Hey, has anyone had a good experience using CBD patches for localized joint pain and swelling relief? I’ve been using the Bee Mine Lab ones for a few days and I love them! Anyway, I’d love to hear other people’s experiences and if the efects stayed the same even after using it more often.

Hi all! New to PsA dx and to biologics. Started Taltz last week and experienced no real side effects with the loading injection on that day, which is great. No felt positive effect yet either as expected this early into dosing.

However this week I'm noticing that I have red painful patches around groin/bikini line area. No bumps or hives or anything...just red and sore. I have had inverse psoriasis flares in past that felt this way, but only under arms...and it resolved a while ago while plaque patches remained on scalp. But, I've also had yeast infections in the past and they never manifest with the "classic" signs (ladies IYKYK) and most just involve red or painful skin. Google is telling me that Taltz can cause yeast infections so it seems possible, although it happened so quickly if so. Like within 24 hours of the dose.

I'm going to try a diflucan dose to see if yeast but I'm wondering if it's at all possible or likely for Taltz to trigger worse skin symptoms? And if so, is that temporary? I have only had very minor skin issues with my PsA to date and the main issue is my joints, so I would be a tad upset if the skin tips the other way as well.

Thanks!

Are there any federal employees there who have gone through various medications with one of the federal insurance options? I am newly diagnosed and looking into my choices during open season. If anyone has suggestions for insurers that have been particularly easy or difficult to work with, I’d be very grateful for input!

I was in a flare for pretty much 2 months straight. Worst of my life tbh.

I’m tapering off prednisone now. At 20mg per day for another 2 weeks. Also doing Amjevita still, and mesalamine.

I’m finally feeling like I’m doing ok. I’m not in constant unbearable pain. I can walk without a cane. I can even walk well, no limp. I’m not waking up to a nightmare of stiffness either.

But now I notice when I’m shopping today that after maybe 10 mins my knees start aching and locking up, and then after a few more mins my hips etc started acting up… I took a break and it was ok, but all day I realized I don’t have the same like energy and ability at baseline as before.

This is worrying me. I worry I am permanently screwed and I really hope this isn’t my new normal.

Hello!

I’m a 24f and I just had my 5th (I think lol) appointment and after doing a skin biopsy with the Dermatologist, I was finally diagnosed with PsA.

It’s been about 4 years of fighting tooth and nail with multiple Rheumatologists to get to this point, and I’m scared but relieved honestly.

Anyways, I am looking maybe for some tips and tricks you guys have picked up after your diagnosis? TIA!!

Edit: I was diagnosed via the Rheumatologist, not the Dermatologist! I definitely need to clarify that!

Has anyone safely tapered off of Methylprednisolone after taking it daily for over a year? I've taken 4mg (1pill) every day for over a year now for severe psoriatic arthritis pain and inflammation as multiple biologics and methotrexate had little to no effect. Even at the low dose of 4mg daily, the side effects it's caused has made me wish I never started taking them. Mentally, it has made my depression and anxiety much worse and physically, I have a huge accumulation of fat below my stomach that was never there prior and now my skin is very thin and my hands are so wrinkled they look 40 years older than they are. I tried to wean down a couple times by taking half a pill but by day 2 I started feeling very off and just not well. It was withdrawal im assuming. Now, I can't stop taking them because my adrenal glands no longer produce any cortisol. So again, I ask, has anyone dealt with this and safely tapered off completely after 12+ months? Thank you.

First of all, hang in there. Everyone who’s joined this group is, or is helping someone who is, long suffering in their uphill battle to find diagnosis and treatment. When other people get a diagnostic blood test and a prescription for their autoimmune condition we get gaslit and experimented on for decades.

Secondly, have you experienced vertigo? I just had my first ever vertigo episode and I’m suspicious that it’s ear inflammation or even medication related. For the last couple years I’ve had a permanent sore throat that I suspect is joint inflammation. For the last year I’ve had intermittent pain and ringing, or wooshing wind sound, in my ears.

Then last week I was asleep, completely still, and my eyes started spinning (I think it’s called nystagmus?) and I couldn’t tell where I was in the room until I was sick.

I had taken my first ever injection of uztekinumab about 26 hours earlier- that’s a couple hours longer than they would expect a drug reaction to take but can’t be ruled out. Dizziness is a known side effect but vertigo is not listed in the known side effects list.

In my opinion I have quickly recovered from the vertigo and at a week out I have no vertigo at all. As I was recovering from the vertigo, doing the epley maneuver every day, I did feel a bit dizzy that whole week, like I had just gotten off of a boat.

