Simponi is NOT playing my song, a ganglion cyst and other stories

Saw my rheumie today and after waiting 70 minutes after my appointment time to sit down with him (grrrr) things went about as expected. He’s not happy that since my switch from Humira to Simponi I’ve seen a worsening not an improvement in symptoms. I’ve been on prednisone for 10 weeks, and I take meloxicam and otezla for PsA, nifedipine for Raynaud’s, and gabapentin for neuropathy. The neuropathy (feet) is so bad right now that I spend a lot of time jiggling my legs and feet while seated to keep the muscles and nerves active–seems to hurt less. I’ve scared the crap out of my massage therapist the last two times I’ve seen her with some intense leg zingers (nearly kicked her!) which she thought meant I had fallen asleep on the table. Nope. Just crushing nerve pain!!

Rheumie has started the process to switch me to Stelara and he gave me a takeaway sample for my next (last?) dose of Simponi. This way we can see if the third dose does the trick (although neither of us hold out much hope) while also getting the pharmacy and insurance to start the process of switching to Stelara. His comment was “I have a very low threshold before I will trigger a switch to a new biologic. We should have seen some improvement by now”.

I also showed him this delightful lump on my finger which sprang up a couple of weeks ago.

It’s a ganglion cyst. Painful to anything other than light touch but hasn’t much changed my life other than it’s there and ugly and it bothers me. We’re leaving it alone. He mentioned needle aspiration but said it was pretty painful and there was no guarantee it wouldn’t recur.

Anyone have any DIP (or other) ganglion experiences to report?

Sorry janeautiu to hear this tale of woe. At least your rheumy sounds good and something’s got to give, very soon I hope, you must be feeling mightily frustrated with all this.

I had a ganglion on my ankle. I asked the doc if it was all right to wear my walking boots as the stiff leather cuff rubbed it and she said ‘ideal!’ Sure enough, a few treks up the hill and it disappeared. The cure used to be a whack with the family bible … did your rheumy not suggest whacking it? Second thoughts, you’ve got PsA so maybe not! I think I’d try a few flicks against a hard surface if it isn’t a PsA finger.

Ha Sybil! I was researching ganglion cysts and an article said what you said, verbatim, about family bibles. The next sentence read “Doctors no longer recommend this course of treatment”. The joint is far too painful to whack it right now. Before the cyst showed up that joint was really loose and felt like it was always on the edge of popping. So I guess I’m not surprised the swelling oozed out!

I have heard the bible routine and believed it for years but now when I get one I just make a fist (or half fist) and roll it on my desk while reading the latest political news… Kneading bread dough works too. I’d like to have seen the rest of your wedding set though. You cut it offf in the pic. It looks very cool.

I’ve had those on my DIP joints! Only one at a time, and over a long time (seems like forever) they went away. I find that they are really tender, and I find that sometimes need padding/wrapping in order for me to function comfortably.

Oh dear, so sorry to hear this. But as Sybil says, it sounds like your rheumie is a good one, even if you have to wait to get in. Hope you had your laptop with you!

Never had a ganglion cyst, and seeing yours makes me glad. Owee. But if I get one, I’ll be grateful for the treatment advice, except in my house it would be “The Joy of Cooking”. LOL

Agree with tnt: let’s see the jewelry. And I was wondering, is that cat fur?

Here you go. Star sapphire. It was a gift to my partner from her parents for her 16th (I think) birthday.

And @Seenie, it was a mix of cat fur and sweater fuzz!

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You’re right, @Stoney it probably could use some padding to stop me from bumping it. Brought tears to my eyes yesterday when I whacked it on the side of my laptop. Glad to know yours went away after a while.

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What a beautiful ring!

This is turning out to be the nosiest thread ever, “is that cat fur?” LOL!

So are those jogging bottoms you’re wearing janeatiu? Or smart trousers? I’m afraid it’s not clear from the photograph.

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I can’t not add to the ganglion tales!

Had two, both wrists, simultaneously. Was all booked in for surgery a few weeks hence when I went shopping, purchased more goodies than I planned so had to walk back to the car park laden down with shopping bags (this was pre PsA dx/major symptoms). Stopped off at my mother-in-laws on the way home, she asked how my wrists were, I felt for the ganglions. Gone. Both of them!

So I reckon the best treatment is major retail therapy. Helps all manner of ailments and ills. :smiley_cat:

On a serious note I’m sorry the Simponi isn’t doing its stuff for you Jane, it has and continues to be very good to me … almost three years now.

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The ring is gorgeous! And the pet fur a fashion “must have”.

You all crack me up! @Sybil I was wearing stretchy pants–the travel/hiking kind, not the work kind.

@Jules_G I agree that retail therapy can fix almost everything except, maybe, a positive bank balance. I can’t believe that your cysts went away like that. I seem to do most of my retail therapy online anymore so I can avoid carrying bags. I might need to revise that policy.

@Seenie pet fur? I never leave home without it. A dog and two cats. I don’t really know why I own so much black clothing. It’s a folly I tell you!

LOL, I reckon it was the traction … released the ganglions to drain.

And as for pet fur. Yep! Everything looks and tastes better with pet (cat in my case) fur in it :wink:

The cysts go, honestly they do, with pressure or trauma. I really like that about them as opposed to PsA. Not sure why family bibles got discredited. Give me a ganglion any time!

I had a ganglion on the back of my hand - quite big, probably a couple of inches across. The doctor said what it was and promised it would go away. I’m always happy when there’s no doubt in a doc’s mind as to what something is. I can’t cope with “I think it’s probably…” Anyway, it didn’t cause me any real pain, just felt awkward when I put my hand in certain positions as it got in the way. But, about six months later I woke up and it had vanished overnight. Didn’t even say goodbye, bless it!

Hi Janeatiu,
There are lumps similar to that that are OA and then there are the ones that, if left alone, just disappear.
I have the ugly OA bumps on a couple fingers, but I got one of “those” about a year ago. My sister had one, too, weirdly, and she had the doctor remove it–don’t ask me how–maybe with a needle? But it came back and then mysteriously went away. So, after what happened to her, I just left mine alone and it wasn’t long before it was gone.
Hopefully, that’s what yours is and it’s not the OA kind that never goes away!

@darinfan @Grandma_J --thanks for your messages. I’m thinking of naming it Gordon and creating costumes. Nothing too elaborate. Maybe paint a face on and add a jaunty hat?

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