Hi all,
Im new here and just wanted to share my experience with you all and also looking for your help.
Please help me determine whether I have AS or not?
1. Are there any conclusive test available for AS?
I have done HLA-B27 test and its negative. I don't have a bamboo spine and doctor says its AS based on the symptoms. (11 yrs of progressive chronic pain which started as lower back pain and now is affecting my neck, chest and shoulders/arms)
Symptoms:
A) lower back pain at the age of 17(year 2000), medical test didn't reveal anything. Usually affects one leg but to my knowledge I remember only one occasion when both my legs were affected and the pain was so severe that I could hardly walk.
B) chest pain and slight neck pain at the age of 23 (year 2006). Chest pain is usually inside (I don't know a better way to describe it) but it hurts the most when it is superficial.
C) at the age of 25 (year 2008) I had the first full fledge attack. Neck got stuck, chest pain and shoulder pain. Doctor said muscle spasm and the pain came under control with few painkillers. Swollen eyes and blurring of vision lasted for few months, usually I was not able to read after one hr of continuous reading. Went to a doctor, he said my lest eye has +1 power but my right eye is perfectly normal. I never used spec.as I could see properly for 1hr straight, instead I left reading for long continuous hrs.
D) 2010 - another attack, same as 2008. But this was different, I was literally crying in pain and the neck remained stuck for 2 months and after that the neck started to make a cracking sound on movement. The chest pain remained superficial for around 4 months.
E) 2011 - February'11, had the second attack in a year. This time it was worse. My left jaw got stuck for couple of days. Had a very hard time taking my food. There were few modification to the pain pattern. The neck was paining as usual but the chest pain was not superficial. This time the shoulders and arms were the one which were hurting the most.
This time I went to a neuro-doctor and got a new name for my pain, Fibromyalgia.
Right now I am taking 50mg of Milnacipran Hydrochloride on daily basis. I don't feel any reduction in pain but definitely my sleep has improved.
I don't know what I have. Please help me out. It will be very helpful to me if you can share your experience on flare-up by ankylosing spondylitis or seizure attack by Fibromyalgia so that I can compare them with my condition.
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