Re: is all of this normal?

June 13, 2006

,

From what I can tell as another newbie, " Weird and Bizarre " is

exactly what's normal for PA. Reading the different descriptions of

how this disease is affecting each of us, it's almost hard to

believe we all have the same thing!

How would you describe your feet pain? Is it the skin or inflamed

breaks in the skin that hurt so much, or is it the joints (which

ones) or is the connective tissues (tendons and fascia)?

In my case, the feet are also the biggest problem right now, but the

nature of the pain has changed from mostly skin involvement, to

connective tissue, back to skin - all in just the last 2 weeks.

(Skin bo-bos, for me, is way better than the excruciating pain in

the connective tissue - so I'm on top of the world right now.)

My family is trying to ignore this. Hubby is theoretically

supportive, but he gets impatient with me easily. Be sure you find

a Dr. who is compassionate. I think that can help make up for the

lack of understanding from family.

best to you,

sherry

>

> I am fairly new to the world of psoriatic arthritis, so all of the

> things may be old hat to you all are new and a little strange to

me. My

> biggest problem right now is feet pain. My feet hurt so bad

sometimes I

> can hardly walk. Other days my feet will be ok and my hands will be

> really sore. Then other days I just hurt all over. On other days my

> feet will start out hurting and then a few hours later my feet feel

> better and my hands are really hurting. All of this is normal?

> Right now I am only on methotrexate with folic acid, and

leukovorin

> (I was having trouble with side affects on the methotrexate) I was

> taking motrin for the pain, but it really doesn't help. The hardest

> part I have is getting my family members to understand what I am

going

> through. My husband is very supportive, but his parents, who we

live

> with aren't quite there yet. They both have some mild osteo

arthritis

> and seem to compare that with PA. There are some things I just

can't do

> sometimes, and I think they think I am being lazy. Sometimes I

wonder

> if the things I am feeling (the pain and stiffness) isn't just in

my

> head...just because it jumps around so much.

> Another question I have is how long does it take the

methotrexate

> to help with the pain. I have been on it for 2 months now and don't

> seem to have much relief. Although it has helped some of the

psorisis

> Anyhow this is sort of a hodge podge post... It is nice to be in a

> spot where there are people who have been there.

>

> [Editor's Note: Usually the 8 week mark is about when MTX should

be obviously helping - if it's going to help. Your rheumy may wait

another 4 weeks, but that should be it. After that, you should be

put on Enbrel, Humira, Remicade, etc., as they are stronger meds in

our arsenal. You may also stay on MTX as these meds tend to work

better with MTX than alone. Talk to your rheumy and see how soon

you can move on to the bigger guns. As for the inlaws, I would

suggest you sit them down and explain just how incidious this

disease can be and how much you hurt. If they continue to think

you're lazy, learn to not give a whit what they think. At the end

of the day, they can't make you feel lazy unless you let them so

work on that side of yourself and you may find that their opinion

doesn't matter much. Kathy F.]

>

June 13, 2006

Welcome to the group!! This group will provide you with many answers to your

questions and concerns. I was Dx in May of this year with PA. I never will

forget got to my Rheumy not having any idea on what she was going to tell me. I

was like you I thought that maybe this was all in my head or something. I have

suffered with this PA for 4 to 5 years before I was sent to a Rheumy. The last

flair in April actually did it to my GP. She knew that it was something but

with all the test coming back Neg it just left her clueless. So that is why I

thought that this was in my head since they couldn't find anything wrong with

me. Until I went to the Rheumy and she started telling me and my husband about

Humira and we will learn to give injections and that it is Psoriatic Arthritis.

I was relieved to know that I was not crazy and that this is a real problem.

After joining this group I found out that I wasn't alone. Maybe you can share

with your in laws some of the things

that we have discussed here and teach them more about it. It is different that

osteoarthritis it is more common to Rheum- Arthritis. I have more problems with

my neck and spasms in the lower back. My neck in so stiff that I can't turn it

to the left. My hands are sore but only to open something or to grip something.

