Greetings to you, Having just been diagnosised with PsA, all of this is new to me and I'm trying to learn as much as I can about this illness. The one issue that I have not been able to find information about is this weird skin odor that I've noticed while having a "flare" It's kinda like an old lady smell to my skin that myself and others have noticed. I can take a nice long bath and within about 2 hours, I can smell it again. I've never had this smell until my dx of PsA just a couple of weeks ago. I'm not taking any meds but am getting ready to start Humira. When I googled this, I did find a couple of folks complain of same thing but no answer as to what this smell is comming from. I might want to add that I do not have any skin lessions just nails seperating from nail beds, the smell is definately coming from my skin. Thanks for any information.
I might also add that I have no skin lesions at all, only separation of finger and toe nails. This smell is not coming from the nails but on skin. Thanks again
Hey jul,
(just a joke)But, how old ARE you?lol
I would do research on how the food you eat, vitamins and/or soaps effect a persons body odor. Maybe, sweat glands? Is it stronger in your armpit area or where you sweat more? I would assume it top be unrelated to P/PSA.
Hey Robert, I'm younger than I feel at the moment. LOL. Any how, This odor is new and just started around time of dx. I'm on an antiinflammatory diet and take no medications. I did read that perhaps an increase in skin kerritin production may be the cause. The smell is comming from my skin, not armpits. It's not a sweaty smell but more like an onion smell. I know this sounds gross but hey, whats grosser than your fingernails and toenails falling off? The smell is around my nail beds but I can also smell it up my forearms too.
Hey jul, Sorry I couldn't help. Also, I wasn't trying to say your armpits are stinky. I was just brainstorming.(lol) And, it's not gross to me either. But, I know what you mean...I used to love walking around barefoot. Now, I don't ever take my socks off and I were sandles when I do water/beach related stuff to cover my toes. It sucks but it happens. Atleast I still have toes right?!
Hi! The only time I have noticed any weird smell is when the psoriasis in my belly button gets really bad. Since its more of a moist situation there it does smell kinda weird sometimes. But if you dont have lesions at all im at a loss. Ask the rheumy?
Hey , Robert, no offense taken at all. I love your sense of humor. If we can't laught at ourselves sometimes then that is sad. Another question since you seem to know so much...My hands are no longer swollen and hurting, Xrays show minimal damage, besides swelling of fingers when I play my dulcimer, fingers are painfree and normal size so question is why not just take NSAIDS instead of Humira that he wants to prescribe? Do nails ever grow back normal. @xvan, belly button looks fine. I noticed the smell just before my hands got swollen and nails started seperating from nail bed. I don't have any skin lesions at all. The "little old lady" smell has dissappeared but I was wondering if it was related to a flare or something..Thanks for response
Robert said:
Hey jul, Sorry I couldn't help. Also, I wasn't trying to say your armpits are stinky. I was just brainstorming.(lol) And, it's not gross to me either. But, I know what you mean...I used to love walking around barefoot. Now, I don't ever take my socks off and I were sandles when I do water/beach related stuff to cover my toes. It sucks but it happens. Atleast I still have toes right?!
julittle, I'm sorry that you're going through this. :( I don't know anything about the onion smell. I'm glad that you're going on Humira. It may be able to put your body totally back to normal, including your nails. Your nails will take awhile, they don't grow all that fast but they can fully come back.
Hey jul,
I only have my opinions and experience. My opinion on PSA is nobody knows what/why/when. Psa effects people so differently it's hard to pinpoint one "best" treatment. As far as what's available...I think taking a biological like enbre/humira is the only option. Even then, the psa won't stop. It will only slow down. How much it slows down depends on how soon you start it, how much damage has already occured and how your body reacts to a biological drug. For instance, some people react better with remicade infusion and some react better with Enbrel.
Taking nsaids will reduce swelling. They have no other benifit. The insurance company loves when your swelling goes down and you think you're better. The problem is... you may not be in pain or swelling but, your psa is still actively attacking your body. Then, a month, a year, even two years go by and you wake up with swollen hands/feet and bone errosions. Now you start the bios but it's too late. The bio can only slow it down from the point you're at. It can't reverse the damage.
My point being...if you take your bio now and keep it under control from the begining you have a better chance of prolonging cripling psa symptons happening sooner rather than later. If you can prolong it long enough they may come out with new meds that work better.
As far as the p under the nails... it takes about 4 months, depending on how fast your fingernails grow. And, 6months or longer for toenails. Sometimes mine completely clear up and other times mostly clear up.
Hey Julittle,
Yes, I think I know that smell (yep, gross - I’ve never mentioned it to anyone before, and you just want to keep showering… )
For me it’s when I’m really sick - in fact I use the presence or absence of it to tell if I’m just being a wimp - or I really am ill (standard measures aren’t a good indicator for me).
As well as Major flares with PsA, it has also happened with septicemia due to an intestinal issue, Dengue, and a bladder infection that got to my kidneys before treatment.
I have never asked what it is - the correlation with illness was so strong there didn’t seem much point.
So in my experience, once the illness is under control, it will resolve. I know it’s surprisingly disconcerting, but focus on fixing the illness, and before you know it, you’ll be coming up roses!
Jen, I knew it!! I'm not imagining this at all. Finally someone to concer. I actually have seen two others on another site c/o funny smell during flare. I also noticed my dog smelling my hands at frequent intervals and this was with no medication or perfumes on them. The funny thing is that the smell just totally dissappeared around the time my hands and feet started feeling better. Jen could this smell be some sort of barometer on wheather you are in a "flare" or not? I'm seeing the Rheumatologist for the first time next week and I'll mention it to him.
@ Robert. Thank you for the reality check. I'm still trying to say that the doctors is wrong and I don't have this, after all, I don't have any skin lessions anywhere. I guess it's still a little of denial phase.
@Andrew, Thanks for the affirmation. I'm worried about taking Humira because I work in the ICU at the hospital and am around sick folks all the time. We had a nurse who was on Humira and got a really bad MRSA infection in her skin and had to quit her job. I've been offered a position as house supervisor but I love what I do at the bedside and hate to leave. I don't want this illness to change my life anymore than it has too.