Health Boards
Sun-20-10-2019, 01:13 AM
I started having psoriasis in my 20s (around 1997) Wasn't surprised and knew what it was since my mom had it. It got progressively worse as the years went by and I believe it was due to stress (work related).
2006: Finally decided to do something about it and went to see a dermatologist.
She was batshit crazy.
1. she made me strip naked
2. put on gloves and was grabbing my limbs with the tips of her fingers
3. then told me I had psoriasis .... (no shit sherlock)
4. told me to take a bath only twice a week but slap on the greasiest cream I could find twice a day and gave me a prescription for Dovobet and something for my scalp
Let's just say I never went back. I'd rather live with the psoriasis and shower every day!
Winter 2008: I wake up one morning and feel like I got run over by a train.
Try everything I can put my hands on but after about three weeks, decide to go see a doctor as it is to a point where I'm having trouble driving cause I can't move my neck!
result: acute arthritis attack
Medication: Celebrex for about 3 weeks
2008 to 2013: Arthritis is getting worse and psoriasis also
2013: Got referred to a new dermatologist. She was excellent.
1. Just looked at me and touched the plaques with no gloves
2. Gave me a book to read about psoriasis and possible treatments so we could discuss which way to go at the next appointment
Medication: Metothrexate
2014: No side effects. Psoriasis is all gone but it doesn't work for the arthritis
My dermatologist wants to send me for a liver biopsy because I've been on MTX for a year even if my blood work tests are ok.
Therefore, I stop MTX as I don't want to do a biopsy
Of course, the psoriasis all came back with a vengeance
2015: Tired of being in pain so back to the doctor who refers me to a rheumatologist
Medication: MTX for about 6 months, psoriasis went away but does nothing for the arthritis. No side effects.
2016: The guinea pig experiments begin!
Medication:
1. Leflunomide: again works well for the psoriasis but does nothing for the arthritis
2. Humira: took it for about two months but my face swelled up.
Result: stop Humira and on prednisone for about a month to reduce the swelling. Psoriasis starts to come back
2017: Stelara: Psoriasis goes away
2018: Stelara is not helping with the arthritis. Stop Stelara and get a prescription for Cosentyx
End of may: in between Stelara and Cosentyx, start to experience chest pains on the left side. I don't have a cold or anything else however my boss was away from work due to a weird virus. Wait three weeks (until I am crying because of the pain and can't sleep) before going to the doctor.
Appointment at the doc in the morning: walk out with a prescription for prednisone and dilaudid plus a paper to go for a chest Xray. Go for the chest Xray and then to work
late afternoon (4h30): Get a panicked call from my hubby saying I have to go the the clinic to pick up a piece of paper and head straight to the ER.....result from Xray: possible pulmonary embolism
Spend over 12 hours at the ER (all night)....they passed a woman (in her 30s) with an ear ache before me because she kept comlaining to the nurse. I was sitting patiently and waiting for my turn
Lesson learned: Complaining, crying and making a scene will get you seen by a doctor faster.
Did a heart test and a CT scan at about 5 am the next day and got sent home with a promise from the doctor that I will get a phone call with the result.
result: inflammation and liquid around the left side of the heart and left lung.
On prednisone for about two months and a paper to do a second CT scan three months later
Cosentyx is put on hold
August: Rheumatologist says that since the internal organs are affected, I have lupus (still don't believe this), put on azathioprine 100 mg.
Beginning of October: Second scan done. All is good
November: Rheumatologist gives the ok to start Cosentyx 150 mg but reduces the azathioprine to 50 mg.
December: Sick as a dog, take a pause from Cosentyx until I feel better
2019: Start Cosentyx in February
August: Rheumatologist increases the Cosentyx dose to 300 mg as 150 is not doing anything for the arthritis
September: After my second dose of 300 mg, get sick as a dog and sound like a rattlesnake
Medication:
Prednisone
Antibiotics
2 inhalors
October: got the all clear to continue Cosentyx and a referral for a pulmonary capacity test (appointment in January 2020). Therefore, took my 3rd dose of 300 mg
[Group Specific]
2006: Finally decided to do something about it and went to see a dermatologist.
