Health Boards
Fri-11-08-2017, 16:02 PM
Hi All,
This is my first post.
Let me give a history of my Psoriasis (P)/ Psoriatic arthitis (PSA).
I first developed (P) in 1978, mainly outbreaks on my skin, my wife who is a nurse decided to buy an infrared/ultraviolet lamp, which cleared the (P) up, I've been fortunate since then it's never re-appeared. Fast forward to 1985, my finger nails started with a very small dark patch in the centre of the nails one at a time and hence since then I've had Nail (P) with badly pitted nails, the only other psoriasis was on my scalp and groin area. In 1989 I was put on methatrexate to try and clear up my nail P, unfortunately after 18 months I had to come off this as it was damaging my liver, it wasn't really improving my (P) anyway .
Around 2000 the only treatment I was getting for (P) was Alphosyl shampoo for my scalp nothing else, but I noticed the joints in my fingers were swelling slightly and painful mostly in the cold weather.
In 2009 both my hands exploded literally they went 4 times their size. I was assigned to a rheumatology consultant. I was given the option of either Leflunomide or Sulphasalzine, I opted for Leflunomide.This had been working ok up until 2015, my PSA then gradually spread to my feet shoulders, hips and spine. By mid 2016 after a utrascan of my hands, I was also given an addition of Naproxen to my Leflunomide . Taking this made me feel ill and it also gave me a stomach bleed so this was discontinued. Oct/nov 2016 I was then put on Sulphasalzine in addition to my Leflunomide, all was ok until dec of same year when I went seriously ill ended up in hospital,they thought I had pnumonia then sepiticemia,I had an ecg and xrays taken, all were clear and given intravenous antibiotics, released on xmas eve, taken off all meds for PSA, started feeling slightly better just had a thirst and feeling lethargic.
I then restarted my Leflunomide all was ok a week later started the sulphsalazine in the morning, by afternoon I went ill again phoned my doctor and told him I wasn't taking sulphasalizine any more. For anybody who has regular blood tests done, I've had monthly tests since 2010. One of the tests is called LFT (liver function Test), they check your CRP levels, mine's normally sits around 6, when I went ill it jumped to 122.
On January 17th 2017 I developed type 2 diabetes,. In February I had a massive flare up of my PSA,it got so bad I couldn't dress myself , my wife had to dress and shave me and cut up meat when having dinner, it took me almost half an hour from my bedroom upstairs to downstairs.
By this time I've also been allocated a Rheumatology Led nurse, so phoned my doc he told me to contact my nurse which I duly did seen her a few days later, she took measurements of my hands and feet (swelling), I was given two general cortizone injections, these helped slightly but not enough, my painkillers were changed co codamol 8/500 to 30/500.Two weeks later I returned to see my Rhuematology nurse who then informed me
that the coventional drugs for PSA were'nt going to work any more, but there was a new biological drug called Cosentyx (sekukinumab), Due to the costs of this treatment I would have to wait for it to be approved. It took 7 weeks to be approved ( I live in Scotland so I'm under the auspices of the NHS), this was approved by April.
My first dose (week 0) was the 18th of April (i'm on 150mg dose), five days later the pain had gone completely I kid you not
, the swelling in my hands reduced by week 2, I've just had my month 4 dose and swelling still down.
The only side effects I've had are a runny nose when I eat and very slight herpes on my lips.
Since December I'd been off work until early July, when I had my flare up I thought that was the end of my working career ,but thanks to Cosentyx
I've started on a phased return to work and really my only concern just now is learning to work with Diabetes too.
Anyone reading this who suffers from PSA I highly recommend get in touch with your doctor and get on this. It's only a young drug if fact i believe it's only been available since 2013, (I'm still taking Leflunomide as well, this maybe due to one injection per month).
Please note, injections are delivered to your home as they have to kept in the fridge.
This is my first post.
Let me give a history of my Psoriasis (P)/ Psoriatic arthitis (PSA).
I first developed (P) in 1978, mainly outbreaks on my skin, my wife who is a nurse decided to buy an infrared/ultraviolet lamp, which cleared the (P) up, I've been fortunate since then it's never re-appeared. Fast forward to 1985, my finger nails started with a very small dark patch in the centre of the nails one at a time and hence since then I've had Nail (P) with badly pitted nails, the only other psoriasis was on my scalp and groin area. In 1989 I was put on methatrexate to try and clear up my nail P, unfortunately after 18 months I had to come off this as it was damaging my liver, it wasn't really improving my (P) anyway .
Around 2000 the only treatment I was getting for (P) was Alphosyl shampoo for my scalp nothing else, but I noticed the joints in my fingers were swelling slightly and painful mostly in the cold weather.
In 2009 both my hands exploded literally they went 4 times their size. I was assigned to a rheumatology consultant. I was given the option of either Leflunomide or Sulphasalzine, I opted for Leflunomide.This had been working ok up until 2015, my PSA then gradually spread to my feet shoulders, hips and spine. By mid 2016 after a utrascan of my hands, I was also given an addition of Naproxen to my Leflunomide . Taking this made me feel ill and it also gave me a stomach bleed so this was discontinued. Oct/nov 2016 I was then put on Sulphasalzine in addition to my Leflunomide, all was ok until dec of same year when I went seriously ill ended up in hospital,they thought I had pnumonia then sepiticemia,I had an ecg and xrays taken, all were clear and given intravenous antibiotics, released on xmas eve, taken off all meds for PSA, started feeling slightly better just had a thirst and feeling lethargic.
I then restarted my Leflunomide all was ok a week later started the sulphsalazine in the morning, by afternoon I went ill again phoned my doctor and told him I wasn't taking sulphasalizine any more. For anybody who has regular blood tests done, I've had monthly tests since 2010. One of the tests is called LFT (liver function Test), they check your CRP levels, mine's normally sits around 6, when I went ill it jumped to 122.
On January 17th 2017 I developed type 2 diabetes,. In February I had a massive flare up of my PSA,it got so bad I couldn't dress myself , my wife had to dress and shave me and cut up meat when having dinner, it took me almost half an hour from my bedroom upstairs to downstairs.
By this time I've also been allocated a Rheumatology Led nurse, so phoned my doc he told me to contact my nurse which I duly did seen her a few days later, she took measurements of my hands and feet (swelling), I was given two general cortizone injections, these helped slightly but not enough, my painkillers were changed co codamol 8/500 to 30/500.Two weeks later I returned to see my Rhuematology nurse who then informed me
that the coventional drugs for PSA were'nt going to work any more, but there was a new biological drug called Cosentyx (sekukinumab), Due to the costs of this treatment I would have to wait for it to be approved. It took 7 weeks to be approved ( I live in Scotland so I'm under the auspices of the NHS), this was approved by April.
My first dose (week 0) was the 18th of April (i'm on 150mg dose), five days later the pain had gone completely I kid you not
, the swelling in my hands reduced by week 2, I've just had my month 4 dose and swelling still down.The only side effects I've had are a runny nose when I eat and very slight herpes on my lips.
Since December I'd been off work until early July, when I had my flare up I thought that was the end of my working career ,but thanks to Cosentyx
I've started on a phased return to work and really my only concern just now is learning to work with Diabetes too.
Anyone reading this who suffers from PSA I highly recommend get in touch with your doctor and get on this. It's only a young drug if fact i believe it's only been available since 2013, (I'm still taking Leflunomide as well, this maybe due to one injection per month).
Please note, injections are delivered to your home as they have to kept in the fridge.
to Psoriasis Club. 
![[Image: dGP65]](https://imgur.com/a/dGP65)
I've posted an image,but don't know if i've done it correctly ???