New to PSA

Thank you for allowing me to join this group. I had JRA and several severe arthritic flares during my lifetime, each time with a different diagnosis. At one time or another, I have had a rheumatologist swear I have had ankylosing spondylitis, Sjögren’s syndrome, rheumatoid, gout, Lupus, mixed connective tissue disease, or reactive arthritis. I know I am HLA-B27 positive and have fibromyalgia. Although I have been on federal disability twice, each time I have bounced back. Between flares, I have lived a fairly normal life. This latest flare has been tough. I was diagnosed in June 2016 after suffering from a severe skin condition since January and waking up with one sausage-like finger in April. It has been a spiral downward since. I am now on 25mg of methotrexate weekly and 10mg of prednisone daily, but, so far, the downward progression has not stopped. I was just diagnosed with another infection, the third in three months. Thankfully, I am able to work full time because I own my home business, and I know how important it is to stay busy during these flares. However, I know nothing about psoriatic arthritis, so I welcome your feedback. I am 68.

Welcome JettaLyn! The Newbies Guide on this site is an excellent starting point, and includes a book recommendation that will provide you with lots of information about PsA. The good folk on this site will also have lots to share from their own personal journeys, so take a look around the site, and if you have any specific questions, just ask :slight_smile:

Hi and welcome. I am sorry to hear about your rough go these past few months. Are the infections due to the Methotrexate or the prednisone?

It seems that misdiagnosis and mixed diagnosis is a common theme with autoimmune diseases, so many of us have been through a similar rigamarol...and it is not uncommom to suffer from more than one autoimmune disease.

I was first diagnosed with "probable MS," then was told a collagan vascualar condition...then Crohn's was the big suspicion...then they narrowed it down to undifferentiated spondlyoarthritis. Then she got suspicious of Sjogren's, then decided on Psoriatic...now just this week, Ankolysing Spondylitis is the suspicion due to new spinal involvement in this latest flare.

Anyway, I have read that the latest recommended course of treatment for PsA (and Ankolizing Spondylitis) once NSAIDS fail, is to skip DMARDs like Methotrexate and go straight to biologics, so you might want to ask your Rheumy about that.

I hope you are feeling better soon.