Commonly asked questions...

What medications do you take if any?

• I take Humira every other week and Naltrexone daily

What do you do to help the pain?

• I take meds, supplements, eat an anti-inflammatory diet and exercise

What supplements do you take?

• I work closely with my holistic doctor so I recommend you do the same as we have done lots of tests and blood work to see what I am deficient in. However some supplements that I take are :

  • Curcum Avail which is a Bioavailable Turmeric Curcumin Supplement - Patented Formula for Superior Absorption, Triple Curcuminoid Blend with Turmeric Oil + Vitamin E, Non-GMO.

  • Liquid Fish Oil - Helps reduce inflammation in joints

  • Ashwaganda - Helps with anxiety

  • Magnesium - Anti-inflammatory benefits, helps with sleep

  • Vitamin D3 - strengthens bones and muscles, boosts immunity and increases mood

  • Daily Vitamin

  • I also take natural herb tinctures made by my holistic doctor to boost my immune system and help me sleep

I will have all of the supplements I take listed on the resources page. Please consult with you physician before taking any supplements.

What kind of exercise do you do?

• When I am inflamed or in a flare I just do what I can. If I can go for a walk I will. I will do gentle stretching and gentle yoga. Basically anything that will get my body moving and not get stiff. I also allow myself to rest and recover as much as possible.

• When my body is in a good place I love longer walks, yoga in the sunshine - I love Yoga With Adrienne on YouTube she is lovely! I also love strength training! My favorite instructor at the moment is Sydney Cummings on YouTube! All free workouts and I can modify to where my body is! Amazing!

Where is your pain and what are you symptoms?

• My pain is all throughout my spine, in my neck, my right shoulder, my right pointer finger and thumb. I will get shooting pains through my feet as well. My inflammation has attached itself to my joints, tendons and ligaments. Even with my black and blue swollen thumb and despite having really high inflammation markers on my bloodwork it wasn't until my pointer finger blew up and turned black and blue that I finally got in to see a Rheumatologist and after hearing my background and seeing the psoriasis on my scalp he diagnosed me with PsA.

When did you start showing symptoms?

• I've had Psoriasis since I was a young kid and have always had food sensitivities. I also had a back back even at a young age. I started seeing a chiropractor in Second Grade because of my neck. But it wasn't until I was a Freshman in High School that my arthritis symptoms really started. I was a cheerleader and during stunting practice I had a cheerleader fall on my neck and from that day on I had a lot of inflammation and pain in my neck and spine. By the time I was 18-19 I was working at a very stressful desk job and putting myself through college and living on my own and my back was so bad I couldn't stand up straight if I had been sitting for any period of time. When I was 21 I woke up one morning and my thumb was so swollen and black and blue that I thought I had some how broken it in my sleep. That's when I started to look for answers but was blown off by doctors saying that it was a generational thing and that I had "texter's thumb." (What is that any way?!?) By the time I was 25-26 I was in pretty bad shape all around. I had been working on diet but had no idea what was wrong so I didn't know really what I was working for. I was just trying to reduce inflammation in my body. But at the age of 26 is when my pointer finger got really swollen and black and blue. After having my General Practitioner take X-Rays and look at it and getting a phone call saying "We have great news for you! Your finger isn't broken, you're totally fine!" I lost it... I told them I was NOT fine and that someone, ANYONE had to look at it and get a second opinion. That's when they FINALLY sent my X-Rays and files to a Rheumatologist and I was finally diagnosed at the age of 27!

What tests did you find helpful for getting a diagnosis?

• Unfortunately in my case a there was no single test did much good to get me a diagnosis. Doctor's saw the high inflammation markers but didn't look much farther than that. They got frustrated when I wouldn't take medications they threw at me (because they couldn't give me a diagnosis and I didn't want to take a medicine as a bandaid I wanted to know what was wrong with me!) that they would just dismiss me. The X-Ray of my hand was finally what got me my diagnosis because the Rheumatologist was able to see the arthritis on the scan.

What kind of diet do you eat? And what foods cause inflammation in your body?

• I think it's important to emphasize that ALL of our bodies are SO different and it is SO important that if you really want answers that it is important to do the work and find an elimination diet that works for you and figure out what works best in YOUR body. I highly recommend the 30 Day Elimination Diet in The Paleo Cure by Chris Kresser. I have a blog post about it so check it out if you want a little more info!

• That being said I have tried a LOT of different styles of eating throughout my journey and currently I am eating a SIBO LOW FODMAP Paleo based diet.

• Foods that cause inflammation in my body : Sugars, alcohol, beans, gluten (despite that test coming back negative), grains although I can tolerate small amounts of white rice!, I can also tolerate small amounts of gluten free oats but not too much.

• Foods that trigger my SIBO : garlic, onion, asparagus, broccoli, additives, too much spinach, dairy, so many things... I will have the SIBO LOW FODMAP list of all the do's and don'ts listed on the Resources page!

• For more up to date on what I'm eating or healthy recipes and fitness motivation check out my YouTube Channel! I talk all things Day in The Life with PsA, healthy recipes and fitness! Just search Charlene Town or click the YouTube Icon at the bottom of the page! Lots more PsA support over there!

Where do you get your psoriasis plaques and how do you treat them?

• Most of my plaques are on my scalp, behind my ears and in my ears. However, I do have one larger plaque on my right shin and I have gotten plaques all over my face and on my hands around my knuckles.

• I uses 2 different psoriasis shampoos (I will have them linked on the "resources" tab!) That keep my scalp calm and not itchy. I do wash my scalp every 2-3 days to keep it under control.

• Since my plaques aren't all over my body I use a hydrocortisone cream on my plaques behind my ears and any flare up I might get on my body. I got a pretty strong hydrocortisone cream from my dermatologist when I had the break out all over my face called Clobetasol. I use it very sparingly since it is a steroid but it gets rid of the flare up quickly and I appreciate that!