When Side Effects Feel Worse Than Arthritis: Psoriatic-Arthritis.com

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Person carries giant pill bottle on back

Since the time I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, I feel like I've tried every medication under the sun. For years, I felt like a lab rat going from one treatment to another every few months. It was emotionally taxing to try new medications without seeing progress. There were even times my insurance wouldn't cover a new treatment until I had tried certain medicines. But in my opinion, the worst part was dealing with side effects on top of my usual pain.

It can be hard to deal with medications that don't agree with you. Sometimes, it feels like the side effects can become worse than the disease itself. It can be even more frustrating if your rheumatologist doesn't seem too sympathetic. Many times, it takes awhile to know if a medicine or treatment is working. It's an unfortunate waiting game. But in my experience, keeping track of my side effects helped my doctor and I decide whether or not I could continue a treatment. It also helped us figure out ways to treat the side effects of promising treatments.

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