Daily Symptoms & The Pains of Psoriatic Arthritis

By ClairG

2 min read

Daily life in 2020 is a challenge on any level for any person. For example, living with a chronic condition, psoriatic arthritis, can add extra layers to that challenge.

So what do we do? We keep our chins up, and we keep on keeping on. Every day brings new challenges - accompanied by the old ones. Daily life with psoriatic arthritis is a test of resiliency and strength.

What my daily life look like

The three psoriatic arthritis symptoms below are part of my every day. Whether I like it or not, they are here to stay. Would I say I have it under control? Some days and other days, honestly, I wing it.

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Fatigue

If I were a superhero, my nemesis would be fatigue. A villain draped in Egyptian cotton bed sheets singing lullabies while never allowing me to sleep.

Waking up exhausted most days has been one of the most frustrating symptoms. It simply never seems to go away. Most days, I don't. How do I cope with this?

I keep on doing things one moment at a time. I eat well, work out, and attempt to have a good sleep routine. While none of this makes it better, I think it stops it from getting worse.

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Stiffness

Stiffness in the morning could be a good thing if it were not all over my body. Stiffness is also the reason I struggle to get out of bed in the morning.

I use an eggshell topper on top of my bed, which relieves me from general body aches. I've started waking up in a routine now. I start slow and begin stretching everything gently before getting out of bed.

The days of waking up and jumping out of bed are long gone. To achieve any wake-up and go, I need to sleep in a toaster. As the day progresses, the stiffness does settle down. By the evening, I seem to have a better range of motion.

Pain

This is one that I think is rather common for most of us, but I feel it needs mentioning. This one has often reduced me to a blubbering mess. Pain is, well painful and levels change every day depending on various factors.

Pain is also deeply exhausting when you are experiencing it 24/7 due to my psoriatic arthritis being mild for the time being. I can get by with the assistance of pain medication, making sure I wear good shoes and sit correctly.

All of the above can often make me moody, which has become a symptom. Maybe this is just part of my personality now? Who knows.

What symptoms do you struggle with the most daily? How do you deal with them?

