Hi everyone! I have psoriasis and have since about 2003 or 2004 (can't quite remember). I woke up yesterday with my main knuckle tender, the skin around it is quite sensitive to textures such as clothing or other kind of textures. It is a little swollen but not red. I don't feel any heat coming from it. I've never had this happen before on my hands. I've had arthritic pain in my right hip, knees and ankles though but never with the skin issue as well.
I have to go get initial x-rays for my lower extremeties to see if I have any damage and to see what is going on with them to know what kind of arthritis I may have. My RF factor is 10 which I believe is 'negative' for rheumatoid.
I do have peripheral neuropathy in my legs but am not sure if I have it in my hands/arms. I wasn't tested there. But I asked mom (who has rheumaotid) and she said that her skin does hurt around her bad joints.. So I guess it makes sense that the same thing could happen with PsA.
My skin gets very sensitive around painful areas. Everything becomes hyper sensitized until I give it some alternate input (heat, cold, compression, whatever). Sorry you have having this, and let us know the results of your x-rays when you get them!
Thanks for replying Marietta and letting me know it can happen. Ok I'll let you all know what my x-rays say. But I'll ask my doctor to also write a prescription to get an x-ray on my right hand, where the pain is. I don't see him again until late February though. If it continues to bother me I'll make an appointment sooner than that.
A lot of us on here are ‘seronegative’ so our blood results come up as within normal limits (or as my Rheumatologist puts…unremarkable! I think I’m very remarkable thank you!!! lol ;)) In one of the books I have it states that around 50% of PsA sufferers are seronegative.
Hope you get some answers and treatment, its often hard to get a quick diagnosis especially if you have other health issues too.
I have PsA around my knuckles across my hands and in some of my finger joints. Across my hands it looks like I have two extra knuckles below my pointer fingers then swelling between the space between my knuckles. It is tender and aches. We can all vary so much and be a little different. As long as you get some treatment that relieves your symptoms. So often the treatment is much the same even without a diagnoses. I found it was a relief to know what I had but then I wished it wasn't what it is. We are dammed if we do know and dammed if we don't. The more you learn the better you are able to understand what is happening to your body. Hang in there. So many of us know what an anxious time it is trying to find the answers.
So far the pain isn't bad at all. Definitely tolerable. What bothers me the most is the skin sensitivity with textures. I'll keep an eye on it for a while and if it goes away I'll not make (yet another) doctors appointment. I'll just wait till February when my 3 month checkup (bloodwork, etc) is scheduled for.
I wouldn't mind going back on methotrexate if this is indeed PsA. I just hope that the dose would be higher than I was on before since the 5mg weekly didn't seem to do anything for my psoriasis. Though I did notice hair falling out even at that low dose of 5mg. But I'd rather have less joint damage ( and possible clearing of my psoriasis) than a super full head of hair. I already have a thick head of hair so perhaps it wouldn't be missed.
So we'll see. I'll definitely mention it to my doctor when I see him next though. Oh the reason I quit taking the mtx was because it wasn't working -AND because i kept getting recurring toe infections. I had 7 or 8 infections in 7 months while on mtx. Since quitting the mtx it seems the infections quit recurring. So if I do start up again and the infections start again I'll have to go onto a long term antibiotic.
I've definitely had where the slightest touch hurts a swollen joint. I find that wrapping/taping the joint to protect it can be super helpful. One of my faves is the foamy type tape, I forget the brand. It is completely waterproof too, so I can wear it all day and still wash hands. I need to protect my joints when I hurt, as I have a little boy who likes to hold my hand (and squeeze) every chance he gets.