What are some extreme pain symptoms you've had?

Ah, I Understand, do you have a date for your surgery yet? Sounds like you are in for a bit of a roller coaster and figuring things out, I am sharing some links to articles for those who have been newly diagnosed, I think they will help a bunch, https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/living/newly-diagnosed-me and another good one https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/living/newly-diagnosed-tips.


It might be a bit tricky to navigate in the beginning, but you will soon see which belongs to psoriatic arthritis and which belongs to normal day-to-day life.
Be kind to yourself, and make notes of what you are feeling. We are here for you, every step of the way, and always here to answer questions and chat about what's happening.
- Clair ( Team Member)

I think that trying to fit our symptoms into categories is pretty common. My worst pain is in my lower back. Is that PsA, or a side-effect of my metabolism slowing down with age and I'm doing less, or the result of an old injury, or the extra 20 pounds I gained with menopause, or all of the above?
One thing often mentioned here is keeping a log - and being newly diagnosed is a great time to start. Record your symptoms, your activities, diet, etc., and also take it with you to appointments and take notes.
Also, this community is an incredible resource for understanding psoriatic disease. If you just visit the websites of health industry leaders, you'll see a very short list of common symptoms, but unfortunately, there just haven't been enough clinical studies so large segments of the healthcare industry simple don't have enough information. Talking with others here who've lived with this, learning what they've experienced, their coping mechanisms, has really helped me understand so much about this. And everyone is so supportive!
I wish you the best with your upcoming surgery and hope you'll stick around here. Take care!

I do see a rheumatologist. I was having increasing symptoms for years and was finally diagnosed last year. Looking back it explains nearly every Dr visit. I am on Enbrel and Arava which seem to control my symptoms about 60% which is a win. Enbrel by itself was only about 20-30% effective for me.
I am a single mom and was always someone who worked multiple jobs, went to school and nothing ever stopped me. Then during the pandemic I had a big PTSD episode (past trauma response) and it must have kicked my PsA into full gear. My symptoms went from sporadic to daily and then daily to debilitating in the past three years. I had Dr visits, X-rays and MRIs but nothing definitive came of them. My psoriasis was only in my ears at that time and I happened to be looking into natural remedies for the skin rash and stumbled upon an article for PsA. It explained nearly every symptom I had been having for the past few years. My regular dr referred me to a great rheumatologist, and I was text book moderate to severe PsA. I was declining and so symptomatic that I truly thought I was terminally ill, the PsA diagnosis felt like a relief. Multiple joints, feet, hands, spine, hips, elbow, shoulder, plantar fasciitis, fingers slightly twisting, fatigue like I’d never experienced. I have definitely gone back and forth in the sanity struggle with how my life has changed. The frustration of very few people understanding and comments like “you are the most in pain person I know” make it hard to want to talk about how I’m feeling. I have always been a perpetual optimist, but this has definitely rocked me a little.
The worst part is my daughter (14) was just diagnosed with JIA, which is creating a huge mental battle for me. I feel terrible for our cesspool genetics and selfish for feeling even more alone. I am still struggling to reconcile my own illness while needing to help her navigate hers. All the while, I feel shame for being mad because now in my mind, my illness feels less significant though my body says otherwise. I know I need to learn to balance taking care of myself and her but it is definitely overwhelming. So my journey is still very much in progress and I continue to look for alternative healing and positive ways to cope. Luckily, I have many years of getting therapy, some social work education and soul searching to help understand the complexities of processing my emotions. 🤗

Hello, Thanks for responding. Your plate is very full right now. I am sorry you are going through so much. Thanks for sharing so much of your journey with us. You seem to be going on the right track.


I am so sorry to hear about your daughter. It's so difficult when one of our kids gets sick. One of my friend's children has JIA. This is something she advocates for all the time. I have attached an article that might be helpful. https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/living/parents-children-jpsa-not-alone


You stay strong and remember that you have a whole community behind you. You have so much knowledge behind you already. Keep letting your voice be heard and let us know how you are doing. Diane (Team Member)