She was batshit crazy.
1. she made me strip naked
2. put on gloves and was grabbing my limbs with the tips of her fingers
3. then told me I had psoriasis .... (no shit sherlock)
4. told me to take a bath only twice a week but slap on the greasiest cream I could find twice a day and gave me a prescription for Dovobet and something for my scalp
Let's just say I never went back. I'd rather live with the psoriasis and shower every day!
Winter 2008: I wake up one morning and feel like I got run over by a train.
Try everything I can put my hands on but after about three weeks, decide to go see a doctor as it is to a point where I'm having trouble driving cause I can't move my neck!
result: acute arthritis attack
Medication: Celebrex for about 3 weeks
2008 to 2013: Arthritis is getting worse and psoriasis also
2013: Got referred to a new dermatologist. She was excellent.
1. Just looked at me and touched the plaques with no gloves
2. Gave me a book to read about psoriasis and possible treatments so we could discuss which way to go at the next appointment
Medication: Metothrexate
2014: No side effects. Psoriasis is all gone but it doesn't work for the arthritis
My dermatologist wants to send me for a liver biopsy because I've been on MTX for a year even if my blood work tests are ok.
Therefore, I stop MTX as I don't want to do a biopsy
Of course, the psoriasis all came back with a vengeance
2015: Tired of being in pain so back to the doctor who refers me to a rheumatologist
Medication: MTX for about 6 months, psoriasis went away but does nothing for the arthritis. No side effects.
2016: The guinea pig experiments begin!
Medication:
1. Leflunomide: again works well for the psoriasis but does nothing for the arthritis
2. Humira: took it for about two months but my face swelled up.
Result: stop Humira and on prednisone for about a month to reduce the swelling. Psoriasis starts to come back
2017: Stelara: Psoriasis goes away
2018: Stelara is not helping with the arthritis. Stop Stelara and get a prescription for Cosentyx
End of may: in between Stelara and Cosentyx, start to experience chest pains on the left side. I don't have a cold or anything else however my boss was away from work due to a weird virus. Wait three weeks (until I am crying because of the pain and can't sleep) before going to the doctor.
Appointment at the doc in the morning: walk out with a prescription for prednisone and dilaudid plus a paper to go for a chest Xray. Go for the chest Xray and then to work
late afternoon (4h30): Get a panicked call from my hubby saying I have to go the the clinic to pick up a piece of paper and head straight to the ER.....result from Xray: possible pulmonary embolism
Spend over 12 hours at the ER (all night)....they passed a woman (in her 30s) with an ear ache before me because she kept comlaining to the nurse. I was sitting patiently and waiting for my turn
Lesson learned: Complaining, crying and making a scene will get you seen by a doctor faster.Did a heart test and a CT scan at about 5 am the next day and got sent home with a promise from the doctor that I will get a phone call with the result.
result: inflammation and liquid around the left side of the heart and left lung.
On prednisone for about two months and a paper to do a second CT scan three months later
Cosentyx is put on hold
August: Rheumatologist says that since the internal organs are affected, I have lupus (still don't believe this), put on azathioprine 100 mg.
Beginning of October: Second scan done. All is good
November: Rheumatologist gives the ok to start Cosentyx 150 mg but reduces the azathioprine to 50 mg.
December: Sick as a dog, take a pause from Cosentyx until I feel better
2019: Start Cosentyx in February
August: Rheumatologist increases the Cosentyx dose to 300 mg as 150 is not doing anything for the arthritis
September: After my second dose of 300 mg, get sick as a dog and sound like a rattlesnake
Medication:
Prednisone
Antibiotics
2 inhalors
October: got the all clear to continue Cosentyx and a referral for a pulmonary capacity test (appointment in January 2020). Therefore, took my 3rd dose of 300 mg
[Group Specific]