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Wondering if others diagnosed with Osteomyelitis as a result of PsA?

This is my story. I've had PsA for many years and unfortunately the older I get the worse my PsA feels. But August 20,2021 started out like any other day. At the time I worked at Walgreens in the photo department and really liked it, even though by halfway into my PM shift the pain forced me to sit part of the time. Anyway, about 4 hours into my shift, my right foot was hurting on and off. I just assumed I need new shoes and/or inserts. But by 10 pm I could barely walk to my car. When I got home and took my shoe off my right foot was very swollen, red and very warm to the touch. I knew immediately (or thought I did) what was wrong. I've had cellulitis a couple times in the past. Once it showed up on the side of my face out of the blue-no cut or sore beforehand. At the same time I was diagnosed with MRSA, most likely from being a CNA for 25 years. Another time I had it on one of my fingers that has PsA. So I assumed that's all that was going on with my foot. I went to the ER the next day and was admitted because with MRSA there are only a few drugs that will keep it at bay. Within a couple days a podiatrist came to assess it. She opened it up and cleaned out some pockets of infection. A couple days later a MRI was done and it showed still more pockets of infection and there appeared to be an infection in my 3rd metatarsal. So they had to do surgery to clean it out more. After surgery a would vac was placed on the open area to help it heal from the inside out. But what they found was PsA had eroded the third metatarsal bone which became an infection (osteomyelitis) because the bone had become septic. Then with MRSA already in my body it helped the infection grow more and I became septic in my blood, but only mildly. After being on IV med for a couple months, then it was stopped because the infection appeared to be done. Unfortunately 2 weeks later my foot was infected again. I was put on an oral drug and the infection went away. But the week of New Years Eve it came back for the third time and I had to go back into the hospital. More IV drugs and then home again with a PICC and IV drugs. Back home and less than a week later I tripped coming back from the bathroom and unfortunately found out at the hospital I had a non displaced fracture of tibia and fibula. I was put in a cast for a few months, then it was deemed healed enough. But of coarse I have to add to this year long medical drama, because on June 11 I again fell and this time that same area really broke! I said I wanted the hardware this time. Things are coming along. But back to the osteomyelitis. When I broke my leg the first time, right away they wanted to amputate because of the osteomyelitis. And I said absolutely no. When I finally was able to talk to Infection Disease, they agreed there were other things that could be done. So we agreed to the oral pill twice a day for one to two years, in the hope that this will stop the infection. So I am wondering if anyone else has had osteomyelitis from PsA and the out come.

  1. Hi @biscuit13 you definitely have had a year. Wow that is a lot to deal with. I could not find any story in our archives that deal with the subject. You might want to go to our Facebook page psoriaticarthritisdotcom and post your question there. You are sure to get responses there from our great community. Also wondering if you reached out to the Patient Navigation Center of the National Psoriasis Foundation to see if they may have information on it. Vickie W., Team Member

    1. Thanks Vickie, I will certainly do that.

      1. Hi . I have not heard of sepsis in the bone due to PsA, but sepsis in the joint is not uncommon. Here is a post from another member who was hospitalized with sepsis in his knee: https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/stories/septic-arthritis. I am not sure whether it was in the bones in this case or whether the infection was confined to the fluid. I hope this helps and that your treatment plan in infected. It is definitely worth trying over amputation. Keep us posted if you don't mind sharing. Gentle hugs. - Lori (Team Member)

    2. I have a family member with PsA who had osteomyelitis in one of her fingers. It could not be resolved with antibiotics, unfortunately (she battled this condition for several years), and they had to perform a partial amputation and then eventually a revision amputation to get rid of the infected bone. Rheumatology and Infectious Disease suspected it was due to the PsA-related issues in her fingers.

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