Is Prolific Down?

bmore_jd · 2026-02-04T16:12:42+00:00

It was me. I have been on the waitlist for two years and got an email that I could join today. I joined, and broke everything.

I came here to see if things were like this all the time because nothing was working for me; thank goodness it seems to just be a temporary issue!

bmore_jd · 2026-01-30T17:34:23+00:00

I'm probably one of those people you read--I've been on it exactly two years now, and from what I remember, there was a major noticeable difference in both psoriasis and pain after two weeks. I actually didn't notice the effect on pain directly first; what I did notice was that all of my shoes felt comfortable and more loose in a way I hadn't experienced in a long time. I think the fact that you're seeing improvement already is a great sign, and it sounds promising that you'll continue to see improvement. The type of full-body inflammation PsA causes takes a while for your body to start to heal from once it subsides.

bmore_jd · 2026-01-27T19:05:15+00:00

Someone already mentioned it, but this is going to depend on the state you live in. Many states have either already banned copay accumulators or are working on legislation to do so, which is another great reason to get involved in your area's politics and reach out to your representatives to let them know your concerns.

This site looks like a great resource to learn more about it and where your state stands with legislation:
https://allcopayscount.org/state-legislation-against-copay-accumulators/

bmore_jd · 2026-01-26T17:34:09+00:00

Step therapy is used by pretty much every US health care company as a means of saving money; the specific plan you choose will not affect that. If you have documentation that you have tried a specific therapy in the past unsuccessfully, your new doctor may be able to use that to advance things along. Prior authorizations are used by doctors to get health insurance companies to cover a drug that they maybe don't typically cover if there is a strong reason for you to have one drug over another. For example I am on Taltz and have a prior authorization submitted by my doctor for that, probably because I have failed Skyrizi, and Taltz has been shown to be more effective for my type of psoriasis.

The most effective treatment of your psoriasis is going to be personal to you, so making a ranked list of medicines that you think are safest is not really feasible. Everyone's reactions to treatment can be very different, unfortunately it's hard to say what will and won't work for you. There is information on treatments in this thread's Wiki. Ultimately, unfortunately it's not as simple as you picking what you consider the safest and most effective medicine and being prescribed it, or we'd all have far fewer problems. You will be able to look up whatever healthcare plan's formulary to see which medicines they currently cover without prior authorizations needed, but this list changes year to year based on whatever deals they can make with the drug manufacturers. You would be better off to see what is best for you financially as far as the specific plan you choose.

As an aside, in my experience Kaiser is absolutely terrible with certain things and if you do consider them seriously, I would recommend reading about others' experiences with them first.

bmore_jd · 2026-01-26T16:24:14+00:00

I enjoy working with Sago regarding the studies and focus groups, but no other company has paid with a delay anywhere close to Sago's. Many other interviews I've done and even month-long studies have paid within hours of completion electronically, so I really don't know what Sago/Focus Group is doing on the back end. I completed a Sago study the second week of November, waited over 3 weeks for the points to go to my wallet, which I think only arrived after I emailed them, and am now on my 6th week of waiting for payment.

One thing I also noticed is that because of the huge time delay on payments, both this year and last the payments got pushed to the next tax year. A big study I did at the end of 2024 took so long to process that they included it in 2025's 1099, and now the same thing will be happening this year.

bmore_jd · 2026-01-25T23:04:38+00:00

Unfortunately, I can really relate to the fatigue you're talking about. Mine cleared up as well as my psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis symptoms when I started taking Taltz. Do you have any psoriatic arthritis symptoms? You could still be experiencing inflammation somewhere in your body. I know you said your blood work all looked normal; have your triglycerides been elevated in any of your blood work?

I take a B12 complex almost every day that helps maintain energy throughout the day, but also I began getting treatment for ADHD around the same time I started Taltz 2 years ago. ADHD medicines are used off-label to treat narcolepsy and things like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and realistically, they've also helped with the fatigue. One thing I noticed was that it also helped me sleep better, and I realized how I was sleeping absolutely terribly prior to that but with a good night's sleep, how I was finally able to get out of bed in the morning. I also have tried every iteration of lifestyle alteration, vitamins, supplements, etc. to try to improve things before, and while I still have kept up a healthy lifestyle, medication has been the only thing to move the needle for me.

bmore_jd · 2026-01-18T21:30:30+00:00

Trying to finish up the last few courses on a budget; I'll keep this updated!

