I have recently been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis in my spine, at 42. I feel like I'm 102, and been through three different doctors this is my last one in my city.
I'm very hopeful this time; I’ve run out of patience with misdiagnosis and medications that do not help at all. I was on methotrexate and prednisone, nightmare for psoriasis patients, directly because of our sweating and problems with cooling off.
I think that those meds should never be prescribed to someone who has already been diagnosed with psoriasis at all. The anger that came with the prednisone was awful, my pain has caused depression so bad that I needed to be hospitalised, so I would not take my own life.
I am a mother of an autistic nine year old boy, my ability to be the mother that I was before this spondylitis diagnosis has taken a toll. I am afraid to even go shopping and PTA meetings as I might catch a cold because of the inability to fight infections, I have become an empty shell of myself, I used to be fearless, and brave and I can honestly say that I am in fear of everything.
I have had a sinus infection that I have from my first cold of the season, it has never went away, my new doctor wanted me to get better before we started secukinumab injections , I'm currently on leflunomide and it has never worked for any of the pain I have so much pain that I really don't understand what is going on.
I may have the diminished lung ability to breathe due to ligaments that are inflamed, but I am worried now that I may have to be on oxygen, my hair is falling out, I have strange and deep lesions that appear on my face.
I am so irritated with this as I have never had acne or not even very severe psoriasis on my skin, but when it internalized, I’m helpless and really confused, I don't really even know why I have so much pain as my MRI did not show extensive damage. I just need some answers.
Submitted by 42-year-old female living in outside the UK.