Hello, I am a new member

[Guest guest]

I discovered I had PA a few years ago in 2000 while working at

Firestone. Not much time after the discovery Firestone shut down

because of tire defects. I lost my insurance and couldn't afford the

$215 dollar doctor appointments, or the medication and quit taking

it. In October of 2003 I got so bad that my wife had to turn me over

in bed. I went to the VA. The first thing I was put on was

methotrexate, folic acid, and ibuprofen. Then my pain medication was

changed to darvacet, then tramadol, then vicadin, then percocet. My

doctor then prescribed Enbrel. It didn't work for three months and my

pain medication was moved up to morphine sulfate 15mg 4 times daily.

The Enbrel is starting to work as I have to take less pain

medication. Also they were getting 200cc of fluid off of my knees a

week. Now none. My symptoms are nail lessions on feet and hands,

severe neck, back, knee, and feet pain. I have psoriasis on my scalp,

between my legs, on my private parts and now am getting it on my

face. As a matter of fact I have a migraine as I write from my neck

pain. I don't get much sleep, so now I have to take cyclobenzaprine.

With all the arth drugs that have been taken off the market I am

wondering how long before they find something with Enbrel. This is a

hard disease to deal with. People are afraid of you touching them,

especially after they see your hands. What will make this worse is I

can see it starting on my face. Not that I am vain or anything, but

the psoriasis on my face will make me less likely to go out into the

public. I am glad I now have a place to let some of this go. Thank

you for your time. Rick