Hello Everyone,

I'm wondering if you can shed some light on how my experience compares to yours as AS developed.

I have not been diagnosed with AS but have finally, after three years, found a doctor willing to take me seriously and order tests for it.

This has been my experience...

I'm 29. Three years ago (April of 2014), I started developing a sharp, twingy pain in my left SI joint area. At the time, I attributed it to a yoga stretch I'd done. It bothered me only intermittently and I was able to live normally (including getting a yoga teacher's certification over the summer).

I didn't seek treatment into January 2015, when my pain progressed into something more chronic and aching. I experienced (and still experience) occasional sciatica, and pain in my right hip joint, and constant pain in my left SI joint. My doctor's only plan was to tell me to take Ibuprofen, which work in the beginning, but has ceased to help.

My physical therapist began treating me for a bulging disc, but treatments didn't work and seemed to make the problem worse. An MRI I had in September 2015 (a year and a half later) did reveal a small bulging disc, and disc degeneration in my L5-S1 but the spine surgeon I saw thought the disc was too small to be causing my symptoms, and I "probably just had inflammation in [my] SI joint." (Caused by what?)

After about a year and a half, I developed significant pain in my hip when I slept on my left side. I haven't slept on my left side now for a year and a half. When I talk to doctors about this, they seem completely perplexed and change the subject.

I began seeing a chiropractor who is always able to successfully give me a great SI joint manipulation (on both sides) but the pain always returns within less than an hour. In December of 2015, he ordered an X-ray which showed some signs of early degeneration in my right SI joint (not the side where I was feeling the pain.)

At some point along the way a doctor prescribed me prednisone, which did help with the pain, but the pain returned after a few weeks. Since that time I have also seen three more physical therapists (four total) whose treatments have had little (or intermittent) effect. After almost a year of being shuffled around by doctors (one highly celebrated pain management doctor said she believed my pain was psychosomatic and gave me mindfulness pamphlets to cure my pain) I management doctor who would do stuff.

He has given me three steroid injections. SI joint, facet joints, and spinal column. None have worked.

I'm here now because about ten days ago, I developed a significant pain in the back, left side of my spine (where the spine attaches to the rib). A few days after it came on I was in so much pain I cried out when I pushed myself out of bed, and it hurt to badly to lean forward that I didn't use my turn signal on my drive to work.

I saw a new doctor (NP, actually) who--after some convincing from me--agreed to give me the HLA-B27 test. (We're now waiting for my insurance to approve it.) She also ordered a new MRI as mine was a year and a half ago, and referred me to a new pain management doctor. (She didn't refer me to a rheumatologist and I didn't push it since I'd already pushed so hard for the AS test, and I finally found a doctor who will listen to me, and I want to stay in her good graces...)

The pain in my mid back (the new pain) has now softened into a somewhat constant ache. The only treatments I have had for it are a massage (no effect...almost made it worse) and ice (which always helps.)

Overall, the pain in my low back (the old pain) is mild (about a 3 on the pain scale), but persistent. I take a hot bath every night, which does take the edge of the pain, and sometimes use ice packs (when I remember to put them in the freezer) which help pretty significantly.

I have not followed through making my MRI appointment, appointments with new pain management doctors (she didn't refer me to a rheumotologist), or getting my labs done even though my appointment was five days ago. I think I'm scared.

I'm scared that I might have AS, but I'm almost more scared that I don't and I'll have to keep living with this undiagnosed, untreated pain.

Some of my symptoms seem to point to AS: pain worse at right, started in SI joints, progressed to midback near the rib cage, ice is helpful, etc.

Some symptoms don't point to AS: (mostly) unilateral pain, MRI showing a disc bulge, little response to anti-inflammatories (with the exception of prednisone).

I apologize for the length of this post. I guess I'm looking for a little guidance so I can prepare myself for what my tests might reveal.

For those of you diagnosed with AS, how does my experience compare to yours?