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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Arthritis / February 2006An introduction
Hi all, I've just officially become an arthritis sufferer, so I thought I might drop in here and say hello. My problems began well over a year ago; pain and morning stiffness, starting with one ankle and one toe. This gradually worsened and spread to other joints. Eventually I saw the GP who did blood tests and gave me anti-inflammatories. The bloods came up normal (Rheumatoid factor negative, CRP and ESR normal) so he said "keep taking the tablets" (yes, he really said that!) and to come back if it didn't get better. It didn't. More bloods, different NSAID, same result, but at this point my left knee and left elbow went crazy, so he referred me to the rheumatology dept - 13 week waiting list :-( I finally got my appointment, the consultant was great. His conclusion was that the problem is psoriatic arthritis - something I had never considered even though I suspected I had very mild psoriasis (in my case a rash on my feet and occasionally dry, scaly knees and elbows - mild enough that I had never bothered the GP with it. I had wrongly assumed that psoriatic arthritis would be associated with severe psoriasis, but the severity of the skin condition is completely unrelated to the severity of the joint problem. The arthritis can even appear _before_ any skin problems. Anyway, he drained some fluid from the left knee joint - horrible at the time, but the immediate improvement in pain, swelling and stiffness made it worthwhile. He also injected some steroids into the knee. More blood tests, and a chest x-ray as he will soon be starting me on methotrexate. I have two more appointments over the next couple of weeks, and will have to wait weeks before I know if the MTX is helping, but at least something is happening to give me hope. Obviously I'm not exactly *happy* about receiving a diagnosis of a lifelong - and possibly life-changing - ailment, but at least I now know the enemy, and am feeling positive. I may be new to being a patient, but I'm not new to the condition; my mum has severe rheumatoid arthritis, and my wife has arthritis secondary to her inflammatory bowel disease. Nor am I new to medical matters, especially medication, as I am a pharmacist by profession, so hopefully I will be able to be of use if anyone has questions about medicines. Thanks for reading this far, and be well and free from pain, cheers, Pete (wow - my longest usenet post *ever*) snip >I am a pharmacist by profession, so hopefully >I will be able to be of use if anyone has questions about medicines. >Thanks for reading this far, and be well and free from pain, >cheers, >Pete >(wow - my longest usenet post *ever*) Welcome aboard Pete, although sorry you had to be here, but like you say at least you know the score, so to speak. Did the RD or GP prescribe folic acid with the methotrexate? If not check it out with him/her and you'll probably be able to get a small bottle of folic acid from work!! I have RA, but I'm sure others like Chris R [with PA] will post shortly. Good luck -- preceed with 2006 to email >I have RA, but I'm sure others like Chris R [with PA] will post >shortly. (blushes) ohh gosh ... I am famous ... at last!! Wohoo!! :oD Chris R. >I've just officially become an arthritis sufferer, so I thought I might >drop in here and say hello. Hello :o) Plenty of room inside - pull up a chair, pour a drink and have a chat with the regulars :o) >My problems began well over a year ago; pain and morning stiffness, >starting with one ankle and one toe. This gradually worsened and spread >to other joints. > ... [snip] Yup - your story sounds depressingly familiar - mine started with a few 'funny' joints which were a bit stiff. Then my knee started swelling dramatically and i was diagnosed with PA. Like you, I didn't have Psoriasis to any great degree - just odd small patches. >Anyway, he drained some fluid from the left knee joint - horrible at the >time, but the immediate improvement in pain, swelling and stiffness made >it worthwhile. He also injected some steroids into the knee. Yeah - don't let anyone tell you "it's OK" ... or "we'll make sure it won't hurt this time" ... they're damn liars! LOL I have had it done twice and the second time they could have just injected the steroids and not bothered trying to drain anything out - the fluid was as thick as egg-white! Just thinking about that needle probing about is enough to make me go white :oS >have to wait weeks before I know if the MTX is helping, but at least >something is happening to give me hope. Well, don't look for any dramatic improvement from MTX ... it is more of a stabilizer - with MTX the condition should be dampened down considerably and you'll hopefully get less flare-ups and less joints will head west. Also, whatever you do, don't think that you don't need DMARDs. I stopped taking my MTX last Spring and spent the summer regretting it and building my dose back up again. If you're not reponding to just MTX + NSAID you could do worse than try the combo I am on. My rheumy said sufferers often do better on low/moderate does of MTX + Leflunomide (+NSAID). I just had constant problems with lethargy and nausea when my MTX went about 10mg/week. >Obviously I'm not exactly *happy* about receiving a diagnosis of a >lifelong - and possibly life-changing - ailment, but at least I now know >the enemy, and am feeling positive. That's the thing to remember - knowledge is power - learn about it and learn how to live with it. Also make sure you go to your rheumatologist armed with the latest information so that you can show him/her that you have an interest in your condition and can even suggest which treatment you feel would suit your lifestyle best. >Thanks for reading this far, and be well and free from pain, >cheers, Thanks Pete - and you too :o) Chris R. >>I've just officially become an arthritis sufferer, so I thought I might >>drop in here and say hello. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >swelling dramatically and i was diagnosed with PA. Like you, I didn't >have Psoriasis to any great degree - just odd small patches. my first psoriasis was diagnosed when i went to the doctor with a wound i thought wasn't healing. "the wound's gone, he said, that's psoriasis". sure enough, it steadily spread: nothing much, ever, but always something itching away somewhere. the next time i went to the doctor (ca. 18 months later) it was because several of my joints had seized up. he guessed it was pa, and referred me -- the rheumatology dept confirmed his guess. >>have to wait weeks before I know if the MTX is helping, but at least >>something is happening to give me hope. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >DMARDs. I stopped taking my MTX last Spring and spent the summer >regretting it and building my dose back up again. mtx did nothing for me (over a very long period). then my liver function started declining, and they switched me. i seem to have been on lots of dmards (sufficiently many that i can't remember all of them); i'm currently on azathioprine, which may or may not be working. the best was cyclosporin[e?], but the blood test regime was an awful bore. cyclosporin did a lot for the psoriasis, too, but it all came back when i came off it. (it also made me *even* *hairier*, something i wouldn't otherwise have thought possible -- cf picture on http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rf/ admittedly post cyclosporin) i find the arthritis shifts its focus: i never actually know what's going to "go" next. the plus side of this is that only a few joints are "permanently" damaged (knuckles and huge bunions on my feet), the the down side is not knowing how to limp from one day to the next :-) (the day we buried my father, i had agonising pains in my chest: i thought it must be a heart attack coming on, and was feeling guilty about the effect it would have on my mother. however the pains just stayed there for a few days, and then went away again. the rheums said it might have been inflammation of the joint at the botttom of the breast bone: i had never thought of that as a joint, and am still a bit unclear what they were talking about.)  SignatureRobin Fairbairns, Cambridge Hi Pete ... and welcome. Sorry about the arthritis - it can take a while to get a diagnosis though can't it? I think it was about 18 months for me. Good luck with the methotrexate - I take 10mg per week, combined with Enbrel. A few years ago I was started on methotrexate alone, and was on 20mg. From memory (always risky!) it took about 12 weeks to work for me - hope its not that long for you. Jayne > Hi all, > I've just officially become an arthritis sufferer, so I thought I might [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > Pete > (wow - my longest usenet post *ever*) |
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