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The Psoriatic-Arthritis.com team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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abigail Member
This article hit the nail on the head for me. I wake up so stiff and with terrible chills. I need a minimum of thirty minutes to slowly stretch my toes and fingers especially. I walk stiffly for an hour each morning. I have just learned what the gelling effect is. I think this is the core of my fatigue. Fatigue, that sleep does not help.
frenchy0719 Member
The constant brain fog! My job demands thought, all day, there are times I can’t even remember the phone number of a colleague I call 3 times a day. It’s also so hard to put together a sentence when you hurt so much... thank you for sharing your daily story. I know I’m not alone, but reading it from another perspective is so helpful
kimberlyb Member
I think the hardest part is slowly losing the ability to do the things I love. I've gradually gotten worse over the last 3 years. Anymore it seems like I have 2 emotions..anger and sadness. But I will never give up and will learn to embrace the few good days I have.
1. cartersquar3d Member
 I feel this deeply. 
2. Lori.Foster Community Admin
 We are here for you whenever you need us, <inline-mention username="cartersquar3d" user-id="6759448"/>. Gentle hugs. - Lori (Team Member)
abbym613 Member
The symptoms I mainly deal with in a daily basis are fatigue, moodiness, and anxiety. Pain is in there as well but sometimes I'm ok to go about my day ignoring it and other days I just have to lie down. The fatigue has been unreal. I go to bed and wake up like I never slept about 4 days of of the week. Then of course that makes me moody. My job has been extra stressful for the past few months and I am not able to deal with the stresses as well as I used to just a few years ago. I start to get anxiety because I'm not able to rationally think myself out of the situation and figure out a solution. I end up freaking out inside and get upset and cry. All because I'm not able to handle the issue like before. It has taken a toll on me mentally. I've tried the meditation, yoga, therapy, etc, and it just doesn't work. I end up wanting to crawl into a hole and cry. The past few years I can tell how I've changed in how I'm dealing with stressful situations. I have always had problems with depression and it has hit me more now because I just want to feel normal. I know those "normal" days are going to get more and more scarce. It's scary. I try to take 1 day at a time...
1. feelingthepain Member
 I am retired but, your words re: work have really hit home. I remember ending up crying everyday I left worked. Completely exhausted and felt anxiety and guilty that my coworkers seemed fine and had the energy to enjoy their evening. What ever plans they had. I would get home (living in the NE) I would immediately lie down on the couch fully dressed, coat, hat, shoes, whatever and not be able to move, think, or try to prepare dinner. Day after day. Thinking I was such a weak, inadequate person. Now, I know it was my PSA. But, it took 50 years to find this out. Number # 1. It’s not your fault!
2. Vickie Wilkerson Moderator & Contributor
 Thank you for sharing <inline-mention user-id="3283624" username="feelingthepain"/> . Knowing it's not your fault is a hard one for most of us to except. PsA is a difficult disease to deal with. Vickie W., Community Moderator
ealgiere Member
I struggle with range of motion. I have difficulty getting dressed and getting in my husbands keeps my Jeep.
1. ClairG Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention user-id="3284249" username="ealgiere"/> , Having trouble with your range of motion can be so frustrating. Do you find stretching to help at all? - Clair
feelingthepain Member
These are the exact same issues I have everyday. It does effect my mood. The harder I fight it the worse I feel. Thank you for verifying my struggles with this PSA
1. ClairG Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention user-id="3283624" username="feelingthepain"/> , Thank you for being here. It always helps to know that you are not going through these things alone. Do you find anything that helps to alleviate your mood? - Clair
jenniferwhitten Member
I’ve been becoming more and more frustrated and depressed in the last several months with this illness. The pain and fatigue has reached a new level and is getting worse and I’m having enormous difficulty functioning enough at my job.....my job as a staff and supply coordinator in a long term care facility has been something I’ve always wanted to do and I absolutely love it but it’s getting harder and harder and more stressful. Add to it the lack of understanding by my bosses and pressure to always do more and spend more time at the facility, filling in on the med cart which absolutely kills me with pain levels and takes me several days to recover. I’ve given up trying to explain it. They said if I got a doctor to write a note that this wasn’t good for me they wouldn’t ask this task of me, but I don’t want that in my file. I want to help in any task as much as I can. But they keep pushing and I feel like I will never, no matter how hard I work do enough and I’m sinking lower and lower into depression. I feel guilt because I have wished for my bosses to spend one day in my body, and also because as bad as this illness is, I’m not terminal and it could be much, much worse like cancer.
1. Lori.Foster Community Admin
 Hi @JenniferWhitten. I am so sorry for the delay in response. Somehow, your comment got snagged by our spam filter. My heart goes out to you. It can be soul-crushing when chronic pain takes away from you something you love so much. Think long and hard about what you love about this job. Would it be possible to get the same kind of fulfillment in a less physically demanding job? I find it sadly ironic that your supervisors lack understanding when compassion should be the heart of their business. You would think that, of all people, those who manage a long-term care facility would be understanding. Please consider talking to a therapist about your increasing depression. Chronic illness and depression go hand-in-hand. You need to treat it just as you would any other symptom. A therapist can hep you figure out when you can address the issues causing your depression with therapy or whether you might benefit from an anti-depressant. Just make sure you ask around for recommendations and know that no one frowns upon switching therapists if you don't click with the first one. It's the nature of the profession. You can do this. you can get out of this depression, but you will have to make that happen. Please know that we are here for you whenever you need support or a place to vent, and please keep me posted, if you are comfortable doing so. I will be thinking of you. - Lori (Team Member)
sduboise Member
It is so nice to read comments from others who suffer with this illness. I was diagnosed ten years ago, but I had elevated ANA levels for several years before symptoms allowed doctors to finally diagnose the culprit. It makes me feel like I am a hundred years old.
kay1 Member
Always the pain. Always. Morning stiffness Grumpiness when the pain limits my activity
Smitty0360 Member
Trying to do things in the yard like spreading mulch or helping plant flowers kills me afterwards hands don’t move back won’t bend and need to get out of the shoes I need pain relief but all I hear is take pills Instead I go back to trying to do things And hurt more then I get depressed because I can’t do anything that doesn’t hurt just go lay down and try to think good things and wish for someone to come up with a miracle 
1. Lori.Foster Community Admin
 Hi @Smitty0360. We have a couple of advocates who treat their PsA naturally. Here is an article about natural pain relief that you might find interesting: <a href='https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/living/natural-pain-relief?fbclid=iwar3ugvocbeskwonfmw5icnoei_btmv5l9w9wnuit98veyr85nj1fkx4jbzq' target='_blank'>https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/living/natural-pain-relief?fbclid=IwAR3ugVOCbesKWoNfmw5icnoeI_BtMv5L9w9WnUIt98VeYR85NJ1fKx4JbzQ</a>. I hope this helps alleviate your pain and your depression. Please know we are here for you whenever you need support or a place to vent. Warm wishes! - Lori (Team Member)
2. cartersquar3d Member
 <inline-mention username="Smitty0360" user-id="3656070"/> yes! That is what I'm talking about. When you do something you pay dearly and if you don't do anything you pay in a different way but it seems to be never ending pain and torture. I wish you luck and healing.
cartersquar3d Member
Does anyone else here also have cervical/spinal issues to go along with the arthritis? I have had to sleep sitting on the side on my bed sitting up and it's not sleep at all. Straightening my arms out in the morning is just torture. I was a 6am wake up person until the last few years and now I sleep as late as 1 pm some days and even then have to make myself get out of bed. Getting prepared for another level of spinal fusion and that on top of this is a terrifying prospect for several months as I heal from the fusion. This only gets worse doesn't it?
1. Lori.Foster Community Admin
 My heart goes out to you, <inline-mention username="cartersquar3d" user-id="6759448"/>. You must really be craving a good night's sleep. Have you tried a recliner or can you have no pressure at all on your spine? Has your doctor made any recommendations for sleep? I wonder whether there might be equipment your doctor can prescribed that will help you hold a sleep position of some kind better. I hope the fusion helps and that you finally get relief. Do you have support at home for that recovery period? Unfortunately, you are not alone in your cervical and spinal issues. Here is an article about PsA and the spine: <a href='https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/psa-symptoms/spine' target='_blank'>https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/psa-symptoms/spine</a>. Many people also develop comorbidities that impact the spine, such as ankylosing spondylitis. Here is an article about ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic spondylitis that might interest you: <a href='https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/answers/psoriatic-ankylosing-spondylitis' target='_blank'>https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/answers/psoriatic-ankylosing-spondylitis</a>. Please keep us posted about your surgery if you don't mind and you are able to do so. I will be thinking of you. - Lori (Team Member)
CommunityMember06f37b Member
Hi,have not been diagnosed yet but was yrs ago.