meds.
Suzanne, having to go to the ER with a panic attack sounds horrible! I have Anxiety Depressive Disorder too, but have never had to go to the ER. It is such a horrible feeling to have a panic attack. And you are right, the stress causes the flare ups and the flare ups causes both panic and more stress.
Shawn - I actually thought I was having a heart attack. I've had panic attacks over the years, but only during the night that wake me up....NOTHING to this extreme ever. (I also suffer from depression - another med to add to the list) I am 44 years old and I seriously thought I was going to die in my office. Once at the hospital I noticed that my toes and fingers were a purple color which I guess was from hyperventilating so much. So so so scary and STRESSFUL. I find it interesting how many of us unfortunately have so many other things/conditions that add to our stress which is the last thing we need, right?
Silkie - I am so sorry to hear this. Keeping you in my thoughts.
Shawn - you are a strong woman.
Silkie said:
Shawn, thank you for your kind words. You are so right when you say that you remember who they really are and want them back.
I am so sorry things aren't getting better for you and I hope that it all gets sorted out for you soon. Do you think he needs to be hospitalised again? Would that help?
Shawn said: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.
Suzanne, that is horrible! Do you have any anti-anxiety meds for emergencies? I have xanax which I can use if I start to panic, it works in minutes. Works almost too good actually :), but it sounds like you need something like that, mine is very low dose. To be woken up at night is unreal, you had to be under tremendous stress to have an attack wake you up at night like that.
I haven't been on this site long, but I wonder about all the other diagnosis we all have. Are we really just 'highly sensitive' empathic people? that take on the emotions of others? I know tonight I totally freaked out and panicked and had to breath and try to calm down during a tirade from my husband. I have never seen him like this.
Please get something for emergencies for those attacks, ok?
Shawn
Suzanne Hall said:
Shawn - I actually thought I was having a heart attack. I've had panic attacks over the years, but only during the night that wake me up....NOTHING to this extreme ever. (I also suffer from depression - another med to add to the list) I am 44 years old and I seriously thought I was going to die in my office. Once at the hospital I noticed that my toes and fingers were a purple color which I guess was from hyperventilating so much. So so so scary and STRESSFUL. I find it interesting how many of us unfortunately have so many other things/conditions that add to our stress which is the last thing we need, right?
I have both Klonopin and Buspirone, which now I know to take when I feel those symptoms again. This attack was so different than the others I just didn't put one and one together. I actually do find that many of us seem to be very empathetic individuals....interesting
I noticed that in my Facebook group, it is an empath group. Most people have autoimmune diseases, fibro, chronic fatigue, psoriatic arthritus has all those symptoms. A lot of them have depression and anxiety too. I wonder if it is being very sensitive. Have you noticed how compassionate and carying everyone is here? I wonder if life is just such a constant slamming of outside stimuli to us that it makes us sick. Just a thought, or atleast makes whatever we are prone to much worse.
Glad you have something to take when you feel those attacks coming on!
Hugs and prayers to you and to all who deal with emotional/neurological impairments in others or themselves.