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Autoimmune disease

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Does this sound like psoriatic arthritis?

3 replies

FireAdvice · 16/06/2026 20:30

So I have had severe lower back pain flares for a few years. To the extent I thought I had ankylosing spondylitis, symptoms seem to match. I have pain on walking, stiffness in the morning which wears off. But I am in pain if standing or sitting for too long. Better with exercise.

ten years aGo I had awful ankle pain, very stiff and could barely walk. One of my ankle tendons ruptured, was repaired and ruptured again. No reason for the rupture. I go to the gym a bit but no serious exercise. This lasted for years even with physio, steroid injections and surgery and eventually just seemed to improve but still not 100%.

i have recently had a frozen shoulder, still not back to 100%

for 4 months now I have had severe big toe pain. It kind of seems like gout, but doesn’t look like gout. I have pain if anything touches the top of my toe, including the duvet. If I try and scrunch my toes up or flex them out it can be agony but this isn’t consistent. First thing in the morning it is painful and stiff and I have to grit my teeth and make myself move my toe and then it improves after a few minutes of movement. But later on In The day it will be stiff and painful again and I have to repeat the exercise. When I set off walking to the shops I hobble down the drive in agony but after a minute it improves. It throbs and aches but also a very sharp explosive pain. Mainly round the joint nearer the toe nail. I’ve had an X-ray which showed nothing in that joint.

ive had bloods done which doesn’t have any inflammatory markers and no raised urea either.

GP is asking for advice from rheumatology

at the beginning of the year my other toes on that foot swelled up, went red, skin split in places as my toes swelled so badly, I assumed I had chillblains. Though thought it was odd as never had them before.

i have a very small persistent patch of red, rough, slightly scaly skin mid inner thigh. It’s been there some time. Not itchy.

OP posts:
FireAdvice · 16/06/2026 20:32

Oh I also had an mri at the start of the year as back pain was so bad and they said initially there were some changes in my spine suggestive of ankylosing spondylitis but as no SI joint changes eventually decided it wasn’t that.

there is a strong family history of autoimmune stuff, though not psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis.

OP posts:
whydoesitalwayshappentome · 29/06/2026 18:41

@FireAdvice I have psoratic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis and it does sound very much like the symptoms you are having. It tends to be seronegative (not always mind you) so no blood markers are common.

Hopefully the rheumatolgist will accept the referral so if you do have the condition medication can be started.

Greengrassclover · 03/07/2026 08:11

That sounds very much like how my inflammatory arthritis started, although inflammation markers were all normal initially and it was a good year before things changed. I use to get out of bed in the morning and feel like I was walking on marbles and put the pain in my fingers and wrists down to overdoing the exercise. I also suffered with chilblains and raynauds that all started at the same time.

That’s good news that the GP is seeking advice from Rheumatology and fingers crossed that they see you themselves.

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