That was in a article that I read in Arthritis Magazine while I was at my primary care physicians office. I even asked my Dr to read it. It seems like everything in tied in with my PSA. I read an article that PSA is also linked with high blood pressure, the high BP gives me nagging headaches, and by being in pain all the time has caused me to fall into depression. I was diagnosed with arthritis in my lower back in 2001, and it wasn't long after that when the psoriasis attacked me. My pain wasn't so bad back then, now 13 years later, the pain goes from my lower back, all the way up to under my shoulder blades. I can't do physical therapy because I had emergency gall bladder removal surgery last November, and I'm still having complications from that in my abdomen area. I said all that to say this, I'm doing about seven different medications for the pain, BP, depression, and anxiety, and I'm not that much better off. My psoriasis is doing well, I'm in a research program, but they can't help me with the arthritis part. I'm sure they're many more in here that can relate.
Relate for sure! I was undiagnosed for years, and then undertreated for far too long, and it’s an experience that far too many of us here on LWPsA have had. Like you, once PsA became a diagnostic possibility, absolutely everything that ailed me could be attributed to it. Dry itchy skin, joint complaints, nail problems, generalized aching, depression that didn’t respond well to treatment, high BP, irritable bowel, depressed HDL, “severe OA”, destroyed joints, fatigue … all those dots were immediately connected as soon as PsA became the prime suspect. Really kind of scary, when you think about it.
Thanks for finding and posting the article, Bryan. We have a special section for articles and research, and I’m going to move it over there now.
Oh yes, Bryan, I CAN relate.... I've been told that my joint pains (after having Rheumatoid Arthritis ruled out) were because I was:
(a) Attention seeking
(b) depressed... and attention seeking
(c) overweight, depressed... and attention seeking...
(d) menopausal, overweight, depressed... and attention seeking....
Over the past 15 years, I've had radiofrequency ablation, facet joint injections and opiates, I've been in pain management programs, arthritis exercise groups and group therapy for anxiety (is it any wonder??) ...I'm now on a bucketload of medications, most of which make me feel unwell... I'm now wearing wrist and hand splints and trying to get funding for a motorised wheelchair, because my joints hurt so much when I move around and my knees and feet are collapsing... and if I had a dollar for every well meaning person who has told me about their "Magic cure", I would be a millionaire!!
It wasn't until I complained to my dermatologist last year about my joints, that he suggested it might be PsA... The hardest part is finding someone to take you seriously, and we are both lucky to have found this forum, which is full of people who know EXACTLY how we feel! Cheers :)