I got this response from an AS sufferer who still does triat

Firemanphil_39

Hi Phil

I've suffered from AS for over 15years, it occasionally flares up and I've been on Sulphasalazine for about 12 years and then for the last 3 years I've been on Sodium Methotrexate on a similar dose to yourself for a weekly dose

My advice for time trialling with Arthiritis of any kind is to spin, not grind big gears, as in my case with AS the non load bearing exercise is the best sort, but there's no point stressing knee joints with big gears as it causes issues in my experience. If you have AS the best thing is too keep your body moving and as flexible as possible so Swimming and cycling are probably the best exercises, mountainbiking (without crashing) is good for general mobility as you're not sat in a rigid position all the time and your upper body gets a workout which is non repetitive.

The drugs the doctors will usually prescribe for AS are imunosupressants, sulphasalzine will make all body fluids such as sweat and urine discolour to a more yellow shade, shirt collars and bed linen for example discolour over time from sweat. Methotrexate has been fine for me, apart from the intial shock of looking it up on google and finding its a chemotherapy treatment in higher doses.

I completd a half iron man in 2008 at trentham so don't fret that your sports life is over!
my previous flare ups have been my leg joints, usually a drain of the fluid and a steroid injection sorts that out quite quickly

HLA B27 is an indicator of some of the general conditions of AS I believe

Some people have used the Dr Hays food diet (food combining for health) and found it is beneficial, I didn't really notice to be honest

I've cycled all my life and found it's beneficial to recovery from a flare up as well as good for keeping weight off and therefore less stress on my joints.

Phil

skezier

Hi Phil,

Its a case of do what you can for as long as you can I think. I haven't got AS but the back is fusing its self up and the load stuff hurts far more. Rightly or wrongly the rumo and the pain clinic doc tell me the reason I am better than the bones should make me is I went into it with huge amounts of muscles.

The problem is the muscles are also under threat cus they are not allowed to work the way they are supposed to us the bones have deformed or shifted. You need to be careful but guess we all know that one?

I actually don't seem to and pushing it too far = time laid up.

Just find your balance!

Diets are worth a try but raerly work! I tried so many things and waisted so much money on useless product I am now 100% cynical.... but still will try it if there some logic to it.......... Don't get taken in for a oad of dstuff that costs the earth and does nothing......Cris x

dreamdaisy

Well, aren't they lucky they can still do all that. DD