Cosentyx for psoriatic arthritis Fred's journey

[jiml]

Quick update as I just got my bloods checked.

All bloods good, but the best of all is the Proteine C Reactive. I got a reading of < 1 mg/L    The reference figure is below 5 and this time last year I was > 11. So I'm very pleased.

Feeling NO psoriatic arthritis symptoms at all.

My Diprosone experiment is working and the psoriasis is back down to 3. So I've started weaning myself off it and using Coconut oil every other day, and will stop using it after the week end.

Next Cosentyx shot tomorrow.

Great to hear Fred that your arthritis is being controlled so well long may it continue to work

What relevance does the protein C reactive have is that an indicator for psoriasis? Or arthritis? .......it's good to see it so low but wondered what it meant, and what you did to get it down?

[artemie]

good to hear your flare up is subsiding! Was following your post hoping just that. Great news =]

[Fred]

Great to hear Fred that your arthritis is being controlled so well   long may it continue to work

What relevance does the protein C reactive have is that an indicator for psoriasis? Or arthritis? .......it's good to see it so low but wondered what it meant, and what you did to get it down?

Thank you Jim.

I'm no expert but Proteine C Reactive is a sign of inflammation. I have always noticed the higher it is the worse the psoriatic arthritis is. I'm not sure how other countries work out the figures, but here lower than a 5 is what the average person needs. It's something they always look at when I talk to them and mention the psoriatic arthritis.

When the psoriatic arthritis is bad it goes above 5 and often above 10 or even higher if really bad. So having < 1 is very good.

*It may also relate to psoriasis as that is an inflammation of the skin, but like I say I'm no expert. All I know is when it's high I feel bad and when it's low I feel good.

As for what did I do to get it down: It's the Cosentyx that is doing it, I've never managed to get it down by my own means. Stelara used to keep it down to around the 8 - 12 mark, high but I got used to it. But now thanks to Cosentyx I'm probably on par with someone without psoriatic arthritis.

Edit: Thank you Artemie Drinks on me tonight in the Bar. [Group Specific]

[mataribot]

CRP is somewhat of a useless metric in most cases for PsA. Think of it as a quick change in inflammation. First, a doctor must find your baseline (the older the higher typically) and then must rule out other causes of inflammation (heart disease for example). I'm not sure why it's still used, but denial of medication.

[Fred]

CRP is somewhat of a useless metric in most cases for PsA. Think of it as a quick change in inflammation. First, a doctor must find your baseline (the older the higher typically) and then must rule out other causes of inflammation (heart disease for example). I'm not sure why it's still used, but denial of medication.

Mmmmmmm not sure it's useless Mata, mine definitely goes up when the psoriatic arthritis is bad and goes down when it's good. I have always noticed a high result when it's bad, and now the psoriatic arthritis is as good as gone it's < 1. So to me it's conformation that the psoriatic arthritis is better (not that I needed it as I can feel the difference) but it's nice to see it in black and white.

[Grizzly Bear]

Fred, this might sound daft but on Cosentyx, have you gotten headaches or migraines ?

I noticed that you said that you had a flare up, how long did that last for mate ?


Thanks Fred

Long may it continue to work for you mate

[Fred]

Fred, this might sound daft but on  Cosentyx, have you gotten headaches or migraines ?

I noticed that you said that you had a flare up, how long did that last for mate ?


Thanks Fred  

Long may it continue to work for you mate  

 

For anyone reading as a guest, Grizzly always says that to me.

Nope I don't get any headaches, and luckily I've never experienced a migraine.

The flare up was at it's worse for around three days, but I got it back under control with some diprosone.

Thank you GB  

[mataribot]

There's no way to tell what causes the inflammation and no way to rule out another cause. Let's say you had some minor surgery and you didn't tell your doctor. He collects your CRP and well it's high. That must mean your PsA is active! There are lots of things things that can cause an elevated CRP. The test needs to be done in conjunction with others and a physical exam. And even with that it's hard to say definitely that the PsA is causing it. Not to mention there are drugs that reduce CRP levels without reducing disease.

[Bill]

Well done Fred! At least with a non-specific measure of inflammation you might guess that if it is at its lowest value then you probably wont have much inflammation going on.

[Fred]

There's no way to tell what causes the inflammation and no way to rule out another cause. Let's say you had some minor surgery and you didn't tell your doctor. He collects your CRP and well it's high. That must mean your PsA is active! There are lots of things things that can cause an elevated CRP. The test needs to be done in conjunction with others and a physical exam. And even with that it's hard to say definitely that the PsA is causing it. Not to mention there are drugs that reduce CRP levels without reducing disease.

I see your point Mata, thank you for the explanation. To be honest I don't fully understand blood results, but seeing it low works for me.  

Well done Fred! At least with a non-specific measure of inflammation you might guess that if it is at its lowest value then you probably wont have much inflammation going on.

Thank you Bill, I think the best indicator is how I feel. And I feel good. Also getting the lowest score I've ever had for Proteine C Reactive on paper helps with that good feeling as it acts as a conformation for me. (Not that I needed it, but it just feels good seeing good blood results whatever they mean)

---

On that note: I don't understand blood results so it wouldn't be worth me doing it, but I think if we had a thread explaining the results in relation to psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and treatments it would be helpful to a lot of people.

*If anyone is up to making a Dummies Guide to blood results please let me know and we can look at making a sticky thread.