Acute Onset | Arthritis Information
Hey All,
Just found this forum, and of course have some questions, Over the past 3 mos I have been having joint pains starting from bothersome to increasing to almost disabling , My rheumy has had me trying on med after another searching for relief and dx and seems to be settling on Fibro, also some spots have showed up on my lower legs and feet and he did'nt seem to think much of them so I went to a derm on my own and biopsys show psorisis, I have not yet been dx with psa but things seem to point that direction, fyi I had just finished 48 weeks of interferon for Hep C only 3 mos prior to all of this starting, Not sure of the connection if any, Sorry for being long winded, The speed that the joint pain has progressed has me very concerned and was wondering if anyone else has had this happen this quickly, anf help, info or insight would be appreciated Thanks in advance
JeffHi ya Jeff and welcome to the forum. Sounds like you've had a rough time with Hep C and PsA. My onset was RA and wasn't diagnosed with PsA till 7 years later. I don't have skin psoriasis. I'm one of the few percent with no skin plaques but have PsA. Once I was diagnosed my RD ordered hand xrays. I had typical finger bone damage that only is found in PsA. Apparently I had PsA for years but it went undiagnosed.
There may or may not be a connection between Hep C/Interferon and PsA. There's so little known about the disease. It mimics RA but supposedly doesn't do the bone damage that RA does - tell that to my fingers, knees and toes!!
You've probably had PsA longer than you realize. It does move quickly and can be severe. The PsA pain has always been worse than the RA pain. My tendons at one time were all inflammed due to PsA and my joints were inflammed with RA. Didn't leave me much of my body that wasn't in severe pain.
I've been on most of the dmards and biologics and achieved clinical remission with both RA and PsA with Humira and MXT. I'm off all meds presently due to a very stubborn gum abcess. Keep us posted and let us know what meds your RD is suggesting. There's a lot of information on the forum. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Take care. Lindy
Jeff- sorry for late response but I have not visited this site in a bit. Could be PsA and if your doctor is not taking your seriously I would find another. Have you called and informed the doctors office of your biopsy results? This may change things around for you. Yes, PsA symptoms can come on suddenly and can be very painful. Lin and I are similar as far as the tendons being our major issue with PsA. I have spine and other joint issues but when the tendons are inflamed they seem to bother me more. Search the site and you should be able to find topics on heat, ice and other remedies that might help you. If you go back to the same doctor get a dx and idea of what types of medications (if still needed) would work best for you. Ask how long you will be on them and so on. Hope this helps. Feel better soon!
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