There are occasions that I will have a flair and it will totally swell a joint

in my knee, foot, or hand and girl it will put me DOWN! It is hot to touch,

Swollen and very painful. The last flair it was in my right foot and it was

like ENOUGH ALREADY I have mentioned in other post that I have had 3 children

and childbirth was not this bad.

I wish you well, use this group to the fullest it. There is a lot

of knowledgeable people in this group.

Take Care,

Tammy

kcctyson <chrissell@...> wrote:

I am fairly new to the world of psoriatic arthritis, so all of the

things may be old hat to you all are new and a little strange to me. My

biggest problem right now is feet pain. My feet hurt so bad sometimes I

can hardly walk. Other days my feet will be ok and my hands will be

really sore. Then other days I just hurt all over. On other days my

feet will start out hurting and then a few hours later my feet feel

better and my hands are really hurting. All of this is normal?

Right now I am only on methotrexate with folic acid, and leukovorin

(I was having trouble with side affects on the methotrexate) I was

taking motrin for the pain, but it really doesn't help. The hardest

part I have is getting my family members to understand what I am going

through. My husband is very supportive, but his parents, who we live

with aren't quite there yet. They both have some mild osteo arthritis

and seem to compare that with PA. There are some things I just can't do

sometimes, and I think they think I am being lazy. Sometimes I wonder

if the things I am feeling (the pain and stiffness) isn't just in my

head...just because it jumps around so much.

Another question I have is how long does it take the methotrexate

to help with the pain. I have been on it for 2 months now and don't

seem to have much relief. Although it has helped some of the psorisis

Anyhow this is sort of a hodge podge post... It is nice to be in a

spot where there are people who have been there.

[Editor's Note: Usually the 8 week mark is about when MTX should be obviously

helping - if it's going to help. Your rheumy may wait another 4 weeks, but that

should be it. After that, you should be put on Enbrel, Humira, Remicade, etc.,

as they are stronger meds in our arsenal. You may also stay on MTX as these meds

tend to work better with MTX than alone. Talk to your rheumy and see how soon

you can move on to the bigger guns. As for the inlaws, I would suggest you sit

them down and explain just how incidious this disease can be and how much you

hurt. If they continue to think you're lazy, learn to not give a whit what they

think. At the end of the day, they can't make you feel lazy unless you let them

so work on that side of yourself and you may find that their opinion doesn't

matter much. Kathy F.]

Tammy

__________________________________________________

June 13, 2006

Sherry,

My feet pain is mostly in my heals in the bone and the soft tissue

(I think). When I walk it feels like my heals are going to split

open, also the bones hurt when it is really bad I walk on the sides

of my feet, which cause the muscles in my ankles and calves to be

sore. I also have pain in my toe joints. I got some new shoes

yesterday they are helping a little... but not much. I don't have

any outside tissue sores or anything like that.

[Editor's Note: , severe heel pain can be a sign of plantar fasciitis.

Plantar fasciitis is very common among us PA sufferers. You may need to get an

injection of cortisone directly into the heel and then give the feet as much

rest as you can. You can research plantar fasciitis on the internet and if you

think you may have it, you should see your rheumy or a podiatrist asap. Kathy

F.]

>

> ,

>

> From what I can tell as another newbie, " Weird and Bizarre " is

> exactly what's normal for PA. Reading the different descriptions

of

> how this disease is affecting each of us, it's almost hard to

> believe we all have the same thing!

>

> How would you describe your feet pain? Is it the skin or inflamed

> breaks in the skin that hurt so much, or is it the joints (which

> ones) or is the connective tissues (tendons and fascia)?

>

> In my case, the feet are also the biggest problem right now, but

the

> nature of the pain has changed from mostly skin involvement, to

> connective tissue, back to skin - all in just the last 2 weeks.

> (Skin bo-bos, for me, is way better than the excruciating pain in

> the connective tissue - so I'm on top of the world right now.)

