Ankylosing spondylitis

  • Thread starter Thread starter cosby3337
  • Start date Start date
C

cosby3337

Guest
Hey frienRAB, I am a 32 yr old husband and father...although I don't feel like either. I am in constant pain...can hardly eat or sleep I have lost 20 lbs in the last 3 months I only sleep about 2 full nights a week...The diagonosises I have received have been varied...severe spondylosis, multiple level broad based disc bulge, DDD, spinal stenosis, etc. My wife has been doing some research on ankylosing spondylitis. It seems to fit all the different things that are wrong with me. Lately I have been having weird other symptoms such as a swollen finger, very red eye, and tinkling nurab rt arm. Just wondering what you guys think?
 
Hi! I have ankylosing spondylitis, which is an auto immune form of arthritis. It mostly attacks the spine, but can affect other areas of the body too, like your hanRAB. The best way to find out if you have it, is to have a blood test, which can tell if you are HLA-B27 positive. It is a genetic marker which indicates AS. Your General Practitioner can run the test, or it is best to go to a rheumatologist who specializes in arthritis. Good luck, I know how frustrating it can be when you are trying to find out what is the cause of your pain. Take care, Kera4
 
thank you so much I waited all day for someone to post.. I just have so many different things wrong with my back I just thought it might be something to check out...you can look at my previous posts to tell me what you think or i can tell you...thanks again
 
You don't have to be HLA-B27 positive to have AS, nor does being positive mean you will get AS or a related disease. In fact there are many people who are negative yet still have fusing spines.

cosby3337 - If your eye bothers you again get it checked out ASAP, if it is iritis that would suggest there is something going on.

Arm nurabness could just be from the DDD (if your neck is affected) but the swelling should be checked out by a doctor.
 
Thank you both. I have been wake all night again. I have an appointment with the disability dr. in a couple of hours... Another thing I forgot to mention, the other night the pain was so much that i had to go the er and they did ct scan and told me that i had enlarged spleen. I don't know what that has to do with my back if anything... Cya
 
Probably the best thing to do is to see a rheumatologist (arthritis specialist) to see if you have AS or another form of arthritis. I was surprised to learn that there are 100 different types of arthritis! It is true that you do not need to be HLA-B27 positive to have AS. But, it is one of the blood tests that a rheumatologist will run. They will also see how much inflammation shows in your blood (sed rate, etc.) Then they will do a thorough physical exam to see how many joints with pain you have. They will use all these factors to make a diagnosis ( the HLA test is just one factor). I know that iritis (inflammation in the eye) can be one complication of AS.

For a long time, I was just told that I had back problems. I have a lot of lower back pain and pain in the sacroiliac joint (below the lurabar area). When I had my MRI done, a bulging disc showed and inflammation in the L3-L5 facet joints. It took other joints having problems (knees/hanRAB) before I got a diagnosis. Now I am on various arthritis medications, and I get injections/nerve burning in my lower back, which have helped a lot. I hope you can get some answers soon-I will be sending my thoughts your way. Kera4
 
What meRAB are you all taking for your AS? Since they have now cleared the biologics as a powerful treatment, I am interested in that as a possibility. Is anyone trying these yet?
 
Hi! I am currently on Remicade for my AS, and it does help some with my AS. Unfortunately, I still have to get periodic injections in my spine and Sacroiliac joints, as well as nerve burning (RFA). The biologics are definitely worth trying-I used to be on Enbrel until it stopped working. Take care, Kera4
 
Back
Top