i was just officially diagnosed last weekend as having psa.
The Rheumy has started me on Selazapyrim - do most people find relief from this medication? many side affects? He said it takes at least a month to start working, it may just be psychological but I did seem to notice a reduction in pain after just 2 days?? is this possible?
Also, I have suffered from neck and back pain since I was a teenager (now 40) and recently had my neck x-rayed, I was told the degeneration was so bad I must have had an old injury - which I havnt. Im wondering if psa could have caused the degeneration (disc bulges, bone spurs etc), no other cause I can think of.
I dont have psoriasis but family members do - is this common?
Migraines have increased with the neck pain increasing over the last 8 months (now they are weekly instead of fourtnightly), does anyone find that being on medication has reduced migraine frequency if they get migraines and psa? Im really hoping so! im in survival mode at the moment.
I think thats all for now, thanks in advance for any discussion
Is chronic tiredness part of this whole psa thing?
and, my sore joints, tendons dont appear to be inflamed - just painful (coming and going sometimes) and inflammatory markers in blood tests generally arnt raised, so im wondering how the medication will work if its an anti-inflammatory medication?
Tiredness and fatigue are a well known effect of PsA, the bigger the flare the worse the tiredness gets is what I've found. You will need to work out what your own energy levels are and work with it. I found fighting it is futile but being sneaky and working round the problems fatigue causes better than a frontal assault any day.......and makes me feel I've scored one over PsA ;)
Being newly diagnosed is scary but at least you are now getting answers to why you are in pain. Most of us on here find a sort of Eureka moment when we realise some of the things we have been struggling with for years can be explained by PsA. Now you have a chance to get the right treatment and prevent your joints getting worse.
Some people do have PsA and not the P but mostly we show up with the skin condition first, but docs will always look for prevalence within a family
I've always had migraines and have found that since taking anti-inflammatory meds regularly, I have very few now..........I have been taking a low dose (10mg) amitriptyline nightly for about 15 years to help with migraine, and this also helps with my PsA in moderating my pain and helping me sleep.
I've not been on Salazopyrin (sulfasalazine) so I can't tell you if or how it works but if you put the name in the search engine on this site you may find some answers there.
Good luck.......I'm glad you've found this site but its a shame that you've had to :)
I, too, get migraines - mostly from my issues with my neck. The thing that actually helps the most is Lidoderm patches on my neck.
Fatigue is a big part of PsA. Some people also experience "brain fog."
I didn't notice some of the inflammation in my body until it wasn't inflamed anymore. Even things that are slightly inflamed can feel worlds better when the inflammation goes down.
PsA diagnosis can be scary, but now you can move forward with treatment and hopefully feel much better soon! :)
Welcome to your new body. Thankfully l do not suffer from migraines or psoriasis only PsA. I have been on salazopyrin for years, which although took a while to kick in, did really help. l still have flare ups, but l dont know of any meds that get rid of these. I am glad to hear the meds are helping the pain level, very refreshing. l often get told old injuries must have contributed, when there were none!! so l hear you and take it with a pinch of salt as you know your own body. In any case l wish you many pain free days in the future.
Treatment of PsA will vary from person to person, sometimes its trial and error with different medications until the right formula is found for you, have patience with yourself and your Rheumy. I was diagnosed with PsA 6 months ago but have had it for over 14 years undiagnosed. There has been lots of ups and downs this last several months with trying to find the right medications to help manage my PsA and am now currently taking Plaquenil, Prednisone, Celebrex, Vitamin D and Calcium. I am awaiting for special authorization from my insurance company for a biologic called Humira. I also have buldging disks in my back due to PsA and have had psorisis for over 30 years.
The best thing I have found to help me with my pain and to maintain some mobility is working out. I go 3-5 times a week to our local gym and work out, something I never thought I would do but absolutely loves it. Its a great social time as well as the benefit my mind and body gets is amazing. Listen to your body and there are some amazing people on here with tons of experience as to what works and what don't. Your not alone in this, we are all here with you. Good luck and keep us posted
Hi Jemima, I've been on Sulfasalazine since November with no real ill effects apart from the initial 'getting used to it' period (a bit of a stomach upset but nothing really bad). It seemed to be working pretty well; I had fewer, shorter flares (e.g. I'd start to develop the symptoms of a flare in the evening and by the next morning I was fine) and my rheumatologist said this meant that the Sulfasalazine was working as it was 'reversing' the flares. She said I might be able to stop my anti-inflamatories too if I felt well enough, which I tried but was unable to do. However, I'm in the middle of a flare at the moment, probably stress related, so I'm not sure if it is still working. I think the best thing is just to try and see for yourself. What works for one person might not work for another etc. Good luck.
