Is there a link between Spondylitis & Lupus

[tidmusshaz]

After some tests today on the nerves in my arm, the consultant Neuro physiologist has sugested the pain and numbness I am experiencing may be down to ? spondylitis as there is no nerve dammage or trapped nerves... Does anyone have this or know if it is conected to Lupus. My Rheumatologist said that my bloods are inconclusive yet for the diagnosis of SLE tho that seems the likely cause...

[Looby]

Do you mind me asking your age group and whether you are a man or woman?

[tidmusshaz]

female 41 yrs old

[Looby in reply to tidmusshaz]

Hi - have been offline for a week or so with a bad flare-up of symptoms.....

I was a Med Sec for over 5 years and then another 5 in Pharmacy - so absorbed some modicum of knowledge of the human bod and it's many quirks in that time......

These symptoms are common to women who are undergoing hormonal change too (as you've probably read about IF you are approaching early menopause - mine started in late 30's). Your bed pillow may be causing a "pressure point" on the top of your spine too - may be worth trying something different to see if that helps.

I've started to wear a soft woolly scarf around my neck while asleep (I get the numbness in hands and lower arms too) - it assists the blood flow to and from the brain - and lessens the "brain fog" that other "Lupies" mention on this blog site.

Hope this helps - sometimes simple remedies can be effective!

[Lucylou31]

I'm not sure either. I have back pain and numbness in arms and sometimes legs. I think it is nerves as my mum has spondylitis and has same symptoms as mine and i have Lupus. I also have twitching of nerves in other places thou, like in my top lip. I was told i had costochonditis and apparentently this is related to lupus. Maybe check the costichonditis out, as physio help me with that. Hope this helps Lou

[EOLHPC]

Sorry to think of you going through this. My version of spine pain is neck, shoulders, both arms & hands, spasm, pain, pinsnneedles, numbness etc etc + both feet and ankles and especially whole right leg. (Of course I'm not going into all my other joint pain, skin stuff etc etc all the other secondary conditions involving my lupus etc)

Over the years, before my lupus etc was recognised, stuff like spondylitis was suggested for me too..In my case, my version of sort of thing has turned out to be connected to lupus: have come to this conclusion after a year on plaquenil 400mg daily seems to have helped my spine and assosciated soft tissue pain symptoms more than years/decades on NSAIDs and heavy duty prescrip pain killers plus all sorts of alternative therapies & exercises & antiinflammatory diet etc etc conscientiously practiced.

Meanwhile no one suspected I actually had SLE & MCTD...until last year, although they knew i was hypermobile. Over decades of becoming more and more severly affected, i had seen loads of NHS gps, neurologists, neurosurgeons, rheumies, physios....loads of MRIs etc (top & bottom spine scanned: no spinal cord impingement, no nerve root impingement, just 2 slipped discs in neck nd lumbar slight spina bifuda oculata) with all of them telling me I'd be better by my 50s (am 58 and not better, but plaquenil + lifestyle management do help me cope and keep laughing)

It seems common for our bloods to be inconclusive. My rheumy is vvvvvvv autoimmune experienced and diagnosed me last year after taking full medical history & examining me ...didn't need to see blood test results. She says taking baseline blood tests and then monitoring bloods over up to 8 years is what will reveal the blood characteristics /pattern of my version of lupus etc. The nerve conduction baseline tests he did show my major nerves are doing ok.

Take care and good luck