My GP contacted my rheumy and he is happy for me to switch to metoject. I have my first injection Sunday so hopefully this will see an end to my GI issues.
Unfortunately another problem has popped up. I've had had niggling back pain for a while which I stupidity ignored. A few days ago my lower back was so sore that I couldn't straighten my spine. I have this terrible pressure in my lower spine. It feels like someone has blown up a balloon in my lower back. Its painful and the pressure is making constantly feel like I have to go to the toilet. The pain runs down the backs of my legs and I have a funny heat in the front of my legs.
When I get up in the morning I have to bend over to be able to walk. When I straighten up the pressure and pain get worse.
The receptionist at my GP office was able to fit me in yesterday for an emergency appointment. Because it was an emergency appointment I had to take whatever GP was available so unfortunately it wasn't my regular doc, it was his dad.
He bent me back and forth. He didn't say much but said it sounded like there was some pressure on the nerves. He prescribed Difene, solpadol and amitriptaline at night.
I asked him was it related to the PSA and he said he didn't think so. Afterwards someone from a group told me they have spinal stenosis and they thought it sounded like I did too. I looked up the symptoms and it matches me perfectly.
I was in terrible pain this morning before I took the anti inflamms. They edge is gone a little but it still hurts.
I had my back x-rayed in the summer and they were OK but the GP said a back x-ray will not show much.
Has anyone else here experienced these symptoms? Could it be related to my PSA?
I'm in the US so I know health care is different. I also realize your pain is more lumbar/sacral but here's my experience with cervical spine issues.
I had back, neck and shoulder x-rays for my shoulder orthopedist (he has a son with psoriatic arthritis--hate it for his son but BONUS for me) earlier this year. What he saw concerned him enough that he ordered a cervical MRI. What he saw on THAT concerned him enough that he sent me to a neurosurgeon. The neurosurgeon took a good look at the MRI and said I indeed had spinal stenosis--the narrowing he saw-- and I'm bone on bone between C5-C6 and C6-C7 (some of my cervical vertebrae). I had a cervical epidural injection in late July. I'm happy to say I've been pain free except for when I pulled a muscle back in September (I think) and a couple of twinges the last couple of weeks. None of that, however, has been as bad as the pain/stiffness I experienced before the epidural.
My shoulder guy, neurosurgeon and rheumatologist all work under same umbrella organization--Lexington Clinic. The shoulder guy and neurosurgeon said yes, they thought all of this is the result of PsA but they wanted my rheumatologist to look at everything because he's the PsA expert. He says yes, it's all because of the PsA.
My completely ignorant view is that it is likely to be PsA. Ignorant because I don't think I have spinal involvement (I say 'think' because I'm finding it increasingly difficult to read my body) and because I don't have medical knowledge. But I'd bet on it being PsA because a) you have PsA and b) you are young. Too young perhaps to make degenerative spine issues likely.
It could, I suppose, be due to changes in the way you are moving putting pressure on your spine. Any changes in gait or jerky transitions from sitting to standing etc. would impact on the spine I'd imagine. When do you next see your rheumy?
I have had huge rib cage mid back issues which actually led to my diagnosis and used to be largest complaint. When you say lower back do you mean tailbone area or higher? SA pain is very common with this disease and as I found it can effectively floor you anywhere up or down your spine. Either way it’s no fun and I say that lightly! Let us know what you find out and remember small breaks help back pain, I find if I stay in one position (sit, stand, lay down, etc) the pain is easier to handle in the evening after a day of relying on spinal support. Morning stiffness just has to be worked through by movement. Hope you feel better soon and anti inflams keep doing the trick.
I had almost carbon copy of what you are speaking of (and extending to weakness in the legs and then numbness in my feet starting to move upwards) about 6 weeks after onset when I had zero disease control and everything was going haywire very quickly.
The investigated for spinal stenosis and seemed confident it wasn’t that, but if I had PsA (no diagnosis yet - that took 3 months), they said it would be quite possible it was causing it due to inflammation around my spine.
I have sciatic pain. The pain starts in my low back and travels down the side of my legs. It usually stops just above my knee, but once in a while the pain goes down to my feet. It’s sore, but it also feels numb in some places. Hard to describe, but it is painful. It got so bad that even taking tramadol 2x a day wasn’t helping and I couldn’t sleep at night. Finally, I got a new rheumy and xrays and MRI showed active inflammation in both SI joints and also joint damage from the chronic inflammation. I’ve had pain for 15 years, but none of my previous doctors found the problem. I’d like to think PsA was hiding from them, but they were probably not doing all they could to help me. I don’t have spinal stenosis, but my pain sounds similar to yours. I take tramadol 3x and codeine to sleep thru the night for PsA and osteoarthritis in my spine and also a herniated disc pressing on the sciatic nerve. I’m glad your medical team is actively working on helping you and that you’ll have relief soon.
I’ve recently had problems with what appears to be sciatic pain (one sided, radiating into the lower calf and sometimes the foot). Last time they checked, I had no back or disc issues. Here’s an article I found about SI inflammation mimicking sciatica: http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org/content/44/10/1323.1.full
Moral of story: someone unaware of this might, because of the “typical” symptoms, diagnose you as having sciatica, whereas further investigation might reveal the source of your pain to PsA inflammation. An MRI sounds like a good idea, Irishchick, especially given that you are newly diagnosed and the extent of your disease isn’t known.
I've recently been having right sided lower back pain ... yep, my SI joint too. Physio has suggested that my right hip pain may well be referred pain from the SI. So this is a very interesting article, Seenie. I also asked the physio if she thought it could be my PsA or just an unconnected random event. Her eyebrows went up in surprise that I even asked the question.
This pain doesn’t seem to be to either side it’s right in the middle of my spine and it feels very deep. Like a little balloon in the middle of my lower spine (the SI ones and the ones just above them)
The patches took the edge off the pain but the pressure is still uncomfortable as is the heat and tingling.
Yes, I thought it was an interesting article too, Jules. As for your back issue, Irishchick, who knows what that could be. It might be a coincidence and unrelated to PsA, but I’m inclined to think that if there is one possible explanation for two (or more) events, the one explanation might just be right. Scientists have some kind of a fancy name for that way of explaining things. But I’m just a blonde.
Your back sounds really painful, and I guess having the edge taken off by the patch is better than nothing.