Ankylosing Spondylitis/Colitis/Uveitis-Iritis/Psoriasis

Good afternoon all,
I have been looking around online for a good source of information regarding some of the things I have been going through for a while now. I have been in the Navy coming up on 8 years now and have been going to the doctor on and off for the entire time I have been in. It all started with lower back pain so severe that I could not get out of bed or really walk (which later turned out to be Ankylosing Spondylitis). I then began to have vision problems which turned out to be Iritis. The entire time that all this has been going on I had been having abdominal problems which then turned out to be a form of colitis/proctitis. And now it appears that I have psoriasis. What I am asking is if any of you have had these problems while on Active Duty and if so what was the outcome of your situation? I have been in for a while now and had planned on making a career of it however it is becoming more and more difficult to complete tasks assigned to me, and with the uncertainty of when or where I will have a flare is extremely frustrating. Looking around I cannot find anyone that has had all of these symptoms together, but they are all related to AS in some way or another. It has just become more and more frustrating as time goes on because I will fight the battle at one medical and then have to transfer to another duty station and start the process over again, meanwhile it always appears to my supervisors and coworkers that I am melingering but they have not been in my presence the entire time I have been fighting this. Any insight or thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
-Max

My son was diagnosed at age 11. He is 32 now, but has suffered from all the same problems in the course of his illness. He is on disability now. Hubby developed it in his 40's and is a letter carrier. They are both on Humira but hubby does much better than our son, probably because our son got it before Humira and decent treatments came out.

I'm wondering what you do in the Navy (by the way, thank you so much for your service!) and if there is training for something that wouldn't be too hard on you so you could stay in. My brother was career and he became a pharmacist, which did not require vigorous activity.

I don't know if you have "career counselors" per se, but you might be able to find something you are able to do, so you can remain in active duty. I wish you the best!

All of these conditions are related to ulcerative colitis.

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis first in 1999 because of rectal bleeding.

My back pain (sciatica) is a warning that my colitis is worsening. Bleeding does not always follow but my bowel movements will change always when the pain comes. I first noticed back pain in 2002. By 2003 I had trouble getting out of bed in the morning. I got a great rheumatologist who diagnosed the sciatica and he got me to stop carrying my phone and wallet in my back pockets. I did much better and had 2 kids. But the back pain would return occasionally until I began to wear toe-shoes as I had developed arch pain as well and going "bare-foot" has provided consistent relief but is impractical. Thin-soled shoes best mimic the same experience in your movement. I now notice the pain and how it's related to my colitis, but I didn't make the connection in the early years with UC.

I developed uveitis in 2011 after I finished nursing my third child and it took 4 months to control the first flare-up. Complete control is now finally being established 2 years later by the use of Imuran. I had been on LDN and was waiting for my next colonoscopy in 2013 to make the medication change so my gastroenterologist could see my results with just LDN. (LDN stopped my bleeding in 48 hours when I first started it - I wanted documented results.) I used Prednisone as necessary but mostly just for the eyes until 2013. Prior to LDN, I required about 9-months a year of Prednisone use for my UC - so my gastroenterologist was quite happy with LDN. He was surprised I thought it was time for Imuran. But I had noticed the UC coming back in addition to needing the Imuran for the uveitis. Again, my uveitis is often accompanied by bowel changes (in the wrong direction) but not always with bleeding - especially since treatment for uveitis is Prednisolone, which treats both the eyes and the gut any time I need my eye drops.

I seem to recall seeing psoriasis mentioned on the main UC sites as I've gone back to look for information on the uveitis and colitis connection. They know it is related - so control the colitis and you'll probably see the other conditions improve too.

Or in my case, remember they are related and stay within the family of drugs appropriate for colitis and they will help the other conditions too. For example, the normal drugs for uveitis like mine are not as well tolerated as Imuran, but serve the same function - to suppress the immune system response. So my ophthalmologist prefers me on Imuran to the normal drugs he prescribes because it has fewer side effects and is easier to administer, aka cheaper.

I hope that helps. Sorry I haven't been on this site for a while. I knew what my action plan has been for the last year but was waiting to get Imuran dosage finalized (raised) and to see remission in my conditions to report my results. I've also been able to volunteer more and PTA President (at an Early Childhood School) is more time-consuming than even I anticipated - and I did think it would be challenging.

Good luck!
*smiles*
Eden