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Posted 4/27/2011 11:19 PM (GMT 0)
Hey everyone .. I started having joint pain about a month and a half ago maybe 2 months ago not 100% sure.. anyway it first started in my shoulders on both sides. It hurt so bad I couldn't even raise my arms. I went to the doc and he just gave me some percocets and said if it keeps up I need to see rheumy. about 2 days later it moved to both wrists and index fingers/thumbs. I went back to doc had blood work and was perscribed some prednisone till I got in to see rheumy. I really didn't want the prednisone cause I've been on so much of it over the past year or so but I was desperate. I took a 40 mg taper and everything went away. My blood work came back normal so I figured everything was over. I couldn't have been more wrong. After finishing pred. It was back and worse.. it moved to my knees ankles and a couple of toes.. I could barely walk. So I went to rheumy. He said he thinks its all being caused by my UC so he gave me more pred. Till I could see my GI. Yay .. everything went away again but this time it came back when I got down to 20 mg.. this can't be good.... well I have an appt for fri with my Gi to discuss stronger treatment .. last I talked to my GI he was talking about remicade but the rheumy suggested Humira... I know there are many of you here that have taken these so I guess my question is can this be caused by my UC and if so which medication would be better to treat this.. thanks in advance
Posted 4/28/2011 1:25 AM (GMT 0)
Have you had any blood tests to check for RA? Xrays? MRI's? Arthritis is common in people that have an AI condition. Go to ccfa.org and look up the extra intestinal manifestations of IBD - go to the joint section. There is a form of arthritis that wax and wanes called Peripheral arthritis. It flares when your Uc flares but it causes no joint damage. The more serious forms of arthritis should be addressed with stronger medications such as Humira or Remicade, however I think I would want to know for sure which one I had before I went that route.
Posted 4/28/2011 1:30 AM (GMT 0)
I'm using sulfasalazine to treat my IBD and joint pain. It is an old RA drug that has recently come into favor with GIs who have IBD patients complaining of joint pain. Aside from an achy knee, I've been feeling pretty good joint-wise since I started using this drug.
Posted 4/28/2011 5:51 AM (GMT 0)
@red 34 yes I had a blood test and it was negative but no xrays or mri's ill check out that website now..thanks ... nothing has worked for my UC so far besides prednisone and that didn't even stop everything just helped the bleeding bloating and pain .. but I'm afraid that I've taken too much of it cause its not working as well anymore... the d is very stubborn so my GI wanted me to come in and talk about remicade anyway ... I had anther round of blood tests done by the rheumy and I will see him again on may 5th so if it comes in negative again I'm not sure if he is gonna send me for xrays or an mri

@kazbern thanks ill look that up and will mention it to my GI and see what he thinks... at this point I'm willing to go on anything but prednisone ... its such a nasty drug... I have incredible insomnia I'm breaking out like a teenager before prom I'm getting the puffy cheeks and I'm eating so much my gut is about to pop the button off my jeans

Thanks again for your replies ;)
Posted 4/28/2011 11:47 AM (GMT 0)
Am sorry you're suffering so. Unfortunately there is a link between UC, Crohns, IBS and joint issues. Myself, I suffer from sacroiliitis. My blood works has also come back negative and the xrays showed fine, but there is obvious inflammation (bone scan showed it years ago and it's gotten much worse since then). It seems so unfair as we already suffer from UC and then to have other issues. For me, i had my colon removed years ago as my UC was so bad but have to live with the joint issues. Not sure on the medications as have never taken any, but just wanted to post to say that you're not alone. Hope things can get under control for you.
Posted 4/28/2011 3:21 PM (GMT 0)
This is what happened to me. I am now seeing a rheumy and are on all kinds of good meds to help my joint pain.
Posted 4/28/2011 8:44 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the support I'm sorry to see you guys are going through this also
@jano what meds did your rheumy give you and do they help? Mine only gave pred. And after this taper I'm done with it .. my GI wants me off and I want to be off so it will no longer be an option
Posted 4/29/2011 1:13 AM (GMT 0)
I get joint pain and I think mine is from the remicade. I was fine and since they upped my dose to 7.5 kg every 8 weeks it seems to be worse. I went to an Ra and had blood work done and we just decided it was from either the remicade or my UC. I get it in my hands wrists, ankles, and knees. It sucks. I'm 31 and feel like I'm 100 sometimes.
Posted 4/29/2011 7:15 PM (GMT 0)
Superdoo, He started me on sulfasalazine, and that alone worked for awhile, then I got more joint pain, so he added humira, and i am still getting pain, so he just added methotrexate.
Posted 4/29/2011 9:22 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the replies everyone ;)
Went to GI today and I'm switching up my lialda for sulfasalazine and I'm set to go for remicade in 2 weeks.. I hope it works
Posted 4/29/2011 11:47 PM (GMT 0)
about how long ago did you discontinue the prednisone? I had horrific joint and muscle pain for about 6 months after I stopped taking prednisone for a flare (I was on 60 mg). At first my doctors thought it was my UC, but all of my symptoms were under control. I suffered along for three months and I was finally sent to an endocrinologist. She thought that the joint pain and muscle aches could be related to low-functioning adrenal glands caused by prednisone. Prednisone causes the adrenal glands to stop producing and sometimes it takes a good amount of time for them to "wake up" and produce correctly (that's why they often tell people to wear a medic alert bracelet even after they discontinue prednisone). We did tests and my adrenal function was low (it had taken 3 months to get to her, so my adrenal function was already returning). I basically waited it out and it got better. Have any of your doctors suggested that it was prednisone related?
Take care,
Bridget
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