Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion Helpful Tips diagnosis

Went to the specialist or so he is suppose to be and asked me what meds I was on, told him about the indomethacin and being on an antidepressent. Right after I said that he told me he suspected that even though I tested positive for the BHL 27 that I probably don't have it that I have fibromialgia, and then proceeded to poke at pressure points which of course hurt. Then said he was certain I had Fibromyalgia and not AS but did not want to listen to anything I had to say. I know for a fact that I have AS and not this Fibro thing. I would like to know if anyone else has experienced this crap as well. I know it is hard to get a diagnosis, but when a 1/4 of ones family has the disease one is pretty certain with all the symtoms they have it wouldn't you say. thanks for listening.

I can relate I have been suffering from back pain for 11 yrs now, and was just diagnosed with AS. in the past 11 yrs. I have been told to just live with it, you shouldn't be doing that. and the alltime greatest is you aint suffering at all it is all in your head you do this for attention.. I think some doctors should go back to school or change professions..I also like the way doctors hand out anti inflammatories, like it is a miracle drug..it aint....I have been taking advil, ibuprofen, methacarbanol, none of which work..I tell the doc this and he doesn't listen. and what does work they wont give me due to having depression. as if being in pain all the time aint depressing enough..thanks for letting me vent........oakleaf

I was happy to get your response. I am so glad that there is someone else out there who has the same trouble. I can relate the the anti-inflamitory thing. Not much seems to help. Although I did try this woman who put somekind of leaf thing on my back and she gave me a hot coconut oil message from head to toe, and performed a thing called "Ricky" it seemed to help for quite a while, she said she was some kind of healer. Perhaps she has something. I do know that a relaxing message is of some help and besides that it feels good. Hope you can get a chance to try it. Thanks for writing.

Edited by macybird on 10/10/02 08:36 PM (server time).

I would love to try a message but my back is so sensative that anyone who ever so lightly touch my back send my back into very painful muscle spasms. I did find an over the counter gel called blue relief it give me about 4 hrs of pain relief and stiffness. 4 hrs of no pain is better then no relief at all.......oakleaf

I was told by my specialist to see a physio, and when I did he gave me deep heat treatment with this odd looking heat lamp. The effect lasted for days and was quite relieving of the pain...

You must have your own fun- no one can do this for you.

Hi, there. I'm a new member to the site and was only recently diagnosed with AS. I was previously diagnosed by my rheumatologist as having Fibromyalgia. My doctor still believes I have both, and I tend to agree with her. The way she explains it, Fibromyalgia can be precipitated by a number of other chronic pain disorders. Although the exact cause of FM is yet unknown, the current hypothesis centers around sleep disturbances caused by pain and muscle spasms. Lacking a normal sleep cycle deprives your central nervous system from replenishing the necessary balance of neurotransmittors (especially serotonin), not to mention the fatigue that is carried to the following day. This leaves your pain perception out of wack, so you end up in a cycle of your brain over-reacting to pain stimuli, causing muscle spasms and more pain, which contiues to disturb your sleep, and so on and so on. So its easy for me to see how the pain associated with AS could cause FM, as other types of arthritis have been shown to. I don't think I'm worse off for having both diseases, but instead believe that I benefit from recognizing and treating both conditions. While I'm being treated for the pain and inflammation associated with AS, my doctor is also treating my sleep problems that make the pain worse.

I had the exact same thing happen. I had to look and make sure you weren't from the Elkhart Indiana area and went to the same doctor. It was like I was reading my own story.

HI,
I was hoping I didn't have anything when I saw my rhuemy, but since I had had
1. Iritis
2. psoriasis
3. splitting fingernail
is that 3 strikes.... Yes.....and some fusion I was told I had AS.

I saw another rhuemy and He said i might not have AS because the bridging of my discs are not round but kind of squarish he thinks I have just RA......figure that out....And I was also B27 positive......Each rhuemy wants to be right.....Oh.....well.. Good Luck..

splitting fingernails Dan? I have never heard of that one before.....interesting.....

Thanks!
Lori

I too am HLA B27 positive and have had symptons of AS for 15 years now with no diagnosis! Several doctors have suspected AS but they are reluctant to diagnose me with it. My father has been diagnosed and I guess it is because I'm female that they can't make up their minds..... I've hears AS is primarily a male's disease and that female cases are very rare. Never mind that I believe I'm one of those rare females. The doctors always know more than I do about my own body!

When I was young (16) the doctor didn't want to diagnose me because he didn't want to mess up my chances of getting insurance later on. I am now 31 have stable insurance with no pre-existing clause and still no one will diagnose me. They have ruled out all kinds of things - Lupus, fibromyalgia and RA.... My pain started in my hips at age 16 and I now have spinal pain along with that which is located anywhere from neck to sacrum. The symtpons along with the positive gene along with my father's history should be enough - shouldn't it?



Amy Ediger