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Psoriatic Arthritis: How do you manage PA and flares?
Autoimmune Diseases | Last Active: 4 days ago | Replies (138)Comment receiving replies
i (80 year old woman) have the joint swelling of the knee and both feet and one finger. also have psoriatic arthritis and also rheumatoid arthritis. seems when the swelling and pain goes away after about three months i might get a month with no swelling and pain, then it starts all over again. i am not taking medication for this because i have stage 3 kidney disease. ohh! forgot, i take a weekly injection of 10 mgs of methotrexate and have been taking this for about seven years. it has helped with the rheumatoid arthritis. i have just been diagnosed with the psa in 2016. it is a horror. to me it is worse than toe rheumatoid arthritis. the existing medications seem to be harmful to body parts or create other problems. imagine the poor children that have these diseases and suffer with them. i do honor he doctors who devout their lives to their patients. (just want you to know that your suffering is acknowledged by the rest of us and wish to have it stopped.
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I do understand your issues of can't do this and can't do that because of something else. I have used a cane some since I was in high school after an operation on one knee at age 13. That is now my good leg. Nine years ago I tore my meniscus/tore medial and lateral ligaments and have to do daily physical therapy just to be able to walk. I have Type II Diabetes so have food/eating issues, but back in 2003 I suddenly became allergic to Aspirin and all other NSAIDs so cannot take over-the-counter pain/anti-inflammation meds. except for Tylenol which is only useful for mild pain. This allergy thing includes not being able to take or use any minty flavorings, ginger, grapes/raisins and certain artificial preservatives. So I used to take Tramadol daily, but never exceeding the prescription limits. But that leads to dehydration which contributes to constipation and dry mouth which is a problem for Diabetes. My leg issues are complicated by a history of broken ankle/complete break of same leg-shin bone. At age 72 there is dryness by aging. These various issues limit mobility which interfers with Diabetes and all of my arthritises. The Psoriatic Arth. often causes some depression as does Diabetes as does chronic pain as does not being able to do as much as I used to due to aging and all the various things listed above. Now I am more limited in hand grip and finger use even though my medications help. BTW - with my ability to get more involved with my own physical therapy I have been able to essentially eliminate the use of Tramadol and thus reduce frequency and severity of depression.
We each have to find our own paths to distractions and find more ways to increase our independence and reduction of pain. Forums like these, suggestions from members and also the Arthritis organization magazine, etc. all help - if nothing else they help by giving us new ideas or spark a creative twist that works for some of us. I now limit flying time to about 4 hrs. as it is torture to be in a little jail cell of a seat for a longer period of time. My wife and her adult kids have had to modify vacations accordingly. Our vacations after this year will have to be modified more. In part I look at life as - the price we pay in still living in to advancing age is the various medical and quality of life limitations. Beats the alternative.