My fingernail problems resolved completely with MTX, then came back when I went off MTX for liver problems, then resolved again when I went on Humira. But if you're not going the systemics route, my...
There are lots of people on this forum who have PsA. Most people with it had the skin disease first, often for 20 years or more, but there are a few that got joint pain first. Most PsA sufferers have...
What province are you in? It doesn't work that way in B.C. Let me know if you want more info on the situation here....
For me it was about 20 years. It took about 3 years before anybody made the connection between the psoriasis and the joint pain....
That sounds odd, first because Humira usually does a great job clearing psoriasis, and second because those are unusual places for psoriasis to start. I would get a second opinion, from a...
My first advice is not to worry about this too much. Remember that the vast majority of people with psoriasis never get arthritis. Those of us with PsA often had the skin diseases for a long time --...
I've had what my dermatologist calls pustular psoriasis, but not on hands or feet. It is quite unpleasant. I don't have any now because I use Humira, which I take for arthritis. When I had pustular...
I too notice the effect of Humira wearing off toward the end of the two weeks. I used to think the same thing about weekly MTX shot. My rheumatologist says Humira doesn't work that way, that its...
I think you'll get a lot of answers from your rheumatologist. The good news is that if you get a diagnosis of SA or PsA or both, there are lots of treatments available, and for many people they work...
I've been on Humira since January. It took about six weeks before I started seeing real effects. When I started, I had dactylitis on one foot and enthesitis on the heel of the same foot. There was...
I haven't had any problems with Humira. Are you sure it's not psoriasis? One thing I've learned in the past years is that psoriasis can take a number of different forms and strike in new places. For...
I haven't messed it up yet, but I certainly know the anxiety of handling a $750 syringe. I'm curious whether you use the pen or syringe, because another poster recently had a pen mishap. I've been...
I'm 4 months on Humira with great results and no side effects at all. I've gone from having trouble walking to running 20 minutes per day, from bad pustular psoriasis to almost perfect skin. You have...
"What's next?" you say to yourself. That's what I wonder all the time. And I'm usually wondering if things are going to get worse. But there have been times when things have gotten better. There was...
There's lots of great resources on the web, like the Arthritis Foundation at arthritis.org. RA specific informaiton is at http://www.arthritis.org/disease-center.php?disease_id=31 The important thing...
People are probably putting up videos of the first time they use an injectable. Not knowing what's coming is more scary than the actual event. After a few times, you really do get used to it. Sure,...
My accupuncture experience. I've been to two. Both have treated my wife's family. My wife was born here, but her family is from China, and she sees accupuncturists, herbalists, and allopathic doctors...
Thanks for your perspective, Koi. My insurance actually does cover naturopathic care (I've got great coverage) but it counts against an annual limit for all alternative therapies, so I'm cautious...
I've wondered about what would happen if I ruined one myself. I use the syringe, and the instructions say if you strike a blood vessel you're supposed to discard the dose. I do keep an empty...
It sounds like I should have looked around more carefully before choosing an ND! You guys found what I was looking for. Thanks for the responses....
I'm pretty happy with my collection of doctors. I have a family doc, a dermatologist, a rheumatologist. But I was intriugued by the idea of getting advice from a naturopathic physician. They'd been...
Sorry to hear about your experience. I've had psA for about 3 years, but have had the diagnosis for a little over a year. My experience is that symptoms come and go. I once had to quit all meds...
Gout can be hard to diagnose, but your descript ion doesn't sound like gout. If you see a doctor, he'll be looking for a red, very painful, inflamed joint, usually proximal to the big toe. He'll...
Psoriatic arthritis, like fibromyalgia, is hard to diagnose. But with a long history of psoriasis it's certainly a possibility you want to talk to your doctors about . I had psoriasis for 20 years...
I hope you're feeling better soon. My experience with PsA has been that it is totally unpredictable. I'll give you an example. Months ago, I had to go drug free because of liver problems. No MTX, no...
Like you, I was on MTX for psoriasis and PsA until I ran into problems, in my case liver enzymes. And like you, I ended up on Humira, which I've been on for two months. On MTX, I had no psoriasis at...
I hope you find relief from your cramping issue. As for my signature line, I have psoriasis, PsA and hypogonadism. PsA is shorthand for psoriatic arthritis. Its classic symptom is the sausage toe,...
I'm on Humira too, although I haven't flow with it yet. I have flown, including in the U.S., with MTX syringes. I just put them in the clear plastic bag with other toiletries. Security never...
I've had a couple foot cramps (and calf cramps too) while swimming and know how painful that can be. I have a couple ideas that might help. Are you sure you're adequately hydrated? I try to drink 1...
Medicines that control inflamation, like Motrin, don't prevent infections. Steroids like prednisone and Methotrexate (MTX) inhibit the bodies ability to fight an infection. MTX in particular leaves...
My experience with these drugs is that their effect is subtle and not cumulative. The directions on Pensaid (that may be a Canadian name) say to apply 40 drops 4x per day. The voltaren gel is more...
I have used Voltaren gel (which is over-the-counter in most countries) and a similar medication that in Canada is called Pensaid. Both are the NSAID diclofenac in a topical solution. My understanding...
I'm a new user (2 shots so far) of Humira. I haven't had any negative reactions, and any improvements so far have been subtle. I'm very hopeful about the future with this drug, however. Like many...