Separate doctor for joint pain ?

I just started experiencing some pretty significant muscle and joint pain which is apparently a side effect of the UC and auto-immune problems - I'm trying to get educated about whether these additional symptoms are something that my UC gastro doc treats, or if I need to engage a separate doc for additional symptoms - any suggestions?

I just got a callback from my UC doc about the joint pain, and he suggested either switching to sulfasalazine, which I didn't have good results with as compared to lialda, or trying Celebrex for the joint pain - any thoughts ??

Post Edited (texas_yankee) : 2/20/2018 8:19:47 AM (GMT-7)

Seeing a rheumatologist, considering sulfasalazine, and considering Celebrex all sound like where I'd start out. Try it all and see if one or a combination of them help you feel better.

Joint pains have no instant-gratification solution. You're going to have to bet more tests, be persistent and pursue all options until you find an answer.

I'm gonna give it a week or so to see how it goes with the joint pain - I also have an appointment with my back doc (very successful laminectomy surgery two years ago) to see if the low back pain, which is the worst of it, is related to a degenerative spine issue or related to the UC and auto immune issues.

My gastro doc mentioned a high incidence of nausea with the sulfasalazine - I had heard about headaches with it - not sure if my doc is drinking the cool aid from the Lialda people and pushing Lialda, or just recommending something more expensive but with less side effects (Lialda), over the less expensive but unpleasant side effects expected with sulfasalazine.

I did see a generic for Celebrex that brings it do to a much more manageable price point - the Celebrex would have been about the same price as the Lialda.

"Your degenerative spine issue could be auto-immune." - yeah, I hear what you're saying - the low back pain that I'm experiencing now is much different than the pain leading up to the laminectomy (for sciatica) - previously, the pain was from my left hip down to my toes - none of that in the leg this time, just the pain in the low back.

I'm thinking that the sulfasalazine might be worth a try - IF I'm understanding it correctly, the sulfasalazine will treat the UC as well as give me some relief from the joint pain - AND, it's inexpensive enough that if the headaches and nausea from sulfasalazine are bad, I can drop it and start generic Celebrex and go back to Lialda, which also lists the headaches and nausea side effects, although I haven't been experiencing those side effects with Lialda.

Post Edited (texas_yankee) : 2/20/2018 2:16:28 PM (GMT-7)