Your first symptoms of PA

[aysha01]

Hi

Would anyone mind sharing what they think their first symptoms of PA were. I don't see a rheumotologist for 8 weeks so am going to be wondering for a while what is going on with me right now.

thanks

Aysha

[marinersarenumber1]

Small inflammations on my left hand, small finger joint, large knuckle in the middle. Right foot, smallest 2 toes were inflamed and really ouchy. These were the first signs, and progressively over the weeks, the bottoms of my feet, my left ankle, a little in my right knee. The biggest frustrations were my neck and sternum. On different days, different places on my body would flare. Was taking Aleve and Tylenol, but wanted to halt the pills. Starting taking Enbrel recently, and hope to never look back. Good luck!

[Momelie]

First, my wrist hurt, just a sore kind of hurt, not bad. Then my little finger became swollen and wouldn't bend. Then the index finger did the same thing. Ten months later (the time it took for me to go from hand surgeon to rheumatologist) I had PA in most major (and plenty of minor) joints in my body, with some permanent damage.

[AnnHamann8]

Hiiiiii ya'll!!!! I started with P at 50 and it started in my ears then in my nail beds which caused my nails to ripple and very painful..Then the scaley splotches were widespead and random on my legs elbows etc... I use so many ointments and creams my husband lovingly calls me his creampuff..At times I have done light therapy but not very successful I have actually cleared more in the summer sun and dips in the salt water gulf..I was diagnosed with Pa by my derm..My first symtom was a sausage toe on my left foot.It was very sore and warm to the touch...My derm is the department head at Tulane ..so she took pictures of my toe as a teaching tool...I really had no other PA symptoms for five years then my left knee and heels became so painful I was forced to retire from my nursing position and 35 year long career(felt like I lost my identity)..I could not run halls any longer ..I am now on disability,and I work at overcoming this disease like a fighter in a ring..I do water airobics in my hot tub almost everyday (I call it greasing the joints)I take sulfasalazine as well as Allegra(for allergies I know but helps the inflamation) and NSDS I am now going to start REMICADE...which is the most invasive thing I have ever done and it scares me but whatever it takes!!!Is there anyone out there that is on Remicade??And has it worked for you???

[alli]

Aysha,
Asked this same question a couple months ago and got some great responses here:
http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showthread.php?t=21822

The thread has some great information!!

[ouchyk]

I work at overcoming this disease like a fighter in a ring..

YOU GO ANN! :) Great attitude, I love it! Whatever it takes! There are a great many PA folks who are on biologic medications and it works well for them that would include remicade.

I hope someone will see your post and answer soon about remicade.

Hang in there.

Karen

[aysha01]

thanks for your responses everyone - adn for the link. I don't have pain - but I have ache and 'twinges'. Is 2 months too long to see a rheumotologist. I am pretty sure I have swelling on my hips and on the upper most part of my legs where the bones join. Someone on here recommended a rheumy too me but 2 months to see that person - 1 month to see another.

thanks

[jpr]

My feet hurt so bad I needed orthotics - at age 29. Then my back became increasingly stiffer and more painful. The rest is history.

[mamaooch]

My first sign was rib pain. It took the Docs a year for the dx. I am presently on MTX and Remicade and they are helpful.

take Care,
Cindy

[Ihurt]

My knee's were so bad, if I even thought about walking long distances I was doomed.

When my left wrist started, I knew something was wrong. Thinking back though, there were alot of other things that happened like spondylitis flares with my back, but I wasn't connecting the dots. I had a bad bout with my lower back and I was 'grounded" in the bed for days, but I thought I had a herniated disc. It wasn't until years later that I put it all together, but by that time my neck had started as well, and my hands and feet were fully involved.

