Spondyolarthropathy but no NSAIDS allowed

Has anyone had to deal with the arthritis of UC and been unable to take any NSAIDS? I'm in a flare, and the bleeding is pretty bad, but so is the arthritis, especially in my back, which makes it fairly hard to move or get anything done.

Tylenol is useless. I took three extra strength this morning, and had no positive response. Not to mention, if there's no help, why would I do that to my liver?? I have some Plaquenil, but obviously that would take a while to reach therapeutic levels. Using Lidoderm patches. I have some Percocet, but, again, the acetaminophen! And the opioids, which would be nice to avoid.

Just wondered if anyone had tried something else. You know...successfully. ;) Has Plaquenil helped anyone?

Thanks so much in advance!!

Tramadol is manna from heaven for me. I try to only take it at bedtime so I can at least get some sleep. I do take Tylenol arthritis, and with my GI's blessing I take Mobic daily. You might also ask your doctor about Voltaran gel, which is a topical anti-inflammatory that I find really helpful when I have a really bad spot - usually my neck or a finger.

psychomom, I would imagine your arthritis is from the high dose of prednisone, probably not from UC. You need to get off prednisone before it does any more damage to your bones.

How are you doing? I've been thinking about you, hoping you got an opinion from another doctor. Please keep me updated.

I am happy to hear you're tapering. I hope this new GI is able to work with you and get a plan in order. Have you ever tried rectal medication? It's not a "cure all" but it's definitely something to consider in conjunction with your oral Apriso. I hate to say it but right now is a crucial time for you. I don't know your whole history but just the fact that you've been on a high dose of pred for a period of time, you need to get your UC in remission so you can taper off without having your symptoms get out of control.

The GI is most likely going to offer you 2 options. Both are immunosupressants, 6mp/imuran or Remicade. Some may disagree but from what I've seen, diet helps some but not others and it's not seen as a method for treating a flare up, it's more part of a maintenance plan for staying in remission.

6mp/Imuran have been around for a long time and both medications require frequent blood testing, especially in the beginning and they can take quite a while to get your body into a zone where the immune system has stopped being oveactive. Remicade is an IV medication that is newer but it works very quickly. It requires an infusion of medication every 6-8 weeks. You may want to do some research on these medications and see how you feel before the appointment so you know what's in store.

I opted for 6mp because I relapsed when tapering off 40mg prednisone. I tried to get off prednisone without additional medication, believe me, I didn't want to take 6mp. Now, looking back, I regret waiting. I could have saved myself a lot of struggle with prednisone, joint damage and weight if I had been more open to 6mp.

notsosicklygirl said...
Some may disagree but from what I've seen, diet helps some but not others and it's not seen as a method for treating a flare up, it's more part of a maintenance plan for staying in remission.

yep, i dissagree i can control my Ankylosing spondylitis flares through diet. I agree with the fact that it might not work for some, but that's another matter (on www.kickas.org - there's a lot of peoplw with Spondyloatropaties who do the same as me).