WELCOME, Albatros:
Sorry You are in the club, but You have made it to the right place!
Regret NSAIDs greatly accelerated my own AS; hopes that You will not experience this unfortunate outcome.
Thanks to diet and antibiotics, I have not had active AS in about 15 years--knock wood! A positive and negative story too.
Like Alan, I have had pain that seemed like headaches but probably was neck pain. Sometimes, I could use hot and cold against this with pretty immediate results. Best thing I ever did was join a health club.
Despite my advancing age, the AS was not "burning itself out," as doctors are so fond of saying would happen, and the skeletal damage worsened, I got kidney stones and iritis often enough to be very worried, so I required the help beyond conventional medicine.
Soon after starting NSAIDs I developed knee edema, then kyphosis, later kidney stones, and then iritis.
You would not know it today, but I was also quite fit at Your age, and a rated racquetball player, also engaged in skiing, running, and weight training.
Health is the most important retirement account; AS is a wake-up call!
HEALTH,
John
