I have psoriasis of the skin for over 25 years. Over the last few months my some of my fingers have hurt and have been getting stiff. I had a blood test done by my primary doc, to see if I have any of the markers for psoriatic or rheumatoid arthritis and they came up negative, however my primary doc still wants me to see a specialist and my appointment is not till the end of July 2024 !!!

What are you taking for your arthritis and what firearm are you using or daily carrying ??? Right now I am taking naproxen to help with the pain and stiffness. Thank you for reading and any info or experiences given and / or shared. God Bless !!!

quote:

Originally posted by VBVAGUY:
I have psoriasis of the skin for over 25 years. Over the last few months my some of my fingers have hurt and have been getting stiff. I had a blood test done by my primary doc, to see if I have any of the markers for psoriatic or rheumatoid arthritis and they came up negative, however my primary doc still wants me to see a specialist and my appointment is not till the end of July 2024 !!!

What are you taking for your arthritis and what firearm are you using or daily carrying ??? Right now I am taking naproxen to help with the pain and stiffness. Thank you for reading and any info or experiences given and / or shared. God Bless !!!

My wife has RA, nothing really helps. She wakes at night due to the pain. You can load up on meds but those cause other issues so she tries to minimize. Sometimes it cannot be helped. You do need to keep the swelling down, it can damage joints.

Turmeric is your friend. Amazon or Costco, or about any grocery store.

if you are not using a biologic for Psoriasis and associated arthritis you need to talk to your dermatologist about one. They are very effective.

Most of auto immune diseases, such as RA, ankylosing arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, etc., are caused by a cross reaction to an infection. RA appears to be triggered by a streptococcus infection. This is relatively easy to demonstrate.

Go on a meat and vegetable diet only for a few weeks. Absolutely no sugar and very low to no carbs. You will notice a drop off in symptoms. Then start eating carbs and sugar again, the symptoms will noticeably increase.

Some prescription meds exacerbate the problem. They suppress the immune system so the body reduces the attack process, but this allows the underlying infection to spread.

Just a reminder I'm not a doctor, despite the moniker. I'd also argue neither are these DEI products of the current education system.

Anyway

I would say try as hard as you can to find a natural solution with diet, exercise, supplements, etc.

Once you get on a strong biologic or immuno-suppressant, expect to become dependent on the modern healthcare system. The side effects are incredible. Those I know in that boat are miserable and probably not long for this world.

I will never take that crap.

I'll second what some others have said. My mother (74yo now) was diagnosed with RA about 8 years ago now, shortly after her first hip replacement. First the docs put her on methotrexate, a common RA treatment drug. It did very little. They varied doses, tried random combinations of metho with something else (I forget the 2nd drug in the cocktail), and nothing really changed the progression at all. Sometimes it would slow down for a month or two, but always came back.

They switched her to a biologic, Enbrel, and it seemed to work quite well for a while. Then the side-effects started to pop up. Keep in mind that, as I understand it, biologics are basically low-grade chemotherapy. They further suppress an already suppressed immune system. Ma started having constant nausea, headaches, a persistent cough/sore throat, etc. As she explained it she'd rather deal with the pain of the RA than the side-effects of the Enbrel. So, back to the methotrexate. But it's still not a great solution.

I'd been after her for YEARS to get into the gym, to stop sitting around and basically waiting to die. Well, one day she did. At age 68 my mother went to a Starting Strength gym on her own (I live in Alaska, she is in Texas). Our hometown is home to the original Starting Strength gym, Wichita Falls Athletic Club. Owned and operated by Mark Rippetoe. This isn't an endorsement for SS methodology (although they do work well), just pointing out that's where she went.

Things changed for her at that point. Between strength training, a diet change (she is low carb with meat & vegs now), her numbers are better than when she was first diagnosed. Quality of life has improved immensely, and added bonus: she loads and unloads her own 50# bags of feed from the store haha! She's on a very small dose of methotrexate now and nothing else. A couple of anti-inflammatory supplements.....tumeric and boswellia, strength training 2x week and diet.

I realize this may not be the answer for everyone, but it has been a literal miracle in quality of life for my mother. It is worth the time to look at & try alternative options besides going the big pharma/biologics route of just accepting it and waiting to die. IMHO.

quote:

Originally posted by radioman:
Turmeric is your friend. Amazon or Costco, or about any grocery store.

I've read this too, but have also read that the dosages you need require special turmeric or you'll have to take a bunch!

I take turmeric when it pops up in the winter. You can get it at you local grocery in the whole food section or the aspirin aisle.

My big bro got RA when he was 7, nothing has helped him and his joints are destroyed. He drinks to mitigate pain. But times have changed since the 70s.

Mom has RA in the hands and feet, and she has taken Enbrel and mexo(something something I can’t pronounce) it’s a chemo med. both have side effects and she bounces from one to the other. One makes her a complete bitch on the day after she takes it, and dad knows to steer clear. She takes it weekly, IIRC.

