Hi guys just wondering if this sounds familiar… When I start to flare up my left breast starts to hurt me and so does my left side of my chest it’s either the joints or the lymph nodes in my chest. It’s pretty scary… Then sometimes the left side of my temple hurts to the touch it really wiered… And I have tendinitis on my left rotor cuff. Then sometimes the tips of my big toes hurts like inside the nail. Like it gets inflammed I do get the psoriasis on the lining of my scalp it think it looks pretty bad but apparently my dermatologist doesn’t think it’s bad enough to diagnose me with psoriatic arthritis sometimes the in my butt hurts to the bone I hear that it’s hard to diagnose psoriatic arthritis I know that’s what I have for now my rhuemy is seeing me every 2 and 1/2 months to see what else happens
Hi Jasmin, yes it does all sound familiar. Rib pain is costochondritis .. you can look it up on the search facility for previous discussions. One of the things about PsA is that it doesn't just affect the joints themselves, it affects the soft tissues around the jonts which is why we get alot of tendonitis, bursitis and enthesitis. This is descibed as extra-articular manifestation. Nail issues: pain, pitting, ridging, lifting, discolouration are, sadly, also part and parcel ... I was reading recently that nails are actually anchored to the skeleton by entheses. Here is a link to a website written by two of the UK's leading experts: http://enthesis.info/
Don't know if any of us have pointed you to this yet but there is an excellent patient orientated book called "Psoriatic Arthritis: the facts" by Drs Gladman and Chandran which is only a few $. Available as a paperback and Kindle e-book ... I got mine on Amazon. It is well worth the small financial investment.
It is disappinting that your doc is linking severity of psoriasis to diagnosis. Many of us here actually have very minimal psoriasis and it is even possible for the joint disease to appear before the skin disease. I think the book I mention will be really helpful for you and empower and inform you to raise this with your doctor. It might also help you spot 'changes' which you might otherwise miss or dismiss as relevant in between your rheumy appointments.
Thanks Jules … I am going to order the book It sounds like it will help me understand more about this horrible disease
Hi Jasmin,
I hope your rheumy doesn't wait too long to make a diagnosis! The symptoms you mention all sound familiar--either I've had them or I've seen them mentioned on here! I swear Psoriasis and PsA can attack every cell in the body! Some people on here say they have a dx of fibro as well as PsA, and I myself would say some of my symptoms seemed like fibro. But, if that's so, then how did Enbrel relieve those symptoms for me? My doctor never said I had fibro.
I think it could be more difficult to diagnose if the patient didn't have psoriasis, but geez when there's obvious psoriasis you'd think it would be a no-brainer for a rheumy or dermy to say yep, it's PsA--no doubt about it!!!!
Well, good luck--I hope your next rheumy appt is successful (not that I'd wish PsA on anybody) but at least you could continue aggressively treating it!
It sounds really positive that your rheumy is seeing you quite frequently. Do you have any swelling at all? Nobody wants swollen joints but they can certainly help clinch a diagnosis. Your situation is frustrating, I hope your next appointment moves things forward.
Psoriasis is not necessary to be diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis and severity of skin problems has little relation to severity of disease. I was diagnosed with one spot on my knee. My mom was diagnosed on the basis of X-rays and family history (me!)
My in I’m inflammation was at 46 at one time… But then ever since its been normal when I’m feeling my worst … My dr sees me Pretty often … I told her that I want to see her often because symptoms still scare me I’m not used to all these happening ,. And she’s fine with it… But again she says psa is difficult to diagnose… I read that psa doesn’t show inflammation in the blood tests?.. As far as swelling I don’t notice swelling but I feel moderate joking pain and burning type pain. Which I believe the burning is inflammation… And I even getting pain in my face like cheekbone area and by my temple and ear area maybe it’s tmj ? It hurts it’s like I wake up and my body surprises me with different areas of pain
I know PsA can be present without psoriasis--I meant, when there is psoriasis and all the PsA symptoms start up, it is an easier diagnosis.
Jasmin, my swelling was so subtle, the rheumy said it was there but I really only realized how much swelling I had after I started Enbrel and everything went back to normal. And I didn't have the blood markers for inflammation, either.
My feet burned and hurt so badly from the inflammation, it was called neuropathy. And my hands/fingers always felt like they were being crushed. Everything was stiff and fingers and toes felt like they were almost glued together. There are so many various descriptions of the pain of PsA. A lot of mine was overall soreness and weakness, too.
The best doctors are open-minded, listen to their patients' complaints and ask questions, and look and feel for evidence. I think your doctor is one of those!