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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 12/23/2015 4:00 AM (GMT 0)
From what I have heard, Sometimes joint pain comes along with the UC? Around the time I got sick I started getting all this pain in my neck and shoulders. Some days Its manageable, other days, like today it's unbearable. MRIs show nothing significant. Was checked for rheumatoid arthritis and was negative. Have done PT, acupuncture, steroid injections into shoulder and neck, you name it. Is this related to the UC and how can I get some relief. I don't take NSAIDs. My GI doc hasn't mentioned any correlation. Who should I see yo get some relief? I don't know if I should try a different pain MD for an injection, maybe see a rheumatologist? I don't want to take any sedating meds and originally didn't want to take any meds at all but I'm willing to take something that won't impair me. I read turmeric can help UC and also general inflammation- anyone try that here? Just looking for suggestions or where to go from here. I'm frustrated. At age 29 it's miserable. And I've spent a fortune on useless doctor visits. Sorry to be negative but I'm tired of being in pain!!! Any suggestions on who to see or treatment would be much appreciated. This forum is great. Current UC meds are
Apriso 1.5 gram and canasa 1 gram. UC seems OK.
Posted 12/23/2015 4:33 AM (GMT 0)
Getting your Ibd under control will help get the correlated joint pain under control.
Have you been on steroids recently?
Posted 12/23/2015 11:39 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks. No steroids recently...
Posted 12/23/2015 1:15 PM (GMT 0)
Joint pain is the most common extra-intestinal compliant of uc patients. about 25 percent of uc patients have extra-intestinal complications. Uc is an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation in the large intestine. But inflammation can occur anywhere in the body, that's what a messed up immune system like ours is capable of. Joints are a common target (big joints of the knees arms, and the spine). Inflammation of the joints is known as arthritis. If the spine is the target it's known as spondyloarthritis. Although arthritis is typically associated with advancing age, in IBD it often strikes the youngest patients. Lucky us!

Sometimes our uc medications can cause medication-induced joint issues (rare but plausible). What medications are you on?

If you're still on the anti-inflammatory class of uc medications (lialda, asacol, apriso, pentasa, etc) then switching to sulfasalazine might help, it's known to help with joint pain issues.

Here's some info on uc joint inflammation:

www.ccfa.org/resources/arthritis.html

www.orthop.washington.edu/?q=patient-care/articles/arthritis/inflammatory-bowel-disease.html
Posted 12/23/2015 1:39 PM (GMT 0)
I went YEARS with joint pain. Had every test imaginable. Finally went to a rheumatologist and he diagnosed me with Peripheral arthritis which is a common form of extra intestinal manifestation of having an IBD. PA is a non-damaging form of arthritis that mimics the inflammation found in the colon in your joints. Once the inflammation in the colon decreases so does the pain from PA. Even if your UC symptoms are manageable the least bit of inflammation can cause joint pain.

I've tried Tumeric (so did my hubby who is IBD free) it didn't work for me but it did him. The only thing that helps me is Tylonel Arthritis. It has a higher mg count and lasts 8 hours.
Posted 12/23/2015 3:38 PM (GMT 0)
Yep I have lots of joint pain even with no inflammation at all.

Rheumatologist is next on my list of doctors to go see next year. After I hit my lovely $2,700 up from $800 last year. Grrr
Posted 12/23/2015 4:22 PM (GMT 0)
I need to create a signature with my meds but I take apriso, canasa, Wellbutrin, lexapro, probiotic and vitamin D.

I think I will see a rheumatologist and see if they have any suggestions. I see my GI in early January.

I have good and a few bad UC days. What's the next step after apriso?
Posted 12/23/2015 4:26 PM (GMT 0)
There are various mesalamines available such Asacol HD, Colazal, Lialda, Pentasa if the Apriso isn't working right, some of these might help. But if not then usually the next step is an immune suppressor such as 6mp or Imuran.
Posted 12/23/2015 4:35 PM (GMT 0)
Well, you said your uc is okay at the moment, so I'm not sure you want to mess with your uc medications and go to a higher class of medications (would be second immunomodulators like Imuran, and third biologics like remicade). I'd see a rheumatologist and treat it as a second disorder. There might be some medications that apply to both conditions. Great if they do.

Your uc medications (apriso and canasa) are both topical anti-inflammatory medications. By topical, they only treat only your large intestine, they do squat for your joints. Sulfasalazine works for uc plus joints, might be worth asking your gastroenterologist and rheumatologist about.
Posted 12/23/2015 7:01 PM (GMT 0)
Go to a rheumatologist at the very least and have a series of testing done to hopefully find out something that will lead to a positive direction of diagnosis. It might be only one aspect of a diagnosis, however...

Many people suffer from osteoarthritis, myofascial issues, repetitive strain injury, food allergies or sensitivities, inherited disorders of weakness in joints and muscles, medications such as steroids, pregnancy if you're female, and a host of other stuff such as viruses, bacterial infection and poisons/toxins, etc.

I've had neck, back and joint issues since before I was a teenager, and while it's been ongoing, it's up and down. I've seen a rheumatologist and she was useless because it's not severe I guess and my blood testing at that time didn't fit the criteria. I do have myofascial syndrome. Some days are much worse than others, but I do take daily dosages of back relief medication with Tylenol and methocarbomal.

You may have a relation to UC, but autoimmune does tend to party together. I wouldn't fully say it's related, and for this reason alone....some doctors can tend to take the easy road to a diagnosis without investigating further.

Keep us posted.

q
Posted 12/23/2015 8:46 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for all the support here. It's really helpful to get info from others with my condition and I appreciate all the responses.

Of course as soon as I posted my UC was OK today kind of went down hill- many trips to the bathroom. However I just did get back from traveling so that always throws me off. I'd say I have about 3 bad days a month. The rest of the time I'm just "OK". Never great. But that might just be my new normal. So I think things could be better honestly- I want to try colazol because I've heard for whatever reason people have less hair loss and who knows it may increase my quality of life. I feel like things could be better. My last calprotectin had increase slightly above normal-58. It will be rechecked next week and if it's trending up i wouldn't mind trying another medication.

I actually went home early today because work was slow and I was spending a lot of time in the bathroom anyways. Bad days always bring me down and are a reminder I'm stuck with this. Sorry to be a bummer. Again thanks for all the advice. I'm researching a rheumatologist.
Posted 12/23/2015 11:47 PM (GMT 0)
colazol should not make your hair fall out. in fact, none of the major UC meds cause your hair to fall out.

if you look on the side effects listed, you will see hair loss as one of them and here(no pun intended) is why. anytime a side effect is reported from a drug than it has to be listed.

inflamation or flaring causes hair loss and it tends to get bad about 3 months after the inflammation starts. this is often when we begin either noticing symptoms so escalate meds and than we attribute the loss to the meds
or we take the meds when the inflammation starts but they take some time to reach a therapeutic effect in our body (like imuran/6mp) at the same time they start reaching an effective level in our bodies we notice our hair falling out
Posted 12/24/2015 1:15 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you Quincy, ipoop, red, dikid and everyone else.
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