Hi all,

Very off topic, but has anyone got any experience of spondylitis? My mother, brother and uncle have all been diagnosed with this and it's looking like i've got the same.

I've suffered with lower back and upper leg pain for years but controllable with paracetemol and ibuprofen. Recently this has become far worse.

Pain is always worse at night.
In lower back and upper legs.
Also extreme pain in feet and ankles when I walk after resting.
And finally get very red eyes. Had put this down to tiredness and having laser surgery 5/6 years ago.

I would now describe these pains as extreme. Went to doctors this week ans have been prescribed 30/500 co codemol. Physio in a months time and then look at having x rays.

Any thoughts and opinions on this would be welcome.

Thanks

Ben.

After a brief look on the nhs direct website it looks like there is no treatment for this other than pain medication.

I have had it in my neck and shoulder since my early forties and it was treated with non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs but they upset my stomach and I found it better to just avoid them as long as possible. It limits my neck movement and my neck sounds like a ratchet sometimes especially first thing in the morning. Sorry mine is Spondylosis but it manifests similarly and treatment looks about the same.

[Edited on 25/8/12 by Peteff]

Been there, seen it and done it mate

Injured my back in the RAF around 25 years ago, and have been on pain killers (same as you) and Brufen full strength siince. Mine was diagnosed as sacroilliac strain and lumbar spondylitis. It has good days and bad days, but lately there have been a lot more bad than good.

All I can say is, whatever the Physio recommends, stick with it. I was given lots of exercises to initially stretch the back and alleviate some of the pain, then strengthening exercises to help manage it. I don't do anywhere near as many as I should and I am paying the price for it.

Above all, don't despair. Take good advice from the experts, and manage it well. I can put my back into a spasm simply by opening the curtains the wrong way .

Hope it all gets sorted for you and if you manage it properly you can still carry out most of what you could before it started.

HTH

JB

Forgot to mention, when we got our new bed, we went for one with a full sprung matress with a memory foam pad built-in. That made quite a bit of difference to my comfort at night, and not just because it was a new bed. It is still comfortable now after about 4 years.

[Edited on 25/8/12 by Daddylonglegs]

Co codamol is the work of the devil.

I was prescribed them for kidney stone pain. Look that up for a not exactly hilarious ailment.

They make the pain go away, but can cause all sort of unpleasantness.
As well as the stomach upset (brilliant, replace insufferable pain with really bad pain) I also got formication.

That's the Sunday name for the feeling of bugs crawling under your skin.

Happened to me once and I haven't touched them since and never will again.

I make do with an inbuprofen or two now.

I sympathise with you.
I had severe neck pains around 15 years ago which was only ever cured by very very hot baths which allowed things to ease off.

I think the key here is- "your mileage may vary"
I've seen people with spondylitis have it quite mildly and carry on pretty much regardless. I've also seen people have it quite significantly.
co-co 30/50 isn't that bad. Okay some people don't get on with it but most people who I put on it find it works just fine without the problems you mention. I'd certainly use it before tramadol any day of the week- seen way too many people get funky reactions on that. Then again, I've also seen people get on fine with it so it's not one to discount.....

I think the main thing is trying to keep things moving (even though your body is doing it's damned best to stop this!). Otherwise all the muscles and ligaments seize up and your neck gets well and truly seized up.

One thing I would say is this- get a good physio. Physio provision across the NHS can vary from amazing to pants. It was one of the first things to be "outsourced" to private companies and do you think they went for the best provider or the cheapest? You probably guessed correctly..... I'd still see a community NHS physio but if they're not dealing with the problem speak to the people that provide it / your GP / get referred to a specialist ortho spinal unit and speak to their physios instead. Physiotherapy provision may or may not be provided through a single provider where you are but if they are and they're not doing the job properly you can still apply for funding to see a specialist spinal physiotherapist. It's shed loads of work for your GP (usually involves doing an Individual Funding Request which is pages long) so it's good to butter them up first.

I'd still see your local physio service initially. Some are brilliant and have very specialised senior physios. Some don't....

Good luck with that though.... If you go on the 'net though please remember that it's usually the worst cases the put stuff on the forums, the people with conditions mildly tend to be too busy getting on with life!

Take a good look at what you eat..
Try a week without any alcohol..
Try a week without smoking...

The body does a good job until you stuff the wrong substances in..

Always check diet.. for pilot error..