Seeking other New Zealanders with Psoriatic Arthritis

I'm looking for other New Zealanders with psoriatic arthritis. We're being treated like second class citizens when it comes to Pharmac funding the better drugs for our condition, drugs like Humira and Enbrel, the TNF inhibitors. Pharmac are now funding it for people with rheumatoid arthritis, but not those of us with Psoriatic arthritis, even though it is also an inflammatory arthritis. I've heard there is a rheumatologist writing a paper in support of the TNF inhibitors for the treatment of PA, to present to Pharmac, and I'm sure she could do with some support. Does anyone out there realise just how much better we could be on these drugs? Taken in conjunction with DMARDs like Methotrexate they are making many people in other countries a whole lot better.

In my case, PA came on a couple of long years ago. I don't have psoriasis, but my mother has it. The genetic link. The pain started in my hips, and rapidly spread throughout my entire body, affecting joints, muscles and tendons. It's a horrible disease that does your head in, seemingly moving its way around your body, going all out in one area then moving on to another. My GP and the public health system were no good, so I requested a referral to a private rheumatologist, the best move I ever made. Psoriatic arthritis MUST be treated early. I've tried sulphasalazine ( gave me headaches after a while) then moved on to Methotrexate. It's slow but steady progress has changed my life back to being bearable, and we've had success adding Plaquenil into the mix recently.

I'm in a pretty good state at the moment, thanks to a very good rheumatologist and a long time getting my head around this awful disease. Oh and great support from a PA forum in the UK. But if it gets worse, I'd want to be able to get my hands on those TNF inhibitors. Used in conjunction with Methotrexate they're producing a better success rate than Methotrexate on its own.

I'd love to hear from other PA sufferers in New Zealand, I know of only two. And anyone worldwide who would like to share their journey with this disease.