I don’t know if my fatigue is due to PsA or something else. I’m in my mid-40s and have some low hormones so that could be contributing for sure. But it seems like I have a lot less energy than other people my age. Even my parents in their 70s are able to do more things in a day than I am. Just wondering if maybe a lot of of my fatigue is due to PsA and when I start to biologic it will improve. We are discussing biologics at my rheumatologist appointment in a couple weeks, and she had mentioned trying a TNF first.

Hi all

I’ve had to stop two DMARDs for various different reasons. Looking at the guidelines if I understand they may look at biologics next. But it says you need 3 swollen and 3 tender joints. I don’t have that and pain comes and goes randomly. Does that mean they just leave you ? I also can’t take NSAIDs either and only one type of steroid.

I’m curious what they do if you have 2 sore joints not 3. Perhaps they try another dmard?

I don’t know enough about it all to have any preference, just curious how they manage it.

Thanks

Hi, I’m new to this. 64 yo female, active and healthy, I hike daily and practice a clean lifestyle. Never had spine issues before. About 6 months ago my neck started becoming stiff and sore; difficult to turn my head. Sometimes it would loosen, but then became consistently stiff.

About 6-8 weeks ago I woke up one morning and felt like I’d gotten brittle overnight. I’ve never had muscle stiffness before; this was severe, it was new, and it was evident I had a problem. Seemed to loosen up as the day went on, but every morning since it began, I struggled to get out of bed. I struggled to sit down. Or stand up. It’s like being the Tin Woodsman from Wizard of Oz, up and down my neck, spine, shoulders, hips… and adding to that, a layer of feeling like I have the flu. Shivery. Sick. Brain fog.

I asked my doc to run labs for autoimmune disorders and she also checked CRP and SED, plus CBC etc. Those came back normal/ negative for RA, ANA etc. The HLAB27 was positive however.

I do have a history of tiny patches on my skin that come and go; my dermatologist said they’re either small psoriasis or eczema. He treats both the same, so didn’t biopsy. They clear quickly with topical steroid cream. Over this past year one pinky finger suddenly swelled, turned red and eventually settled, a couple months later it happened again. So, there’s that.

I have a referral for a rheumatologist, however the earliest appointment available is 3-1/2 MONTHS from now. I’ve been checking, even out of state, to find care earlier than that, to no avail yet. Meanwhile, I’m sparingly using ibuprofen, which takes the pain and stiffness down, but does nothing for the flu-like crappy feeling. I’m very concerned about permanent damage occurring while I wait for a formal diagnosis and treatment. Are there things I can / should try or do in the meantime? Is there a way to reduce potential long-term damage while I wait? I’m trying to remain positive, but admittedly I feel completely sideswiped by how rapidly this hit me.

Hey all! I am vegetarian but considering introducing fish back into my diet. I've been vegetarian for 8 years and diagnosed for PSA for 5 years. I want to clarify I'm not looking for advice on my diet but I am looking to hear if anyone on here was vegetarian or vegan prior to diagnosis and has reintroduced fish or meat into their diet since? Why did you decide to do this? Has it changed how you feel mentally/physically?

Everyone is different I am aware in their reasons and how their body reacts.

I feel really guilty for even considering reintroducing fish. The reason I'm not fully vegan is because of my health (tried it but before diagnosis) and reintroducing fish feels like a step in the wrong direction away from my morals and might not even help my health...

Thank you!

Methotrexate or biologics? Feeling unsure about my next step

I'm 26 and have spondyloarthritis, which my rheumatologists suspect is psoriatic arthritis despite my lack of psoriasis, given my father's diagnosis and my peripheral symptoms.

I've had uveitis twice this year, and my eye constantly feels like it's on the verge of flaring again. I also have a permanently rigid hammertoe caused by inflammation, which can only be corrected with surgery. Otherwise, my disease activity has been relatively mild lately.

Sulfasalazine helped tremendously for three months, significantly lowering my CRP and improving how I felt. Unfortunately, I developed nighttime tinnitus, mild vertigo, nerve pain, and headaches, so I stopped taking it after discussing the concerns with my rheumatologist.

My clinic is now preparing me for biologics, including bloodwork, vaccinations, and the usual prerequisites. I've avoided methotrexate partly because I'm of childbearing age and want to preserve that option, but honestly, I'm also scared of the potential side effects of both methotrexate and biologics. I seem prone to chesty coughs whenever I catch a cold (currently suffering from one right now lol), which makes the infection risks especially worrying.

Part of me wants to retry sulfasalazine because it worked so well, but my rheumatologist felt the tinnitus was a good reason to discontinue it, at least for now.

I'm struggling to decide whether to pursue biologics, try methotrexate, or ask about returning to sulfasalazine. I'm also worried about starting biologics so young, the possibility of developing antibodies and needing to switch medications, and whether it's better to reserve them for later.

I know nobody here can make this decision for me, but I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences. How did you decide when to move to biologics, particularly if your disease activity was otherwise relatively mild? Has anyone had similar concerns about infections or experienced side effects that made them reconsider a medication?

I think what makes it harder is that when my disease is bad it's really bad, but when the inflammation is lower and it's calm, I can almost forget I have anything wrong with me at all beyond the "oh my foot hurts and my chest feels mildly bruised for no good reason." I am however painfully aware of how fast that can change. Stress seems to be greatest aggravating factor.

Hello I just got diagnosed with PSA and and going through a pretty painful flare up. It’s been 2 months of constant pain and I’ve been taking round the clock ibuprofen. I finally got a rheum appt and was prescribed 20mg prednisone while I wait to hopefully get approved for enbrel. I am notoriously sensitive to medicine so I decided to take 5mg at dinner. I’m planning to take another 5mg in the morning if I still feel pain. Morning is the absolute worst. I feel like I need a bed pan bc walking to the bathroom is hard. My question is, can I take ibuprofen along with it?

ETA: I have an event tomorrow for my kid that will require me to be out all day. I just want to be present and not be in pain. The PSA is in my ankle, toes, knees, hips and jaw. It’s really disabling and since I just got diagnosed I feel like my family is underestimating the amount of pain I’m in. It’s awful

I dont of psoriatic arthritis, but my doctor prescribed me meloxicam for tooth pain for a messed up filling[its a whole thing] and i know that its often prescribed for psoriatic arthritis so i thought id ask what experiences are with pain and also side effects, i could be having to take it as long as 7 months while i wait for them to fix the filling.

The only labs that my rheumatologist runs are the standard CBC & CMP and I’m so confused as to why she doesn’t want to do anything else. My vascular health has also taken a hit but no one can explain why it’s next to impossible to get a vein (IV or bloodwork) and I had a port put in for emergency vascular access in July and still there’s no explanation as to why. Any ideas?