Hey guys
Sorry havent replied sooner my hands were too stiff and swollen to type, but after steroid injections into my butt and incresased dose of predenisole and painkillers Im able to move my hands again, Ive come off methotrexate and am now on arava I only have so far missed one week of MTX but I have no nausea and vomiting although my scalp psorisis is terrible, Im now or arava and it makes me dizzy and a bit drowsy for a while after i take it but i just have a rest and feel much better than on MTX Im really hoping this improvement will continue Im back to the Rheumy start of january and in contact all the time but if im still experiencing bad symptoms I will be started on Humira(biologics) Ive most of my shopping done for christmas Ive done it in bits since october so Im planning to take it easy next week and try be as well as possible on christmas day as I see most of my close relatives and ive always kept a brave face on, only my immediate family know how bad I really get. I have infortunateky developed 3 ulcers from tiny wounds breaking down as a result of a depressed immune system and Ive also got a burn on my back from a heat pad so I am having regular dressings done and we are trying to keep the two burns from turning into ulcers too, 2 of the ulcers are superficial and healing well and one is a little deeper but is healing slowly. do ye find the cold affects symptoms?? im getting a lot of pain with the frost over here its really cold the past few days and nights and Im gettin really sharp pains


Ronnie - I hope you are on something to help woth the symptoms now, are you on any PPI's ( medication to protect your tummy) I am and its preventing any major problems but I am on a high dose as I get terrible heart burn if I dont take them. Are you all set for christmas, do you spend it with family??? I hope your son is ok now well I imagine itll be hard to get over thats really a terrible thing to happen. Hows your grandaughter??

Well hope to hear from ye soon, im off to sleep now(I hope) its 6.15am
Bye xxxx

well firstly try not to worry too much about your tummy as stress an change the acidity in it and cause more problems easier said than done I know but just be aware that your getting good treatment.




STEROIDS - Well the injection was 70mg I think but it had very little effect otherthan leaving a big bruise, my rheumy was annoyed it didnt help more so we decided to increase my oral steroids and that gradually helped it, I noticed no side effects from the injection but I do from the oral ones as Ive been on them long term (since may) I suffer from innsomnia and its horrible even with sedation and other hypnotics i cant get a good sleep, another effect is my skin Ive gotten lots of stria and any wounds even tiny little ones get infected I now have 5 ulcers and 2 burns which are taking forever to heal and everything leaves a terrible dark scar I use lots of vit e based oil which really helps but my god I wish it would stop Im young with a mass of scars makes me feel ugly and old at times.my hair is also dry and falling out although some of that is down to the MTX and arava. Are you also on oral steroids at the mo??or a lot??

MTX - Imoff it now 2weeks and its great no more being sick all monday night until wednesday, Im now on 20mg of Arava and although shortly after i take it I feel dizzy an get drowsy but that I dont mind Ill build up a tolerance to it soon and I wont notice thats what happens normally with me and meds that cause me drowsiness
I generally feel better since coming offthe MTX and being on the arava, Im resting a lot which is really helping keep the sweling down but I find it very boring. I cant wait for christmas as there will be all my family off work nd school and theyll keep me company even if im resting. I just have to wrap my presents, get my mom to buy me a new pair of jeans if i dont make it to a shoping centre and im ready for christmas and I cant wait but Im still planning to rest up before and during the holidays so Im as well as i can be.

Do you religously celebrate christmas??

Hope to hear from you soon
Nite nite
Chell:D

Quote from Ronnied:

Morning Chell,

Went to Dermatologist yesterday, skin not being affected by the dmards, so next week going back on them. Leflunomide probably, appt with rheumy on Monday. Decided to take up guitar lessons!!!!!! probably wont last long, but thought it would be something to take my mind of problems. Don't even know if I can do it with my hands, but going this afternoon for first lesson (probably last as well!!!). Got a lovely Pink! electric guitar bought for me at Christmas, so got to give it a go, more than likely end up for sale!!

Hope you are ok, and got on ok at Dermatologists yesterday. How are they treating your ulcers? What is causing them? Do you have a flare up of psoriassis at moment or is it separate thing? What dmards are you taking?

Do you have any hobbies? Can you do them at the mo? We are all a bit limited with arthritis as to what we can do.

Is mcjonval on line? How is your Husband? What does he do to take his mind of things? What drugs is he taking. Interested to hear from others with psoriatic arthritis.

