Is there anyone out there over 50, and maybe had PsA more than 20 years. I am and I feel the longer I have it, the worse it gets. My body rejects remicade, and now I only have mexetretrate ( excuse my spelling) which does nothing, while my doctor searches for something that works, and that I can afford. It seems that all I live for are pain pills. The aching seems to never go away.
Hi balklu.
Sorry to hear of your lack of options. I’m hoping someone will come along with ideas on that front.
I reckon many of us in our 50s and 60s may have had PsA for 20 years or so even if most of that time was prior to diagnosis. It’s a bit like an iceberg with the diagnosed years as the visible part! And to continue the analogy (wish me luck), I suspect it’s the massive great chunk below the water line that has done most of the damage.
Describing pain is the devil’s own job but I usually associate the word ‘aching’ with damage rather than with active PsA, for myself anyway. Are there signs that your PsA is especially active?
I ache like hell a lot. If one more doctor tells me that what is currently going on in my joints is ‘ONLY’ OA I will rent my garb & run amok. Then they’ll be sorry! Anyway, my joints have a lot of problems but the PsA is quiet. I’m going to sing the same old song here, but if your aching is damage-related then any exercise you can do will help. Having said that, I’ve just started doing a new form of Tai Chi that involves twisting the limbs & spine a little and it is hurting not helping, so discretion is required. Usually though I find that the right type and the right amount of exercise is an effective antidote to aching.
I’m over 50 and hv been diagnosed for 17 but prob had longer but couldn’t get any dr to figure it out. I was on methatrexate early on but stopped bc I felt even worse . Then embel now humira. I’m 95% well. My friend who is almost 60 had to switch to stelira (spelling?) which worked (from himira). I don’t know about the cost ;/
I’m so sorry nothing is working.
Agreed. Even though you really don’t want to when you’re hurting you hv to keep moving.
Me! 
My troubles started around the age of forty, and got progressively worse until I was sixty. At that point I was diagnosed. Almost two years later, I was put on a biologic and, although I’m not 100% pain free, I’m very well considering I’m sixty-five now. Enbrel did me for a year and Humira’s been good for two.
If your body hated Remicade, is there another biologic that you could try? The manufacturers all have assistance programs. I don’t know the details but our US members would be able to explain.
Yes, @baklu I am 71 now and had my first episode in my late 20s, followed by decades of undiagnosed or misdiagnosed pain and the overuse of Advil.
I wasn’t diagnosed with PsA until 2012. Injectable methotrexate has helped a lot, but recently pain has spiked. Physical therapy has helped slowly, and now that I am 5 years post breast cancer I can go on Humira. Off to see my rheumatologist in a few minutes.
I can’t really tell if my pain is worse now than when I was younger. It’s very hard to remember pain accurately for me. But, it does seem that I am spending more energy and effort to find relief.
I am a 75 year old male. I have had PsA for about 30 years, although I was only diagnosed 20 years ago. My form is bilateral. It has the effect of attacking two opposing joints. In my case it was my knees. As the disease progressed, my knees deteriorated to the point I had to have bilateral robotic knee replacements.
I am finally at point that my meds combination seems to be working. Taltz, methotrexate, Gabapentin, 5mg prednisone, Lexapro, Wellbutrin, Cymbalta, 80 mg Motrin as needed and physical therapy.
Humira lowered my immune system to the point that I contracted some very serious illnesses.
Switched to Otezla and now Taltz.
To counteract the immune suppression, take immunotherapy infusions.
Can I ask how long you have been on 5mg prednisone? And how is your body doing on it? Thx
Hi Amos. 8 years. There have been approx 4-5 times when I have been prescribed a burst. 4 mgs X 4days, 30 mg and so on, back 5 mg.
No I’ll effects from this. Regular blood work for prednisone and methotrexate.
5mg is a very low dose. Still, long term use is a curse. It can erode joint tissues.
Thanks, it does get tiring choosing our poison doesn’t it? I think I would completely immobile in pain right now if I wasn’t on prednisone. If I drop fro 10mg to 7.5, I sleep better but notice a huge change in my body pain. At 10mg, prednisone wins and I’m feeling pretty good. At 7.5, I loose ground and pain issues that I haven’t known since pre-biologics all start creeping back in. Not looking forward to going from 7.5 to 0 in 10 weeks.