She was carrying a J frame in 38, but as it progressed, she couldn’t handle the recoil. So I set her up with a Beretta Bobcat in 22lr. She can dump a mag of CCI stingers if needed.

She’s been on these for a decade.

Good luck my imaginary friend.

I would just add there have been many advancements in treatment of Psoriasis in recent years. While some of the comments here have some validity some are a bit ridiculous.
Talk to your dermatologist and find out what they say. Then decide for yourself.

I understand the "big pharma is the divil" mantra after the last 4 years. But let's not go nuts.

Treat for ailments and sickness without medicines would be a really bad thing.

I have arthritis, it was so bad a couple years ago, I had no strength in my hands. I couldn’t open jars, shooting was painful, if I barely bumped a finger the pain was excruciating. I gave up playing golf because of it. I started off on Prednisone, methotrexate and folic acid, that was no help. Now I take a once weekly injection of Enbrel. It’s been amazing, I can do everything again. Back to golfing, shooting or whatever. My insurance wouldn’t cover Enbrel until I had been on the other concoction for a year. They always want to try the cheapest option first.

If that works for you that's great. Maybe I was too black and white in my initial response.

For some people the meds are the best option and it's great we have it.

For many, the answer is some reasonable healthy lifestyle adjustments, and I know a person that has paid a lot of money to get worse. Certainly looks like big pharma is getting what they need out of that one, the family has no choice but to maintain status quo.

I'm no doctor and a good one will guide you to the right choice, but I look at strong drugs/chemical-treatments/call it what you will... as a last resort.

I'm glad you guys have seen positive results and wish you the best.

Osteoarthritis sufferer here. Diclofenac and tumeric curcumin that has bioperine in it. Twice a day. Does a pretty good job of pain management.

quote:

Originally posted by VBVAGUY:
I have psoriasis of the skin for over 25 years. Over the last few months my some of my fingers have hurt and have been getting stiff. I had a blood test done by my primary doc, to see if I have any of the markers for psoriatic or rheumatoid arthritis and they came up negative, however my primary doc still wants me to see a specialist and my appointment is not till the end of July 2024 !!!

What are you taking for your arthritis and what firearm are you using or daily carrying ??? Right now I am taking naproxen to help with the pain and stiffness. Thank you for reading and any info or experiences given and / or shared. God Bless !!!

I have Reactive Arthritis (form of Rheumatoid usually following bacterial infections caused by food or sex) and Osteoarthritis. Aleve or Voltarin are probably the best over the counter relief. Ice or heat can sometimes help. I am taking 2000 mg a day of Sulfasalazine from my Rheumatologist. Now that I’ve developed Chronic Kidney Disease I can have anti-inflammatory meds. Voltarin crème can help in some spots like extremities. I also have a bulged disc causing psiatic pain and numbness. VA has also given me a nice TENS unit for back pain from arthritis. May get you by til you see a Rheumatologist. If it’s pretty bad you can get a shot of steroids and lidocaine or something that can also help short term at least.

Please ignore all the advice above.
Read something on an arthritis association website, and what's on the Cleveland Clinic website.
Then wait for the visit with the rheumatologist. Better, call and say you'll take a cancellation if it becomes available.

We have several folks in the family with inflammatory arthritis; I no longer go to rheumatology conventions to keep up as I used to, but your friend will be the rheumatologist.

You may be started first on methotrexate as the standard of care, I no longer know if biologics are used second line or are now first line.

Thanks for the thread. I'm no doctor and just an n=1. Over 7 years ago I watched a video with Rhonda Patrick on Rogan discussing inflammation and, keto, lost a bunch of weight (fat) and finally got my asthma under control. It's an ever evolving way of eating. A little later I starting following Mikhaila Peterson's story on how she finally resolved the myriad of issue starting from childhood. She, and her father, may be an extreme case but it's obvious our food is broken and we have options. I hope you resolve your issues with or without western medicine.

5 years ago:


2024:

Thank you everyone for your input. I have been performing the intermittent fasting since the end of January 2024 and have lost over 45 pounds. I have cut and reduced my sugar and carb intake and I would like to lost another 75 pounds. Thank you fro reading and God Bless

The best thing you can do for Arthritis doesn't come a pill form, it's by eliminating as much Toxic Sugar as you can. BTW Processed Sugar is a VERY inflammatory substance and it acts like an amplifier for Arthritis and inflames the blood vessels surrounding the Heart and within the Heart. So, YES it is TOXIC.

Three years ago I was complaining about my Arthritis and my Nephews Wife (a Nurse) had noticed that I was a bit too fond of sweets. She told me about the Effects of sugar so I cut out Donuts, Cookies, Candy, and just about any item with Sugar in it. In three years I have gone from being barely able to sign my paycheck to being pain free. The only area where I haven't seen as much improvement as I would like is the Trigger Finger in the middle finger of both hands.