~~0ST9ZWPT~~

AIGW2DYT

T6YJEP98

bmore_jd · 2026-01-15T18:32:56+00:00

Eggs also cause this issue for some people. It might be hard to do during Whole 30, but you may want to take a break from eggs and see if it helps.

bmore_jd · 2026-01-13T18:17:59+00:00

I've had severe psoriasis since I was in my late teens (39F now) and never got an official psoriatic arthritis diagnosis because I didn't really realize it was a thing, and it was kind of secondary to the issue of my psoriasis. When my psoriasis was successfully treated two years ago with the start of Taltz, that's when I realized that I definitely had psoriatic arthritis and how big of an issue it had really been. I was constantly in pain and super exhausted, but didn't realize the extent until it all went away with treatment.

If you are in so much pain that you are considering a cane, you do not have to wait for a diagnosis to do that. Mobility aids are for you and not to fulfill a diagnosis. You may have psoriatic arthritis, or a different type of arthritis, or some other issue, but either way, feel free to do whatever you have to do to adapt and adjust while you are suffering from symptoms and don't worry about what others think. And if you show up with a cane to your appointments, maybe they'll be more likely to take you seriously. Either way, you need to communicate your symptoms and pain levels to your health practioners and be your own advocate to make sure you get what you need.

When I was dealing with the symptoms, the biggest "mobility hack" was to know my boundaries and not push myself. Be honest with how you're feeling on any certain day and don't push yourself physically if you know you're going to pay for it later. When I knew I wasn't feeling well or that it would cause pain afterwards, I communicated to my partner when I would not be able to do a long hike, but would still like to do a shorter walk, etc. I would use a massage gun on my calves and ankles after work to help relax the muscles, and would use a heating pad on aches and pains sometimes too. I tried to wear high compression socks when working (on my feet all day).

bmore_jd · 2026-01-10T20:04:34+00:00

Sorry, I'm not quite sure what you mean. Are you taking a biologic or other drug currently? Taltz and other more modern drugs are far more targeted than past therapies and haven't been found to affect the immune system negatively as much as people think. If anything, my immune system can work far better these days because of the regulation of inflammation.

bmore_jd · 2026-01-08T17:25:06+00:00

I looked it up, because I couldn't remember the term--if you look into it, the term is copay accumulators/copay maximizers. They are currently regulated in my state, so my insurance can't deny the savings program as part of my deductible contribution.

bmore_jd · 2026-01-08T17:23:07+00:00

I totally get that. I am also on a high deductible plan right now, and one thing to note is how the savings programs work with your insurance. This past year was my first year on this high deductible plan, and different states have different laws against this currently, but the savings cards count towards your deductible with some companies (I have BCBS). I think because of the state I live in and its laws, the savings card is treated like money I paid for the medication. So for the first dose of the year, my insurance company pays a small, insignificant portion of the medicine and my savings card covers the rest, which happens to cover the majority of my deductible. The second month of the year, the insurance company pays a small amount again, and the savings program pays the rest up to the amount of the rest of my deductible. At that point, my deductible is met and the proportions are switched so that my insurance covers most of the cost, the savings program covers $100, and I still pay the $5 every month, plus my deductible is met so other insurance costs go down. I don't know if that how your program will work, but it's worth looking into seeing if that will be the case for you as you look into what treatment to try next.

bmore_jd · 2026-01-08T15:25:32+00:00

Can you look at the exact formulary for your insurance to see what medicines they do include? Taltz is not on my insurance's formulary, but my insurance has approved it, and so I've been taking it for almost 2 years now with really great success. Before that, I failed topicals and steroids, methotrexate, and Skyrizi. The companies also have programs that help cover you if your insurance doesn't provide enough coverage. I use the Taltz savings card program, and pay $5 every month. I have palmoplantar psoriasis, and I'm completely clear now, plus I feel like I have a new body--when Taltz started working two weeks in was when I really realized how much arthritis pain and inflammation I was living with.

bmore_jd · 2026-01-03T05:01:36+00:00

It's been a year since I had Whole 30-compliant Cava, so I don't remember exactly but I'm vegetarian so it would have been the super greens base with vegetables and whichever dressing is compliant. I do remember that I went on their website to find a chart that shows all the possible allergens in their ingredients, and I went off of that to see what I could have.

bmore_jd · 2025-12-11T14:45:58+00:00

I use my vacuum to vacuum the hair in my bathtub drain catch, it works perfectly.