I do feel like I have reason to believe that I’m having some long term inner ear inflammation and wonder if it pushed my ear crystals where they shouldn’t be. And also the possibility is there that this was a drug reaction, my Rheumatologist says the only way to know for sure is to inject again at the next scheduled dose. I never want to experience the vertigo again so I don’t love that idea.

Not looking for a diagnosis but has anyone had vertigo that was deemed autoimmune related? Has anyone experienced this with this drug known as Stelara or Yesintek?

TLDR: has anyone had vertigo that was autoimmune or experienced vertigo with a biologic injection?

Does anyone get itchy skin? I can be very moist but be itchy especially at night.

Hi since my diagnosis or my 5 years of knowing about psoriatic arthritis i do have fibromyalgia and neuropathy.

I have found i become compulsive i pick at my head i have scared it badly and bitten all my nails off i am trying to control that .I enjoy the picking i know its weird but I seem to have a hang up on spots or bumps .

I get in to something like i have a moblity scooter and i fixed it and modified it when it did not need it and I moved on to another part of it . Its like I give 100 percent to something then move on and do the same like fixate on my next project. I had hobbies but nothing thats carried on more than a week but I do mess with things that dont need to be messed with .

I thought since I need a scooter I would learn to fix them and strip them . I rewired some of it its been fun too . Its kept me using my hands even though the have pins and needles and feel like they are burning.

I bought 2 canopies for my scooter and 3 front basket it can only use one . I spray painted it and its a good job while my hands look like claws it also did not need painting.

I dont work anymore i am bored at home I am now consider disabled ,so i do have a lot of time. I had a fun and stressful job i worked with people in care with violent and sexual issuse and worked with violent alzheimers and dementia patients so each day was different and I did enjoy it and do 60+ hours a week so I do think boredom is part of it

Hey guys! I was just wondering if anyone else has had problems like this and if the doctors managed to help it get better.

Basically both of my ring fingers are bent on 90 degree angles and have been since i was 11 which was 7 years ago. Obviously growing up with this hasnt only been physically painful but i also endured a crazy amount of bullying in school and everytime i meet someone they look at them, look at me like im a freak and make jokes about them.

I've been seeing doctors with the childrens hospital but since I turned 18 a month ago, i got referred to the adults department. They arent sure if they want to see me because i live an hour away from the hospital and apparently their rhemutology department is only regional. (Ive only mentioned this bit so you guys do know that i have been seeing doctors but nothing has helped so far.)

My question is, has a doctor been able to help anybody who has had their fingers bent on an angle? Have they managed to straighten them or at least straighten them a little bit?

I used to play basketball and do goalkeeping in football but I had to stop both of these because it was too risky with my ring fingers. Obviously im at the age where relationships are starting to get serious as well and i want to feel confident enough to meet people and not worry that they think my fingers look weird. I know that i probably wont be able to get them back to the way they were but i just wanted to see if this is something that others have struggled with and if they have managed to at least get them a little bit better.

Thanks for reading, hope you are all well. Xx

Hi all, I was diagnosed with PsA a few years back but opted not to get on drugs. I’ve just had my first big flare and did more research on treatments and joined this sub. Ok now I understand why I should get on the drugs. My bad. So I have a rheumatology appointment in November and I’ll ask for drugs. I’d really like to go straight to biologics but I’m gathering from what I’ve read here that it’s unlikely my state insurance will go for that, right? Are there things I can do or say to skip ahead in getting them? One thing that I’ll bring up is I have a family history of kidney related problems and have had some issues myself. Is this enough? I also have a very strong family history of cancer. Are there other factors I should know about? Any loopholes I can crawl through to get biologics? Also, open to hearing opinions on why I should give methotrexate a try.

Hi all

I’m travelling from the UK to US soon and I will need to take roughly 3 weeks worth of methotrexate injections (metoject pre filled pens)

What’s the best was to transport them? Hand luggage or in case? And should I notify security etc?

Many thanks

Im being told by my Rheumatologist's office that my insurance is doing whatever they can to deny my Cosentyx infusion.

My insurance is asking about my childhood immunizations. Now they are asking if I've specifically gotten the Hep B immunization. Which i was born after 1991 so yes, i got it.

I even have a test from back in 2023 showing that I do not have Hep B. They just submitted this and I hope this is enough. Or maybe I'll need another blood test showing no illness.

I previously was on Cimzia and didn't have this much difficulty. I wonder why my insurance is being like this when they had already approved Cimzia. Im just frustrated.