Ankylosing Spondylitis and Atrial Fibrillation medication

howardtc

I am 62 and was diagnosed with AS over 30 years ago but I clearly had the condition from about 25 years old. I went from being highly active playing sports to being unable to do anything that put a strain on the spine. Over the years the condition has been managed using a variety of medications including Celebrex and Indocid and although still painful and limiting in terms of strength and ability to lift or bend I have been able to work and play. My spine and neck although curved I have been spared the extreme variety possible with this condition. The side effects have been depression and a highly sensitised stomach.
A major complication has arisen in that I have been diagnosed with a very common condition Atrial Fribrillation. You have an irregular heart beat, start to sweat doing the simplest of things such as walk up stairs and find it difficult to get your breath. Very scary at the time, especially as in my case I was taken to hospital twice in a fortnight. The first thing the cardiologist did was take me off all arthritis medication and put me on beta blockers and warfarin. The arthritis was not seen as a severe problem in its own right. I have been put on tramadol, an addictive drug, to help with the pain but I can't get the cardiologist to understand the severity of the condition I have and that by removing all medication except painkillers I am now immobile and in pain every day. My movement is restricted and simply tying shoe laces is a problem. I walk round the house bent over and have muscle spasms all the time.
Has anybody any experience of this clash of medication and found any solutions as the cardiologist is simply not interested.

barbara12

Hi
A very warm welcome to this site, you poor thing being in so much pain, some how you have got to get it over to your GP or specialist how much pain you are in, there is usually a way around medication clashing.
I can't really help any more , i really wish I could, I do hope you get some relief very soon, people on this forum are very supportive, so please keep posting, I am sure you will get the answer's you are looking for.
You take care
Barbara xx

skezier

Hi Howard,

Its so complicated when you have more than one problem and I agree they don't 'see' arthritis as a big issue..... it tends to be with those who have it though. I really do hope they can come up with some treatment for you and at the very least with AS I think you should be seeing either a physio or pain clinic actually.

I have a back thats fusing its self together and the more you can do the bending exercises the more chance I seem to have of keeping it going. Tramadol is a grey area for me, I am on them if I need them (I have diclo's and pregabalin as well) and I have not become addicted to them and once it was explained to me if you take them cus you need them they don't have the same effect as taking them for 'fun'.

I really hope you can get some help and well nice to meet you and they are a really good lot here. Take care Cris

bailey27

Hi
Sorry you're having problems at the mment
I have been told I have a spondyloaropathy and my physio + GP refers to it as AS so am assuming this is what I hvae although the rheumy often calls if sponylarthritis or sPa.
Anyway, I had physio a while back and couldnt continue as I would leave there in agony and wouldnt be able to walk for days. I think this was because I was referred to physio following a knee op and the physio wasnt aware of the problems he was causing me.
tomorow I start physio again but this time for my knee but also have an appointment to see a Rheumatology physio so am quite positive about it and actually cant wait to get started.
I too up until jsut last year have always played sports and have gone from running half marathons and playing a high standard of sports to literally not being bale to walk for more than 40 minutes. The longer I walk to stiffer and painful my back and hips become.

Can you ask to be referred to a specialist rheumatology physio???

gickygawky

Hi there Howard,

I am sorry to hear you are having such a tough time of it at the moment and I hope that you will shortly be feeling much better.

I too have Ankylosing Spondylitis (with all the trimmings) and although I see a great team of Rheumy's, on occasion they have been a bit casual with pain control as they have been focused on trying to control other aspects of the disease.

On these occasions I have found my gp to be a great help. They altered my pain meds and notified my Rheumy of their decision etc. It seemed as though they had more time to listen to what the problem was and could form an objective view of my treatment because they weren't as involved as the consultants.

I know this is a different situation to yours but I wonder whether you would be able to see your gp and get them to understand that you need help sorting out your drugs as the consultants have been focusing on other things and you are suffering more because of it.

Good luck Howard, let us know how you are getting on when you can.

Arna x