Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group How I feel at 50 Vs 30

Hi All, I haven't been here musch lately. I thought I would share what has happened with age. In my 20-30, I had severe joint pain, swollen, toes, and wrists. The SI pain was excruiating, and nothing really helped. In my 40's something chnaged and the pain in my back left me. I still had terible pain and stiffness at night and would sleep in a comfy share, but not the pain from before. As I got cloer to 50 I noticed my ribs stopped hurting , and I can sleep in my bed . The strange things was the depression continued, until one day when my stomach was so irritated I stopped the NSAIDS, and the depression lifted. I now just take plain tylenol for the aches and pains, and it helps, and I am not depressed anymore. I had no idea NSAIDS can cause depression , until I googgled it. I am stiff but it is tolerable. The biggest problem I have is bursitis in my hips. I will ask my rheumy about that. I would love to here from other folks about the depression and Naids.


Janet

Thanks for sharing your story. I am now 50, and AS is not causing me to much pain right now. The worst for me was when I was in my 30's. I remember I would drive to work, and when I got there I could not stand up straight until about half way threw the parking lot. Running has always helped me, but years past the first 1/2 mile was painful. Now I can just go run. I quit taking NSAID's about a year ago for a couple of weeks. I was thinking I didn't need it any longer. I was proved wrong. I got very stiff, and was in pain. I don't take a lot of NSAIDs, but I still take them. I do try not to eat to much starch. Good luck.

Hi Steve,

Glad your doing better also, in many ways. I remember when I was 30 my rheumatologist said "give it 2o years and it will be alot better" , That seemed like a horrible thing to say at the time.


Janet

Hi Janet - nice to see you!

So glad to read that things have been improving for you!

There was one particular nsaid (way back when, can't recall which one) that made me suddenly start crying, just right out of the blue when I wasn't even feeling sad about anything. I was young enough and still so new to the concept of meds and side effects, that it took me 3 months before wondering if it was the stupid drug. As soon as I stopped it, the side effect went away. If it wasn't so dramatic, who knows how long it would have taken for me to figure it out.

What a great thing for you to be free of the depression!

mig

Hi Mig,

Good to see you also. It is heavenly not to have this horrible feeling gone. It makes me angry that nobody even questioned it being drug related

Janet

not depressed exactly, but mobic made me very tired, very "drugged" feeling.

and celebrex made me feel like a space cadet, i just couldn't think on it at all, totally interfered with my ability to mentally function at my job. it was like i was in this fog, like there was a curtain between me and the rest of the world.

i'm so glad you finally figured this out and that the depression is now behind you.

can i ask which nsaid caused this for you?

i've tried 8 different nsaids, 4 different cox2 inhibitors. and totally surprised how very different they have been for me, both in effectiveness and side effects.