Pa on one side of the body only???

Hi Souxies I am very new to the forum and noticed no one has yet come back to you with anything so thought I might share my experience(s). I was diagnosed with PsA (I don't have and have never had the skin lesions, unusual I know but not unheard of) and at the start for a few months it was also my left side of body only, however after a few months it started to affected the right hand side but almost like a pin ball machine ie left ankle, right knee, left shoulder, never two joints ie both elbows at same time if that makes sense. I also get pain and swelling along tendons and ligaments along with muscle aches/pains but not all the time, not forgetting the dog tired feeling that accompanies all this. I have heard if can cause inflammation in the eye but touch wood not yet for me , but never say never with this devil of a condition. I hope your appointment proved fruitful with the GP and you will have been referred to a rheumatologist - best wishes to you.

Thanks for the reply. I have a referral and my appointment is at the end of the month. My GP tried to convince me not to bother as apparently all the can do is put me on strong drugs and it would have to be very bad to do that! I insisted I would prefer a diagnosis. Glad I did as I m getting worse now. I have back pain and if I move to much something will start hurting. My leg and arm get very week and I woke with a very sore knuckle the other day which is new 😂 both my knees are bad now too. I was sent for xrays yesterday but await results and I am sure nothing will come up like when I have my bloods done. I dread seeing the rhuem as I am positive they are going to say theres nothing wrong. I have no swelling still or pitted nails and my P isnt too bad. Maybe it isnt PA but its something for sure!

Hi souxies, It is my left side that is most affected too. It is on the left thigh that I have this numb patch that seems to indicate compression of nerves down the left leg. And my left foot tends to swell up. It is permanently slightly discoloured, I think because the blood flow in that leg is worse than the right one. It is my left shoulder, too that is most affected. However, when I had a couple of falls where my leg was just not doing what it was supposed to (moving forward as I walked) the CT scan showed that it was compression of the nerves to the right leg that was implicated. I thought from this that although the pain and other symptoms seemed to be focused on my left side, there was also plenty going on on the right, it was just different. I concluded that the degeneration in my lower spine was pressing on the nerves in an asymetric way. My GP suggested losing weight might relieve some of the symptoms, so I went on a fast. For 5 days. And during that time my symptoms were relieved. This set me on a course of diet control as a way of relief. Over a year later I am still able to remain pain free, my movement has greatly improved and I persist with a diet called FODMAP. Whenever I stray from it the pain returns. So I am not cured, but I have found a management tool. And I don't fall over any more. At age 72 that gets to be a real problem (as I can't get up again). As you have a few weeks before your referral, perhaps a few dietary adjustments might help. And if like me you are up for a fast, see if that can abate your symptoms before you are faced with the "strong drugs" alternative. Good luck. wendyloish

Hi Wendy, I am glad the diet changed have helped you. I will look in to it as I am also waiting to see a gastro due to stomach issues and I do think there may be a link. My back is so bad today and I cant sit up or drive for any length of time now. I will be back to the GP for some pain killers next week as I will be flying in 2 weeks and I dont want to suffer on holiday! I also have packing for 6 to contend with 😬

Hi souxies, I also have the gut issues and was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome when in my late 40s. As I already stated above, I am now 72. Over the past few years I also had problems with reflux (as does my brother who also has psoriatic arthritis). I think you are right and the gut and stomach issues are related to the psoriatic arthritis. The FODMAP diet that I follow is actually designed for the gut, and I found out its impact on the arthritis, almost accidentally. I began my experiment with diet by fasting for 5 days, in a desperate attempt to lose weight, and was amazed as each day of the fast went by, that I felt better and better. At the end of it I went directly onto the FODMAP anti-inflammatory food regime to try and maintain what the fast had started. Every time since, if I have strayed from the diet, the impact has been immediate, both for my gut and my lower back. As far as pain killers are concerned, I find that ibuprofen and paracetamol work, as well as the good old fashioned aspirin. These are anti-inflammatory, so treat the cause rather than the pain. Prednisolone is my standby anti-inflammatory, but I try to avoid taking it. Packing for 6? Been there and done that. Just do a little bit each day. The trick there is to hide away what has been done so the rest of the family are not unpacking as you pack. Have a great holiday! That part of you life, the one surrounded by family, passes all too quickly. wendyloish

Yes, I have mainly left sided pain...... I often describe it as almost like a straight line down my body.

I have taken to wondering what it is about my left side that should make it more susceptible, and it occurred to me that it could be because I am right handed. So I am wondering if any of you who experience this are left handed. If not, the problem with the left side might connected to this, something to do with how we right handed people use tools. I know sweeping and vacuuming has become a problem for me as there is an impact on my left side, a sideways movement that is not there so much for the right as the broom/vacuum cleaner is close to my right side. Perhaps we should all try experimenting with doing things left handed??? wendyloish