The more I think about it, I have realized that the Psoriasis and PsA appeared after I started going for regular allergy shots. I realize the these diseases are connected to genetics but I can't help but wonder if the allergy shots triggered them to show up earlier than they would have.
I'm going to try a little experiment. Recently I had started a new vial of allergy serum and had been getting the shot weekly. I'm going to continue that for another week or two. Then I'm going to stop for a few weeks and see if my symptoms improve. I've noticed the last month or two I have new pains and stiffness that I never had before and it seems to change to a different area almost daily.
Has anyone else had any experience with allergy shots or thoughts on this ?
I know that for myself I started to get psoriasis and joint pain in my feet after I had been really sick with Pneumonia. I have heard that major illnesses can trigger PSA and psoriasis. So if you started to need allergy shots at the time you got PsA then more than likely it was the allergies and not the meds itself that brought this on. I dunno just food for thought.
About 20 years ago, I had a bad fall on the ice and I hurt my tailbone. I ached all over for several weeks (which wasn’t really surprising). Then the shin pain started, and the sore/tired legs. Knees got cranky. And I was never really well after that accident. At the time I found it weird that my tailbone pain would morph into sore shins/legs. Looking back on it, I think that fall may have been a trigger for me.
Of course, the doctor attributed the aches and pains and fatigue to the usual suspects: menopause, working too hard, shoes with heels, carrying extra pounds, not exercising enough … blah blah blah.
Hindsight is great isn’t it? ROFL
I get flares with the seasons, due to allergies. So I can expect a spring flare every year, and a smaller later summer flare every year.
My onset was having my kids, but there were other earlier factors. For example, I smoked for almost 15 years, worked with pesticides, blah blah. In other words, my body had hit its limit. For different people, the straw that breaks the camel's back will come at different times. And of course, there has to be the genetics to support the development of an autoimmune illness.
My psoriasis started after a strep infection and an allergy to the antibiotic I took for it. At the time, my dermatologist said the trauma to the skin caused the P, although I have read recently that a strep infection can cause it. Hard to say about the joint problems. Various injuries, a bad drug reaction, hand surgery all seem to have played into it.
Your allergy shot theory is interesting. Maybe as your immune system was less able to attack invading colonies of dust and pollen, it busied itself by mounting an attack on your skin and joints! Kind of like having a terrier: if you don't give them a job to do, they'll find one themselves.
Thanks for all your thoughts. I really appreciate it. I had no fall, no illness or anything before. The only thing that had changed in my life was that I had started to get allergy shots. It was after that the P and PsA showed up.
I am waiting for an appointment at a Clinic that does this sort of research. I'd love to share the info with them.
I had an allergy shot Thursday morning. That same night I felt terrible, really stiff. The following day I had a extreme pain and stiffness in new areas. Most of that has subsided now. I guess I won't know until I try.
I have flares when allergy season is at its worst in my area... even though I only get a sinus headache once in awhile (my only allergy symptom). I find I can tamp down on the worst of a flare if I take Zyrtec during allergy season, I think then my body doesn't need to overreact and attack the allergens AND me.