Ronnie xx :wave:

Glad your skin isnt affected by the meds, I saw the dermatologist yday and Im going into hospital early tomorrow morning(thursday) and hes doing some skin biopsies of the newest ulcers there tiny red dots when they start so hes doing one of them and maybe more and hes running a few more blood tests and Im being retested for lupus (ive had 4 negative ones so im not worried)

Ive only two patches of psoriasis and ive a bit on my scalp but the thing im seeing the dermatologist about isnt psoriasis as its not related what I have is about 20 small ulcers all over me on my legs, chest back,bum and my boob and new ones are starting all the time, there little cm red things which look pitted with a kind of punched in centre, theyre unusual, they think it could be vasculitic ulcers(due to vasculitis) or another weird connective tissue disorder which people with autoimmune diseases often experience, or it may be some funny infection due to my immune system being suppressed so the biopsies will be to rule certain things out and may diagnose the problem but im aware it may not give us the answer but itll rule a few things out

Hobbies oh how depressing well I used play about everything i could: basketball, soccer, badminton, gymnastics ,swiming life saving courses,camogie and gaelic football (irish sports) was in scouts, loved kayacking,
but I dont really do any of them now, i went kayacking a few times during the summer but was very painful afterwards, I was just back swiming after one lot of surgery then since i got all these ulcers well I cant go right now which is really hard as I love being in the pool and swiming I do physio excersises 2 or 3 times daily and do pilates

They are treating the ulcers at the moment by cleaning them with sterile saline,then drying them a bit then out a cream called polyfax into the ulcer the cover it with a betadine dressing then another meopore dressing(the white ones with sticky stuff on them) it takes a minimum of 30minutes to get them all done, which is annoying

The DMARDS im on are arava same as you (leflunomide) or however its spelt.
considering TNF meds but not until all ulcers wounds infections etc well gone , Im seeing my rheumy on Monday at 12

Who bought you the pink guitar?? well its worth a shot anyway otherwise youd never know until you try if you can do it or not.
Have you been back at work yet?
Do you see all your doctors in the hospital through the NHS?? if you dont mind me asking, or do you see them privately and have health insurance??
I have health insurance and have to see all my consultants privately in their rooms so I pay from 70 to 200 euros depending on which consultant im seeing and ive to pay for all my out patient cts and mris xrays etc, if im an inpatient then my health insurance covers it. I think tomorrow Im covered though as my insurance has an agreement with private hospitals to cover some procedures,
I used also have to pay 50 euro a visit to my gp and 85 euro a month on medications (once it went over 85 euro theres a scheme which the government pay the rest of the cost) but now as Im over 18 and am chronically ill mty gp and social welfare officer made a case and I was granted a medical card so I no longer have to pay to see my gp or the nurse or for my prescriptions which does help but Ive still a lot of medical expenses. The NHS is a great set up compared to here my best friend is in college in bedford and he cant believe the differences and how much better it is than here

Talk to you later

Hello Chell,

Lovely to hear from you. Sorry to hear you are feeling down. Arthritis does make you feel that way. I had the same as you, rheumy and splints and gp. Back on Arava (Leflunomide) still on steroids. Consultant said Arthritis is out of control at the moment and need to get backon track with the dmards. Back to Diarohea I guess.... Steroids have made my skin thin and bruised and stomach sore. I have been told I have it in my breast bone now as I have been havinga lot of pain in my chest.

Just got home from work, tired, and achy and very low like you. Probably we are all exhausted from Christmas and trying to be cheerful. Sometimes you wonder why do we try to be cheerful when we dont feel like doing it. My car is in forservice today, suddenly felt very useless as needed someone to take me home as cannot walk very far, and now need someone to get me to garage to pick itup - cannot walk down the road to pick it up!!!! :mad: How frustrating. Started the extra drugs today, feel very tired. Glad I am home, not sparkly at all.

Not sure who the message board is for, regarding food. I cannot eat citrus fruits or spicy foods and bread doesnt do me any good. My weight is increasing on the steroids and feel I cannot eat much at all to try to keep my weight down. If you have just been diagnosed with pa, you have a lot to get used to. If I can help, or if you are talking to Chell, I am sure she will give you help too. Don't try to go it alone, it is best to talk.:)

Take care Chell, keep your chin up. Speak soon. Ronnie :wave: