What are your experiences of PA

Posted Fri 8 Feb 2019 10.24 by Sammyahha (edited Fri 8 Feb 2019 10.30 by Sammyahha)

Hello everyone. I’m just wondering what your first symptoms of PA were like. I’ve had psoriasis for about 12 years starting in my teenage years. It’s mostly on my scalp, with some in my ears and on my back. The P I can live with, as it’s not much and mostly manageable, apart from the weeping that matts up my hair! Now I’ve never seen a derm for it, gp has confirmed P, it’s rife in my family, but it’s never been bad enough for me to warrant needing to see a derm. My problem lately is the joint trouble, which started about 2 years ago, it started in my tmj joint, I’m still waiting for my max fax appointment as I’ve just had an MRI on it, but it’s forever clicking and locking up, no pain in that joint funnily enough. I get pain in my left thoracic pain if I sit up straight for too long, then if I adjust to a slight slouch I get pain in my lower back, also laying on my back too long hurts my lower back. Sitting down for too long with knees bent is also troublesome, not with pain, but my left knee buckles under me almost as soon as I stand up. Coming down stairs isn’t as bad as going upstairs for my knee, I don’t find my knee is painful, but it’s very weak and not as flexible as my right knee. I have a couple of fingers that can be painful, but it’s the middle joints rather than the end joints. I don’t have nail P, I don’t think, I do get very small white spots under my nails, but no pitting. Although I do have very deep vertical ridges in my nails, some worse than others. I don’t have RF as I was tested for that some years ago when my wrist was playing up, although that doesn’t bother me anymore. I do find that sometimes my joint pain moves about, and that makes me wonder if it’s in my head as it really does feel like my body is playing tricks on me. I do have iron deficiency anemia, have done for about 4 years on and off now, but my gp puts that down to me being female. I’m only 28, so dread to think how my joints will be in 20 years time if I’m already struggling now. I only have topical steroids and I take diclofenac for my joint troubles, I was taking naproxen, but my P flared,, gp didn’t agree the naproxen flared it, but changed it anyway. Also, weirdly enough, my joint problems are only on the left side, I have absolutely no problems with any joints on the right Do I reqeuest to see a derm? Or a rheumy?

Posted Fri 8 Feb 2019 14.54 by souxies

Wow your symptoms sound very similar to mine! I have posted just after you but I had not read your post. I also have no nail pitting and the only swelling I have had is my knee. After doing some reserch online I have read that symptoms can be triggered by an illness and I had strep throat follwed by a massive guttate outbreak in April last year. Have you had an illness recently? Also read any trauma to the joints can make them more susceptible to developing pa and i was hit by a car when younger and i had a broken left leg and damaged left arm. I started with a swollen sore big toe joint when i was a teenager which still comes and goes, a few years ago my knee started to hurt and buckle under me and recently its also been my hip and elbow. Just confused as I do not have the classic swellings or pitted nails and my muscle seem sore and weak aswell?

Posted Fri 8 Feb 2019 15.23 by Sammyahha

Wow yes very similar! I’ve not had any illnesses, I rarely get ill actually, if I do start to come down with a cold or anything, it’s over as quickly as it comes, I suppose it’s one fortune of having an over active immune system! I’ve never had any injuries though, It mostly bothers me when I stay in the same position for too long, too long meaning I can’t sit down for more than about twenty minutes without moving about and adjusting for the pain. then I get up and my knee gives out. I had xrays on my spine a couple of years ago, but nothing showed up, and since nothing showed up, my gp just sends me on my way with anti inflammatories, I’m sure she thinks I’m making it up. My tmj is definitely my biggest problem, but that’s the one that is the least painful, My maximum opening is 24mm that’s why my dentist sent me to maxillofacial for the mri. I only have to wait a month for my next appt but a month is going to feel like forever. I have to go up and downstairs about 60 times a night at work, I dread it every night. But there’s nothing I can do about that unfortunately. I don’t get any problems with my muscles, it’s just the stiff/weak/painful joints. I fee far to young to be experiencing all this now, it really does get my down

Posted Fri 8 Feb 2019 16.55 by souxies

My job also involves lots of going up and down stairs but thankfully not sitting in a chair. I cant sit for any length of time without pain in my hip or carry or hold anything in my left arm. Im really going to push to see a rheumatologist as i have been fobbed off with my toe and knee in the past. I also have bowel issues and sometimes chest pains. Its all been so much worse recently since my guttate flared up after the strep throat. Im also sleeping or tired alot! I can have 12 hours not feel ill effects for it

Posted Fri 8 Feb 2019 17.10 by Sammyahha

I second the sleeping a lot, I can go for 12 hours up at a time. I always put it down to the anemia though. I also get the pain, naturally I assume it’s chest pain. It’s only left sided and have had ecg’s, chest X-ray etc and it always comes back fine. But it’s more in my shoulder, sometimes a quick electric shock type pain, but more recently a more deep lingering pain. Who knows, but I’m glad I’m not alone

Posted Sun 10 Feb 2019 23.15 by Vickie

When I was 16 years old I started with pain in my left knee then each year father that I would have a new pain and at 18 my skin broke out with P. By my 20's I was in a wheelchair my body was killing me. I had all the symptoms you have. I'm now 55 and can't do a lot but through it all I have always kept up beet. Keep going for help tel someone hears you. See a skin Doctor and a joint Doctor as soon as you can. I am on biological' s and they do help I'm in and out of my wheelchair mostly out so keep fighting for your self and good luck

Posted Mon 4 Mar 2019 by Hycarumba

You could be describing me,yet to get the arthritis linked to psoriasis waiting to see muscular skeletal clinic, wrists, fingers, thumbs, right knee and ankle feels like I've been shot while walking, debilitating when it takes over life, it's as if doctor thinks forget the link treat the symptoms but no medication works for arthritis, I feel for you and everyone here, kind regards and be well

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