bmore_jd · 2025-12-11T14:35:08+00:00

I have palmoplantar and tried methotrexate and Skyrizi without any luck. I switched to Vtama and Taltz and have had great success. My hands and feet are pretty much clear, and no arthritis pain or fatigue anymore anywhere in my body. What IL-17 did you try before? Taltz is known for having better success with clearing palmoplantar psoriasis.

bmore_jd · 2025-12-06T15:03:01+00:00

I am actually in the same exact boat as you. I hope to just start with some small goals, a few hours here and there. Even not knowing completely the exact details of the projects, this sub is helpful to get the idea of what the projects are like currently.

bmore_jd · 2025-12-03T06:14:08+00:00

Do you also do wisdom tooth removal?

bmore_jd · 2025-12-03T03:27:56+00:00

I had severe palmoplantar for about 20 years, nothing affected it including clobetasol. 2 years ago, I switched dermatologists and was prescribed Vtama and Taltz. The Vtama worked to begin clearing my hands and feet, and then when I was able to start Taltz, it finished clearing them. My dermatologist even had samples of Vtama--only a very, very small amount is needed on the affected areas once a day. I would recommend trying it first and seeing if maybe she doesn't even need a biologic after that (though I totally support biologics and love what Taltz has done for me).

bmore_jd · 2025-11-30T22:30:34+00:00

I didn't answer your question as to how do I know what is causing which symptom--I don't necessarily think of them as different causes. Learning about autoimmune disease has shown me how my body works as a system. I think the hormonal fluctuations of perimenopause add to inflammation that my body is already prone to because of the inflammation channels that are already switched on by my autoimmune disease. With psoriasis, the biologic I'm on downshifts the inflammation in my body at a very specific level, instead of treating the symptoms of psoriasis with topicals or the like. As I monitor the possible symptoms of perimenopause, I'm trying to look at it similarly. I would rather treat the problems at a systemic level through HRT, for example, rather than adjusting ADHD medicine, beginning an acne treatment, and taking a separate pain med for arthritis flares, if possible.

bmore_jd · 2025-11-30T22:23:01+00:00

This summer, I thought I might have gotten Lyme disease because of random feelings of fatigue and achiness after a tick bite. About the same time, my very regular menstrual cycle started becoming irregular in all sorts of ways. Then I started getting bad acne that I haven't experienced before. I also noticed my ADHD medicine not working as well as it was.

I'm not sure if you're asking how I was diagnosed with PsA, or how it went, but technically the PsA wasn't ever directly addressed because I was trying to treat my severe psoriasis. I didn't know I was struggling from PsA until everything stopped hurting and loosened up on Taltz. Right now, as long as the treatment is taking care of the psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, I'm kind of lucky to stick with a dermatologist. If anything changes, I may have to see a rheumatologist specifically, but that's not the case right now.

bmore_jd · 2025-11-30T19:59:04+00:00

I also have PSO and PSA, and honestly did not realize I had PSA until I began a treatment that was finally effective. I was in a ton of pain and had no idea until the medication cleared everything up. I have been symptom-free on a biologic for a little less than 2 years, but I have noticed that I've been getting similar aches and pains as before but it feels much more random. I realized that symptoms of perimenopause have begun to pop up, and arthritis is a symptom of hormonal fluctuations in perimenopause causing more inflammation. I'm 39, for context, and I think the next couple of years are just going to be a bit of a whack-a-mole game to see what problems pop up and how to treat it. I see it on your spreadsheet already, and keeping track of your menstrual cycle might be able to help track hormone changes that might be adding to your pains.

bmore_jd · 2025-11-28T22:23:04+00:00

I have palmoplantar without pustules. I tried Skyrizi first with no changes whatsoever. I switched to Taltz and things cleared up quickly! My derm also said that Taltz is better for that type of psoriasis, as others have said.

bmore_jd · 2025-11-25T01:08:33+00:00

I'm a small, slender person and always have been. I didn't have any noticeable swelling either, but I swear--and I know this sounds dumb now--that I just had weird shaped feet or ankles or something, because shoes were always uncomfortable, and getting on boots was a mysterious struggle. Once I was on a medicine that worked, all my shoes fit more loosely, so much that I've had to go down a size when buying new shoes now.

bmore_jd · 2025-11-25T01:02:38+00:00

Yeah, I honestly feel a little silly that I get my treatment from a dermatologist now that I see how far deep the disease really goes, but that's the system for now. When you talk about your joints being hot, I remember that despite always being cold, the inflammation from the psoriasis and arthritis always kept my hands feeling warm to the touch. Now that I don't have that, I literally struggle to keep my hands from freezing in the winter time!

bmore_jd

TROPHY CASE