Posted 1/5/2012 6:34 PM (GMT -6)
I have Ankylosing Spondylitis [AS]. I notice in your signature that you have sacroiliitis and Crohn's arthritis. Crohn's arthritis is also called enteropathic arthritis [EA]. EA is one of several diseases in a family of diseases called spondyloarthrits. Ankylosing Spondylitis is also one of the spondyloarthritic diseases. I apologize if you know all of this, but it is helpful for others that might know less about these diseases.
From the Spondylitis Association of America: " about one in five people with enteropathic arthritis will have inflammatory arthritis in one or more peripheral (limb) joints such as an arm or leg, although the lower limbs are more commonly affected. The severity of the peripheral arthritis normally coincides with the severity of the IBD, thus when diarrhea and abdominal pain are flaring, the peripheral arthritis tends to flare as well.
about one in six people with IBD also has spinal inflammation, although this inflammation is independent of the severity of the bowel disease symptoms. In many, this may just be arthritis in the sacroiliac (SI) joints, but in about five percent of people, the entire spine is involved, as it is in AS. "
I am HLA-B27 positive and I went from spondyloarthritis and enthesopathy to AS when it was noticed extra bone growth began in my spine. I also have a lot of calcification in multiple tendons at the insertion points into the bone. A couple of MRIs have shown lots of inflammation in the SI joints and bone changes in the lower spine.
My AS is mostly controlled at this point because I am on Simponi, an injectable anti-TNF. When it is not controlled, this is some of what I have experienced:
Severe back pain upon awakening that lessened when I stretched and moved about. I still get very stiff I remain in the same position for more than 15 minutes.
Lower back pain, in the area of the dimples at the top of the buttocks.
Pain and swelling in the buttocks.
Mid-spine and neck pain
Achilles pain/tendinitis/calcification, plantar fasciitis, hamstring pain/tendinitis/calcification; quadriceps pain/tendinitis/calcification; biceps tendon pain/itis/calcification; tendinitis and calcification and bone fusion in 6 fingers.
Muscle bursa inflammation in the back.
Fatigue
Iritis
Sorry I "over" answered your question. Hope this helped.
Ides