Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Less pain as you grow older

People on this site have asked whether pain goes away as AS develops into Ankylosis.

My mum who is 82 is now on Morphine patches for her AS, sorry if this depresses any body, but in this case I would have to say no, I have had AS for 36 years and apart from a couple of short remissions still hurt.

Cheers to you all

Phil

Phil, I have had AS for 40 yrs., and for me the last 15 have not been nearly as painful as the first 25 when all the fusing was going on . I think you are going to find that everyone is different on this subject. Most of my pain now is from mechanical damage.
J.R.

My SI joints have been confirmed to be 100% fused and they still hurt like hell in the morning. I would to go a thumbs down on the no pain after fusion theory.

I am 70 and I have had AS pain since I was 19. It took 50 years to get a DX. Most of my pain and fatigue went away when I started Humira. The pain might get better after things are totally fused, I don't know, I haven't fused yet because I have been taking NSAIDS of one type or another for the whole time. Some stories say that the AS "burns out" with age. I'm proof that it doesn't.
Donna

Hi,
I'm almost 40 and I had symptoms for 30 years and I'm fused and I still hurt. There is one thing that I do notice about my body though... I have no sudden pain caused by sudden movements in the areas that are fused the most anymore, because those body parts simply don't move. I still get tenderness and that dull-achy joint/bone feeling in those fused areas though.

Well, so far I have to say that my pain has come in multi-year waves, and it is not improving with age. Hopefully most people do feel better as they age! That would be such a blessing.

I agree I still get as much if not more pain now. Like Old Timer a lot of my pain is through damage.I know they say it can burn itself out but I think this is rare when you have it its for life for most people.

Kevin

My pain started when I was about 14. They dianosed me with chondromalatia and did bilateral releases in both of my knees. The pain didn't stop it just dulled for a while. As I got older, I became sensitive to the sun and started having blinding migraines. All of a sudden my hands, wrists and hips started to dull ache and sharp stabbing pain when I tried to use them. All of my blood tests come back negative and most of the doctors look at me like I am a junkie. I found a good rhumy who though trial and error with meds thinks it is AS because of the way it has reponded to the meds. I am 30 now and most days feel much much older. Sometimes I don't know which is worse having the pain or watching my kids play and I can't play too.

Heather

I don't agree with the "pain lessons as time goes by". Like many here, I've had AS for over 40 years, am fused 90% and pain levels just keep increasing. I am however not able to take NSAIDS or Biologics so I'm very limited and only able to treat the pain symptoms with daily pain management. Much of what goes on with me though is machanical damage due to the years of not being able to keep down the imflamation in both diseases from destroying my spine and every joint in my body.
Cindy