Testing for spondyloarthritis

[Shadow35]

Hi. I'm still waiting to pass more test to know what i have. I just saw a rhumathologist that think i may have spondyloarthritis. I start taking diclofenac 12 hours action and i can now start moving my finger that are not swollen anymore. Less stiff in the morning but i still need to lay down after small exercice because i'm very tired. The rhumathologist saw me when i was in good shape, able to walk. When it's worse i have difficulty to put cloths and can't do more than go to school. Can't cook....and i need to sleep at school. If nsaid work for my neck, hand and spine now is it a sign the doctor is going in a good direction because i previously had the fnd label that it's in my head. If i'm taking the nsaid does it affect the blood test? C reactive? I'm gonna be test for vasculitis too. I'm scare everything come back negative and start at the beginning again. I wish to regain my endurance and beat the fatigue. One you have a diagnosis does the treatment help just for the joint or all the other symptom. Less appetite during few month, alternate diarhea and constipation, difficulty to think. Rash to short sun exposure, red burning finger to light cold, burning feet.

Thanks

[Runrig01]

if spondyloarthritis is suspected, you will need an mri of your spine and pelvis, showing inflammation or damage of your sacroiliac joint. It currently takes approx 8.5yr for diagnosis, from first symptoms. Nass is working on reducing this. Nsaids are the first form of treatment, so you’re already on correct treatment. If voltarol doesn’t help, they will try another nsaid, then move to a dmard or biologic. Not everyone needs biologics, and eligibility criteria is strict due to costs.

Stretches are essential and not optional unfortunately. The Nass website have lots of exercises and an app you can download. They also have lots of leaflets explaining the disease and its impact. Fatigue unfortunately is the one symptom that rheumatologists find difficult to manage, and it’s usually a case of learning to Pa e yourself.

Your hand and foot symptoms sound more like reynauds syndrome, and are not typical AS symptoms. You tend to get plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis as foot issues with AS. Hope you get some answers soon.

[Shadow35 in reply to Runrig01]

Thanks yes i'm also waiting for two mri. The pelvic, sacro illiac and one for my hand that is swollen. I learn pacing the hard way and to do exercice but not too much. I was hyperactive before so when i'm good it's difficult to resist to run to do thing but the last time i did it, my leg felt like jello and i had to sleep immediatly. Was in really bad shape for two days because of 45 min of really fast walking. I think in my badluck i'm lucky because i was sent to see a specialist in spondyloarthritis that open a clinic for young people to have a faster disgnosis and more follow up after the disgnosis. I know that my red finger is in the raynaud family problem but normally it's mix with an autoimmune problem. And yes i got fasciit plantar and i had a really bad reaction to the tape so i didn't went to see the podologist after that. It kind of come and goes and after both feet. I doubled check with my orthesiste that it's not cause by orthese in my shoes or my shoe. It's reassuring to see that if the medication help it's mean i'n not crazy and it's definitly not FND. Thanks

[CLoVee]

i agree w runrig, you will need an mri. I have AS. It can take a long time to get diagnosed it took me about 5 years and thats on the shorter end. Diclofenac helped me for a bit but i had a stomach infection and i cant take nsaids anymore. The fatigue is definitely one of the hardest things to tackle but i find when I’m on biologics i feel it less debilitating. I also have reynauds but i dont believe they are connected what so ever it is really only problematic for me in the winter . I hope they figure out whats going on. Most of the time medicine doesnt doesn’t do it all and we need to adjust our lifestyle it just help make the disease more manageable. Good luck !

[Daddyishealing in reply to CLoVee]

Diclofenac is in pill form?

[Shadow35 in reply to Daddyishealing]

Yes. I had the short action one for a previous accident nut this one is gor 12 hours. But i have to take it in the morning so when i wake up all my finger are stiff again. Its mean it's not enough. And later at night it start again and i more stiff after sitting for a while at the end of the day. But it's better. Don't help for the fatigue. I slept all night yesterday and i slept again all morning. I was hoping to do a lot of stuff during my vacation but i lack the energy. Big exercice = half a day sleeping. Small exercice = 1-3 hours sleep or just lay down for few hours. Thats the thing that make me really angry. Loosing all that time to sleep. But if i don't, it's gonna be more stiffness and pain. Hope doctor have a solution for that.