anyone without skin affected?

[lynnie59]

Hi! I am one of the probably only 10% that has PA, but so far I have VERY few skin lesions. I have the pitted nails, affected toe nails, two tiny spots on my one leg, and another patch on my chest, but have the arthritis bad. Is there anyone else that is the same as me? It took a long time to get diagnosed because I had no lesions to speak of. I have been diagnosed with just about everything else, but now they have decided that it is PA. :confused:

Looking forward to meeting people on this forum!

[annielivesey]

Hi

I was diagnosed about 12 months ago, having had joint pains for two years. I too have pitted nails and trouble with toenails, but as yet, just a tiny patch on my back.

I'm still wondering how they can diagnose with PA if you don't have skin problems - is it that perhaps you RA, but the blood tests just show an elevated ESR, but nothing else??

I've just started on Sulfasalazine (3 months ago). It's made a HUGE difference and I now only have pain in my left hip, left shoulder and lower back!!!

[lynnie59]

Hi! I too have just started on Sulfasalazine. Have been on it for about a month. Pain is still there, so no relief yet, but hey tell me it could take up to 12 weeks! :eek: Tried Methotrexate for 4 months and it didn't work, so am really hoping this will make a difference!

When I went to a new Rheumy and he checked all my medical reports, looked at my nails and toes, felt all my joints, he is the one that diagnosed me with PA. I think it is a process of elimination. I had a positive for RA, but then negatives. My ESR is always elevated...but my swelling hasn't gone away in 2 years.

[seedoubleyou]

Hi: I went for years with p only on my scalp -- never bothered me much, as long as I washed my hair frequently and kept my hands off. I thought it was just dry scalp or something until my hairdresser asked me one day, "did you know that you have psoriasis on your scalp??" Last summer, I developed inverse p in the "privates." Thus far, it hasn't appeared elsewhere.

Joint pain has been around for YEARS, though, as well as other inflammatory problems (tendonitis, conjunctivitis, bursitis, iritis, etc.) So, yep, like you, I was affected with arthritis, FIRST, and skin involvement is fairly minimal.

I've taken Celebrex for years but was started on sulfasalazine, also, almost 2 months ago. I am thrilled to note that I have MUCH less discomfort (although not completely gone), most especially when I get out of bed in the morning. First thing I noticed was getting up and taking that first step and thinking, "gee, I don't feel like I've been hit by a truck!"

Glad to hear that you evidently have found a good rheumy, and hope the sulfasalazine will make a difference for you. Hang in there!

[GeraldineDullaw]

Hi, I have only had mild psoriasis of the scalp for 30 years. Suddenly a year ago
I developed PA, but I think mine has been brought on by stress, marital problems. All blood tests for RA clear but the condition I have in only one joint is very severe. It seems to me that there must be hundreds of variations.

[lewislibrarian]

I'd had moderate P for a few years which tapered off as the PsA kicked in. So, I had a history of P, but with very few current lesions.

Jesse

[SJand3kids]

Hi,

I only have one spot of P (inverse) that was diagnosed through biopsy after the birth of my second child. I had joint pain off and on for years but two years ago PA hit with a vengence. I have had lots of pain that moves from joint to joint (I think it’s hit nearly every joint) and is in several joints all the time. I take sulfazine, Embral, etc...

Hope this helps.

Sara B

Hi

"Hi! I am one of the probably only 10% that has PA, but so far I have VERY few skin lesions. I have the pitted nails, affected toe nails, two tiny spots on my one leg, and another patch on my chest, but have the arthritis bad. Is there anyone else that is the same as me? It took a long time to get diagnosed because I had no lesions to speak of. I have been diagnosed with just about everything else, but now they have decided that it is PA."

I had the same situation...strong Pa and only few P lesion.
doctors did not diagnose Pa until the skin p flared...
(the process took 32 months.............32 months of pain with every kind of
diagnosis and wrong cures.....)
my only psoriasis lesion were on my nails......

now i'm free of pa and 95% free of psoriasis

good luck !

Maurizio

[micheala]

I was just diagnosed with PA, and I have no P what-so-ever!
But i do have the sausage digits in my toes, and total fatigue and brain fog.
Apparently it is connected to hashimotos ,anther auto-immune disease I have.
Recently I decreased my stress levels, and I started taking fish oils and
flax. The pain went down tremendously!
I am also doing visualization as well.
Does anyone else have fatigue?
Thanx
Ana

[JesseLou]

I have only had an occasional single pustule (I have pustular p) on my palms, which "spread" to a spot the size of a quarter on one hand. Shooting it with cortisone "cures" it for a year or more at a time, so I effectively have no p at all right now, but I have pa all the time.

[musicmaker]

New here. Just diagnosed yesterday. I have almost nonexistent P, but the arthritis has gotten bad. Also have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis...wow...just to know this is not uncommon. Glad I found this place!

[KathyD]

I have been recently DX with pa I have only 3 spots all small about pea sized
the arthritis began as achillies tendon pain and went undiagnosied for about 3 years, I finally stumbled upon my diagnois on the web and brought to the attention of my MD. anyway have a rheumy now and started on prednisone and MTX just last month . I am doing so much better now and am grateful I can at least function without pain. hopefully I can taper off the prednisone and the MTX will be enough. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the p dosent activate. so far so good

[sanddani]

just been diagnosed last week and feeling panicky and upset. Joint pain been bothering me for a couple of years, first in back and then my feet and recently my left arm which has been really bad. Tried anti inflammatories bur they brought my asthma attacks on. Just had cortisone injections in my arm and foot. Helped my arm but not my foot. The rheum doctor diagosed me. I have psoriasis in my scalp but when he asked me about rashes i said no because I thought it would be the plaque type, not realising there were more types of eruptions. My dad had psoriasis to varying degrees so I knew what it looked like. But i am wondering now if the small spots, which are very itchy and come and go, especially on my elbows could be psoriasis. I'm in a bit of state of shock still at the diagnosis and pretty ignorant of the implications etc. Felt a bit better when I found this message board, will visit again. Any advice anyone can give me, would be very grateful. Sandra