Psoriatic arthritis or alcoholic neuropathy or both?
Help! I’m having a flare up of something and it’s really stressing me out.
I was diagnosed about a year ago with psoriatic arthritis by a rheumatologist after scans and blood work. He’s pretty confident. I have always had scalp psoriasis quite badly plus some other small patches on my skin. I have really bad morning stiffness that reduces when I start to move. When I have a flare ups it often involves scalp psoriasis getting worse and burning hands and feet, as well as stiffness. So it meets many of the hallmarks. He wants to start me on methotrexate.
BUT
I’m 45 and for the past two decades I’ve been a daily drinker, often three or four, sometimes six or more beers. It started as a way of self-medicating for untreated anxiety, then the habit stuck. I’m worried that some of the symptoms are more similar to alcohol induced neuropathy which seems scarier. I’m worried I’ve done myself permanent damage through dumb drinking. But also, the symptoms seem to come and go in flare ups and are not permanent like neuropathy.
My question is how can medical professionals distinguish between the two in diagnosis?
Also if it is alcoholic neuropathy, I would feel an immense amount of guilt for letting my family and children down by something I’m soley responsible for. Any advice?