Lower back pain and hips

[Brian1977]

Hi just looking for some advice back in September I was diagnosed with what the consultant said was either seronegative peripheral athritis linked to my ibd which I was diagnosed the year before with I had it really bad the inflammation spread right through my colon. Or seronegative rheumatoid athritis. I'm currently on 22.5mg of methotrexate which hasn't helped all the power joint pain yet. Both my hands both wrists both knees both feet and both ankles. Anyway I was getting some lower back pain last year but it was just coming and going I could deal with it. Just before Christmas it got really bad and spread to my hips and the top of my bum was really painful like a constant dull ache. They sent me for x rays of my lumbar spine and hips. I've not heard from rheumatologist yet but I had been to see a chiropractor to see if that helped. I went 3 times but it never helped. So she said to wait on xray results. She's just phoned me now to see the xray results came back today and they can't see anything on there. The pain is constant now really bad when I go to sit down when I'm standing straight the pain goes half way up my back. I have the consultant on the 22nd march do you think I should be pushing for a mri scan. I'm worried because of the ulcerative pancolitis that it could be the start of ankylosing spondylitis

[Fruitandnutcase]

I would push for an MRI - they can’t see anything wrong with the X-ray and you are in a lot of pain. I don’t really think a regular X-ray shows up much.

A couple of years ago I had a problem, the GP refused to send me for an X-ray - to cut a long story short I ended up having three private MRI scans and the ‘touch of osteoarthritis that is quite common in people of my age’ turned out to be a fractured sacrum. I doubt if a regular X-ray would have shown that.

Although saying that years ago I had a regular X-ray which showed I had a herniated disc so they do show things that are obvious.

[AlexAileen in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

yes push for an MRI scan because it shows much more than an X-ray ever could. Good luck

[Brian1977 in reply to AlexAileen]

Thankyou

[LuzyCLL]

You need a chiropractor who knows how to massage and stretch your lower back, or a therapeutic massage. The methotrexate has begun to help that pain (16 weeks on MTX) for me. I hope you can find a good Rheumatologist

[Brian1977]

Thanks guys I'm defo going to push for an mri. I can deal with the pains in my wrists hands and feet but my back is the worst now as every action I do it causes extreme pain even just to sit down or stand up

[Runrig01]

definitely push for an MRI. I have AS that was diagnosed from X-ray, but that was due to years of going undiagnosed. I had fusion of my sacroiliac joints, then mri showed the inflammation and fused ribs. Chiropractors are not advised with AS, so I would hold off till seen, they can make things much worse. MTX hasn’t been shown to help spinal symptoms, but does help those with peripheral symptoms. I’m on 25mg MTX, but I’m also on a biologic, although off both at the moment due to an infection. IBD is closely linked with AS. Hope you get answers soon.

[Brian1977 in reply to Runrig01]

Thanks Maureen I'm just about to move upto 25mg on Monday I've been on them since October but have had to keep starting and stopping them due to my alt levels. Yeah I done some research on as being linked to ibd. I'll defo push for mri scan thankyou 😁😁

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Brian1977]

I would avoid chiropractors / osteopaths until you know exactly what is going on in there. If you have IBD as well as rheumatoid arthritis look after your bones as they are both markers for osteoporosis. Have a look on this site to see the sort of things you can do to help your bones theros.org.uk/.

[Brian1977 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Thankyou yeah the chiropractor said the last time to stop as It was my 3rd time there and I didn't feel any relief so she said it was best to wait on xray results and wait to see the consultant too. Thanks for the link ill have a look. I was on prednisone for a year to try sort the inflammation in my colon out but everytime I moved down to 30mg it just flared up again

[Mmrr]

Like others have said I would keep pushing for an MRI.I have multiple lumbar spine issues which respond a little to oral prednisolone, but nothing else. You really do need to know what you are dealing with to get the correct treatment.

[CLoVee]

i would definitely push for an mri as well. You could could have AS or even non radiographic axial spondyloarthritis as well. My pain started in my hands feet and chest and for years thats all it was about 2 years ago i started having hip pain and then last year back pain. I was diagnosed with AS this past year after an mri. I take cimzia, colchicine and am starting mtx as well. Don’t give up!

[Brian1977 in reply to CLoVee]

It's gradually got worse and now it's just constant pain it's awful

[CLoVee in reply to Brian1977]

thats what happened to me. I get it. It really is awful. But there is hope! I started a biologic about 6 months ago and although I’m not pain free it is a drastic improvement. I hope you can find a diagnosis or some type of medication to help you! I did get cortisone injections before I was diagnosed and they helped immensely until they didn’t but the temporary relief was amazing. Idk if thats something that could help you as well

[Brian1977 in reply to CLoVee]

Thanks so much for the lovely comments I'm defo going to keep at the consultant when I have my appointment on the 22nd 💗

[Chockyuk]

Yes definitely push for an MRI. I had terrible hip pain for months and months. My Rheumatologist sent me for an MRI and it was severe inflammation and synovial thickening, my hips were in a right old state.

I’ve just had my second one and after introducing Sulphasalazine to my MTHX it’s now much better.

You won’t know what’s going on until they look into it in more depth. Mine was with contrast, that gives a much clearer picture if there is inflammation. Also my Consultant did a Nuclear Bone Scan, that’s quite good at looking at possible joint changes too.

I hope you manage to get it done. 👍

[Brian1977]

I've just had letter from my consultant regarding x rays. He said lumbar spine was OK but both hips showing osteoarthritis especially the left one which is where I've been getting more pain. He said its also showing hip impingement. He said before he refers me to orthopaedic surgeon he wants to see me first so got appointment next month. Would this cause the pain in my lower back from top of my bum then it goes upto the middle of my back when I try to stand straight