>

> My family is trying to ignore this. Hubby is theoretically

> supportive, but he gets impatient with me easily. Be sure you

find

> a Dr. who is compassionate. I think that can help make up for the

> lack of understanding from family.

>

> best to you,

> sherry

>

June 13, 2006

- I'm so sorry for your pain. I thought that kind of pain

was the worst I've had so far. I agree with Kathy - it sounds like

plantar fasciitis. It's what finally drove me to find out what the

heck was wrong with me. Take heart, though - it can be helped.

sherry

>

> Sherry,

> My feet pain is mostly in my heals in the bone and the soft

tissue

> (I think). When I walk it feels like my heals are going to split

> open, also the bones hurt when it is really bad I walk on the sides

> of my feet, which cause the muscles in my ankles and calves to be

> sore. I also have pain in my toe joints. I got some new shoes

> yesterday they are helping a little... but not much. I don't have

> any outside tissue sores or anything like that.

>

June 14, 2006

I feel the same way you do most days. Different parts of my body

hurt at different times. Today it seems to be my knees. Tomorrow...

who knows. As for the inlaws, I have the same problem with thier

comparisons to their osteo arthritis. I have tried to explain the

difference, but they think that arthritis is the same all over and

pay no attention to my explaination. I was very frustrated too, but

now I just learned to take what they say with a grain of salt and try

to avoid talking about it to them. Don't feel like your lazy

either! You don't want to overdo things to seem like you are not

lazy and then have to do less tomorrow bcause you are so sore.

>

> I am fairly new to the world of psoriatic arthritis, so all of the

> things may be old hat to you all are new and a little strange to

me. My

> biggest problem right now is feet pain. My feet hurt so bad

sometimes I

> can hardly walk. Other days my feet will be ok and my hands will be

> really sore. Then other days I just hurt all over. On other days my

> feet will start out hurting and then a few hours later my feet feel

> better and my hands are really hurting. All of this is normal?

> Right now I am only on methotrexate with folic acid, and

leukovorin

> (I was having trouble with side affects on the methotrexate) I was

> taking motrin for the pain, but it really doesn't help. The hardest

> part I have is getting my family members to understand what I am

going

> through. My husband is very supportive, but his parents, who we live

> with aren't quite there yet. They both have some mild osteo

arthritis

> and seem to compare that with PA. There are some things I just

can't do

> sometimes, and I think they think I am being lazy. Sometimes I

wonder

> if the things I am feeling (the pain and stiffness) isn't just in my

> head...just because it jumps around so much.

> Another question I have is how long does it take the

methotrexate

> to help with the pain. I have been on it for 2 months now and don't

> seem to have much relief. Although it has helped some of the

psorisis

> Anyhow this is sort of a hodge podge post... It is nice to be in a

> spot where there are people who have been there.

>

> [Editor's Note: Usually the 8 week mark is about when MTX should

be obviously helping - if it's going to help. Your rheumy may wait

another 4 weeks, but that should be it. After that, you should be

put on Enbrel, Humira, Remicade, etc., as they are stronger meds in

our arsenal. You may also stay on MTX as these meds tend to work

better with MTX than alone. Talk to your rheumy and see how soon you

can move on to the bigger guns. As for the inlaws, I would suggest

you sit them down and explain just how incidious this disease can be

and how much you hurt. If they continue to think you're lazy, learn

to not give a whit what they think. At the end of the day, they

can't make you feel lazy unless you let them so work on that side of

yourself and you may find that their opinion doesn't matter much.

Kathy F.]

>

June 14, 2006

> > My feet pain is mostly in my heals in the bone

> and the soft

> tissue

,

Sounds like plantar fasciitis. I dealt with this for

about 3 years, in first one heel then the other.

Cortisone shots were a temporary fix. What helped the

most was wearing a traction boot and going to physical

therapy. You might ask for a referral to a p.t. to be

shown some stretching exercises that you can do.

warm blessings,

jane

__________________________________________________

June 14, 2006