Psoriasis arthritis?

I wrote this in the Psoriasis section to begin with, but it's not very active. Therefore I thought i'd try my luck in here.

I suspect I have PsA. I'm a 24 year old, quite healthy, quite fit male. I first discovered I had normal skin Psoriasis when I was 15. Started in the scalp, elbows and knees. By the time I was 18 it was in my nails and a few patches on my legs aswell. I presume what i've got around my genitals and my anus is Psoriasis aswell, although i've never showed this to a doctor due to shyness. The doctor has always said it's not serious enough for any stronger treatments, so i've just been on the creams to keep it under control. They're alright but they obviously don't do as well when the winter comes. I grew up in Britain but I moved to Finland when I was 17 and this is when the Psoriasis started to flare up a bit more. Finland has quite harsh winter conditions. Summer can be as warm as 30C (86F). Winter can be as cold as -30C (-22F).

Basically last winter I started feeling stiff and sore in some places. Mainly where my pectoral muscles join with my biceps were hurting a lot and were very stiff. I first decided to go to a naprapath who basically just massaged and said it was a bit stiff but after 4 expensive sessions I noticed no difference, so I stopped going.

This autumn after having a pretty much pain free summer, playing football and being outside in the sun alot, i've now entered a very new degree of stiffness and discomfort. It started in the same place as last winter, with my pectoral/bicep region. Then the middle part of my spine became very stiff, especially in the mornings. I sit up out of bed and hear 'click, click, click'. Then comes a sound like sand is being poured down my spine. Sometimes aches occur in my hips, knees and elbows.

So I decided to go and see a specialist. He was helpful to some extent. Apart from that when i told him that most of the pain is in my pec/bicep region, he pressed once there and asked 'did that hurt?' i said 'not at this moment in time, it come and goes..' But he did find a few spots where it hurt in my lower back region. he sent me for an x-ray (ONLY on my back!?) and the result came back that I had some inflammation damage (?!) there. Blood and urine test's came back negative. So he prescribed me with MOBIC and told me to phone back after 10 days.
10 days went and MOBIC has actually helped my pectorol/bicep area which was the worst one. I'd say it's taken away about 70-80% of the painful periods i was having. But, it did not help my spine or back. Not only that but last night my left elbow swelled up a bit (little bit up from the funny bone as I call it) and became very warm and tender. This morning i woke with my right in the same state.

I spoke to the specialist in the day before the elbow pain and he's now told me to go to a physio and get treatment 4-5 times to see if that help. After that it will be magnetic x-ray.
I have mentioned Psoriasis Arthritis to him but he says it's very difficult to diagnose.
Basically i'm still a bit worried because even though i'm leaning towards PsA, i'm still hanging a bit in the air and am not sure what's wrong with me. I'm usually very healthy and only get like one proper cold per winter. Last winter i was sick with a cold about 5 times and already this autumn i've had a cold twice and pretty much constantly a sore throat and tickley cough. Can this have to do with PsA? I'm basically just looking for as much info. or help i can get. It's getting really uncomfortable now and I wondering if this elbow swelling is muscle or glads or what it is.
Bit paranoid, bit scared, bit uncomfortable because i work outside in the cold. Very grateful for any help or advice.

I was diagnosed about 4 months ago with psoriatic spondyloarthritis. It's a cousin of Ankylosing Spondylitis. I was diagnosed with the "psoriatic" part, I presume, because I have psoriasis although that is mostly under control these days (the pain, however, is not!).

I wish I could be more helpful, but I'm very new to all of this myself and, although I have psoriasis, my pain is almost exclusively in my spine (with occasional foot/hand aches & pain). It's awesome, because it's an almost all-encompassing pain - felt right throughout my body - but I digress...

I guess the only thing I can do of any real help is to point you in the direction of my friend Google. Here's a forum dedicated entirely to psoriatic arthritis.
http://talkpsoriasis.org/forumdisplay.php?20-Psoriatic-arthritis

Mel

Flaring or having a period of worse inflammation will result in flu-like symptoms, but I don't think this means you are immunosuppressed - many people with an arthritis are, however, due to immunosupressant drugs like Methotrexate.

The inflammatory-causing proteins called Alpha-TNF is responsible for feeling like you have the flu when suffering with arthritis, I have PsA and Fibromyalgia, and from what you've described, you are correct to be considering PsA.

Good luck

I have psoriatic arthritis. You could have an autoimmune issue with it, or your body is just struggling right now with the adjustment. It is common to get feverish during a flare. I have immune issues. I've been told the PA has affected not only the joints, but the lining around the joints = which is what is actually inflammed at times and not the actual joint itself. This has also affected (I'm told) my organs. It seems to move and hit an area hard for a while, I work to get past it, level out, then it finds another weak spot.

I take a super b complex that helps with fatigue. last year, i was sick a LOT...we're talking every 2-3 weeks I was in bed for a few days with fatigue and fevers. I found out I was vitamin D deficient (down to a 13 - normal is around 32, they say.) I've been taking vitamin D supplements and my level has been slowly rising. I have not been sick nearly as much this year. Possibly a coincidence? I don't know.

Psoriatic arthritis supposedly shows up different on xrays because it affects the joints differently than RA. However, when I was diagnosed, the pain and the problems were there, but (thankfully) the wear and tear on my joints at the time was minimal. But, I had a bunch of other symptoms that made it clear to the doctor at the time what my dx was.

 

Oh geez! I feel for you. The best thing I can suggest is, don't let him dismiss you until you're ready. Make a list of everything you can think of to go over so you don't get flustered and make him listen if he gives you any guff. They'll order bloodwork (if they haven't already - but, that's not a tell-all whatsoever if you have any infammatory disease), maybe some xrays.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

Holy cow.....that is pretty bad! I was once bed ridden as a teenager...was in a dark room for a week or so. Finally, my fever spiked so high, my parents took me to the hosptial....apparently, getting out and seeing the doctor was what my fever needed! LOL. I was still bed-ridden for almost a month, but that visit did help!

Hi Guys, I am new to the site

I have PA squared,pernicious anaemia and psoriatic arthritis. What you are describing Hurting Well sure sound like PsA to me but I hope I am wrong. I have recently been told I also have Sjogrens syndrome and fear this may be the straw that broke the camels back as I was just about coping with the rest of the stuff.
Anyone got any advice please.
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Psa, PA, Asthma, COPD, Depression, Sjogrens syndrome and more meds than you could shake a stick at including methotrexate