AS FOR REMICADE: I loved it. It helped me so much that I felt like I was twenty again! I was able to do anything and everything. It stopped working for me when I underwent an extreme amount of stress (GRRRRRHHHHHHH )

[MusingDragonfly]

After reading that I think I might want to find a rheumy..... I have stiffness, I'm pretty sure I have carpal tunnel, it runs in the family, and my wrists have hurt for years, but lately I get these, well they feel like cramps in my fingers, and occasionally I'll get an area on my hands or feet that just starts pulsing with pain.... And lately when I do things like grip a plate for too long, it takes me a few minutes to unbend my fingers and let go of it....Does this sound like it could be PA? :(

[easydoesit]

After reading that I think I might want to find a rheumy..... I have stiffness, I'm pretty sure I have carpal tunnel, it runs in the family, and my wrists have hurt for years, but lately I get these, well they feel like cramps in my fingers, and occasionally I'll get an area on my hands or feet that just starts pulsing with pain.... And lately when I do things like grip a plate for too long, it takes me a few minutes to unbend my fingers and let go of it....Does this sound like it could be PA? :(

Sorry to say so, but yes. I'd say it's definitely worth getting checked out.

[MJBose]

I am in the beginning right now. I have had psoriasis since I was a kid. Just little spots here and there. Now I'm 47 and over the years I developed spots, large and small, all over me and my finger nails and toe nails have become embarrassingly deformed. About 4 months ago I started noticing stabbing pains in my big toe, left foot. The side of my toe is red and swollen most of the time now and, in that 4 months, my right thumb and left middle finger have become affected. On bad days I can feel the burning pain going up foot to my ankle and going down my fingers to the wrists and palms of my hands. After reading some of these post I realize that damage is being done to my bones! I guess it's time to see a rheumatologist. I've only been using topicals for my skin and think I may have to find something a little stronger now!
Thanks to everyone who shares their stories in these forums...they help.

[princesstwinsmom]

I was diagnosed with guttate psoriasis two years ago - right around the time I was diagnosed Type II diabetic. I had these awful red, raw, bleeding patches in various (personal) places. My GP treated it as a fungus for several months before referring me to a dermatologist.

My first PA symptom was neck pain - diagnosed as a cervical strain by my GP and chiro. A few months into that, I got severe jaw pain - diagnosed as TMJ by my dentist and oral surgeon. Then it moved into my hands and feet. At that point, I complained enough to my GP that he did some blood work and my sed rate came back hugely elevated. About three weeks later, I saw a rheumatologist who diagnosed PA and prescribed methotrexate.

I've been frustrated that it took so long to diagnose it, but I've also heard that other people suffer for YEARS before they have an answer. At least I was diagnosed in under a year.

My jaw remains the worst in terms of pain. Just started Enbrel three weeks ago (in addition to MTX) and am seeing a very small improvement. I'm trying really, really hard to be patient.

[Rebel]

Have had Psoriasis for the past 2 and a half years (I'm 20). About a year and a half ago I started getting a pain in my right knee and found it to be very swollen. My brother had problem with his knee (fluid and build up of cartilige), I thought it might be something similar as it seemed like a build up of fluid.

I then went to see my family doctor about it who sent me to get it x-rayed. The results showed no damage to my knee and so my dermatologist diagnosed it at PA.

This Friday I am going to see a rheumatologist that my dermatologist refered me to, as some of his psoriasis patients have gone to him with PA and taken Methotrexate to clear it up. I had the option of going to a rheumatologist or starting light-box treatment, but my knee pains me too much as times.

[Tat2U]

I felt pain in my ankle like as if I twisted it and for a few days I tried to figure out what I did to it. It never dawned on me that it could be PA............I have not been officially diagnosed, But I know this is what it is. I had pain in the wrists like crapal tunal, so I thought, since I am a tattooist, but it's PA.

[azMaria]

My first symptom was a swollen joint in my right thumb and index finger. I'd broken my left fingers and wrist so many times that I assumed any joint swelling would be the left, so there was no reason for my right to swell. My doctor gave me a c-reactive protein blood test, and said get thee to a rheumy. I got a thorough exam, including skin, and the rheumy asked about a patch of skin on my rear-end and scalp (since I was young), asked how long I has psoriasis. I said "Have what? No ma'am."

So if I had known I had psoriasis, or thought enough to complain about the sore patches of skin, guess I could have had that taken care of a long time ago!

Maria

[RichJ]

hi maria,
welcome to the p family. you have met some of the wonderful people on here and will find alot of great info. welcome and nice to meet you.

have a good night all

richard

[caleb]

I thought I had heel spurs, but the doctor said no heel spurs. Then my right index finger started to get stiff. A few months later it started swelling. The next thing to go was the *left* index finger. That seemed indicative of RA, but nope, turned out it was pa