Hi,
Has anyone mentioned psoriatic arthritis as a possible diagnosis for you? Your symptoms are similar to mine. At age 68 when a bug bite turned into psoriasis, I recognized it since my dad had it and my brother and son have it. My son also has PsA, affecting his feet, back and sternum. It’s not too uncommon for PsA to be present without the appearance of psoriasis, and looking back, I think I had it before the skin issues appeared.
PsA is unpredictable; it comes and goes, affecting tendons, ligaments and joints in a random manner. And fatigue can be a major issue, too.
Initially, and out of the blue, I had experienced ankle pain which moved down into the sole of my foot and I couldn’t walk on it. Would you believe, a nurse practitioner diagnosed “circulation problems” by looking at my normally thick ankles. No ex-rays taken, just prescribed lasix, and told to wear sturdy shoes. My other son who’s an RN advised me not to take the lasix since I had no pitting edema or other signs of fluid retention. After a couple of weeks the pain was gone, which is typical of PsA flares. When I later experienced different foot pain (after developing the pso)and saw a podiatrist, he diagnosed Morton’s neuroma and PsA, and shortly thereafter I developed dactylitis (sausage toes—one on each foot), another symptom of PsA.
But it was after 3 bouts of debilitating hip pain that I went to my son’s rheumatologist who also diagnosed PsA and ankylosing spondylitis, which affects my SI joints. A lot of my pain has come from enthesitis which is inflammation of the tendons and ligaments. Swelling of the joints, not so much. I’m on a biologic which has given me clear skin and saved me from flares. I still deal with morning stiffness, fatigue and lack of stamina. My son does well on methotrexate.
Unlike OA which is helped by rest, PsA gets better with activity. I’ve found this to be true; after sitting or reclining for any length of time, standing and taking the first steps are difficult, but if I keep moving it gets better. The only problem is I tire so easily. Walking any distance feels like I’m wading through water with lead weights around my hips; it’s exhausting. How I miss the days when I could walk for miles effortlessly!
Wishing you success in soon finding answers!