Vaccinations and Psoriasis

[Fred]

What test do they do to differentiate between PsA and other types of arthritis ,I thought that they did it via a blood test ?

I have the flu vaccine and the pneumonia but I cannot have the one for shingles because that one is a live one.

I've never had a blood test for psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis, I didn't think it was distinguishable by a blood test but I could be wrong.

Yes there are dead versions of Flu and Pneumonia, I get offered them every year even though I always refuse. But yes Shingles is Live so best avoided especially for you as you are on Stelara.

I am not 100% sure as I cannot remember exactly what happened when they tested me to find out what type of arthritis I had but I know that they were able to distinguish between the types and tell me what I had.

My psoriatic arthritis  was diagnosed by looking at my nails and the moving of various joints in the UK, here it was diagnosed by just seeing the state I was in but it was so damn obvious by then that anyone could tell what it was.

The psoriasis has always been diagnosed by sight, though here I have given biopsy's for them to play with as it's a training hospital and it's always come back as positive.

But no bloods have ever been taken specifiably to diagnose psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis.  

[Kat]

But, if you refuse a live vaccine because you think your system can't fight off the small amount, what if you refuse the vaccine and then come down with the disease itself, which is far more stress against the immune system?

I guess it's best to think of how likely you could be to contact a certain disease as to whether you should chance the vaccine. I've pretty much had all the vaccines in my youth, I used to not get the flu vaccine but with the different strains running around now I have chosen to get it the past couple of years, but as Fred said it's probably not a live vaccine.

Interesting topic.

[D Foster]

But, if you refuse a live vaccine because you think your system can't fight off the small amount, what if you refuse the vaccine and then come down with the disease itself, which is far more stress against the immune system?

I guess it's best to think of how likely you could be to contact a certain disease as to whether you should chance the vaccine.  I've pretty much had all the vaccines in my youth, I used to not get the flu vaccine but with the different strains running around now I have chosen to get it the past couple of years, but as Fred said it's probably not a live vaccine.  

Interesting topic.

I was told that under no circumstances should I have a live vaccine when taking Stelara , my doctor checks that any I have are OK.

[Fred]

But, if you refuse a live vaccine because you think your system can't fight off the small amount, what if you refuse the vaccine and then come down with the disease itself, which is far more stress against the immune system?

I guess it's best to think of how likely you could be to contact a certain disease as to whether you should chance the vaccine.  I've pretty much had all the vaccines in my youth, I used to not get the flu vaccine but with the different strains running around now I have chosen to get it the past couple of years, but as Fred said it's probably not a live vaccine.  

Interesting topic.

I was told that under no circumstances should I have a live vaccine when taking Stelara , my doctor checks that any I have are OK.

Correct you should not take any live vaccine whilst on the Bio's, it's something that people should watch out for.

I suppose at the end of the day you have to weigh up your own situation, I always point out I'm using Stelara and tell them to check it out before prescribing anything. When I was in A&E with what ended up being a trapped nerve I made sure they understood that they can't just give me anything without checking first, they had never heard of Stelara but they did say it was a good idea to mention what you are taking.

[Kat]

Of course anyone on bios or drugs or who have been advised by their doctor to not have a live vaccine should not do so.

My earlier statement was meant for those who could consider whether or not to have vaccines as to wondering if the argument that an inadequate (either one that doesn't work or one that overworks) immune system is a good argument for refusing a vaccine as if you came down with the disease, you'd be stressing the immune system even more. Of course there are always considerations to be made as to why that person has a faulty immune system and then considering what the chances are of coming down with what you are being vaccinated against. Gets back to everyone being different I think.