What other illnesses did your doctor rule out before diagnosing psa?

Hi , thank you for reaching out here. I can understand your worries. The fact that there's no definitive test for psoriatic arthritis really made me feel uneasy for a long time. Have you considered seeking a second opinion? I found that the more rheumatologists I saw (and who agreed with the PsA diagnosis), the more comfortable I felt that the diagnosis was correct.


My doctors went about things in the opposite way of misdiagnosing me with other things before they settled on psoriatic arthritis. I was misdiagnosed with joint hypermobility and also chronic fatigue syndrome. I believe the blood tests they do are designed to rule out other conditions, although I'm not sure if that includes MS and cancer. I believe negative RF and ANA results ruled our rheumatoid arthritis and lupus for me. I thought that the following article on the challenges of diagnosis PsA might be of interest: https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/living/diagnosing-psa-challenging


I hope others will stop by with their thoughts and experiences. Do you mind me asking when you were diagnosed? Warm wishes, -Catherine, Community Moderator

Have you been diagnosed with PsA yet, and if so, when? Rheumatologists will look for certain specific telltale markers when diagnosing PsA, such as enthesitis at sites like the achilles tendon, changes in the nails, and radiological changes in joints. Labs are a part of the process, they're not the be all end all of a diagnosis, and are used to rule out other conditions. And it's certainly possible to have two concurrent diseases causing symptoms. In fact, having one autoimmune disease increases the likelihood of developing another. All of these are matters that you should feel free to bring up with your rheumatologist.