Any advice welcome

tim60

Hi, as a newbie on the board first of all I´d like to say "Hello" to
everyone and hope you´re keeping well.

I have had AS for 20 years now, mainly affecting the neck and shoulders. I´d appreciate any advice anyone can offer on how to relieve the constant muscular tension and pain in these areas. My GP (In Spain) has been prescribing Tetrazepam for last 5 years to ease the problem (along with an NSAID). This is a benzodiazepine drug and over the last couple of years though the side effects have really started to show.

At the moment the best alternative on offer involves changing to a different but basically similar type drug. Since the side effects are as bad as the AS I´m really anxious to find an alternative. I´d be really interested how people cope with this aspect of rheumatism.

Many thanks

helpline_team

Hello Tim

Thanks for getting in touch with us. I don't know which drugs are most commonly prescribed in Spain, but I haven't really heard of many people being given the type of medication you're currently receiving. Usually in the UK people with chronic back and neck pain would be more likely to be offered a tricyclic drug such as amitriptylyne as these are thought to be effective muscle relaxants without as many side effects as benzodiazipines. Sometimes anti-convulsants such as gabapentin are also used. However if AS is severe then it's increasingly treated with anti-TNF drugs.
The National Ankylosing Spondylosis Society have produced some excellent literature on living with AS - you can access it through this link: http://www.nass.co.uk

Best wishes
Paul

elnafinn

Hi Tim

Welcome to the forum from a forum member. Just a thought, why not post your thread on the Living with Arthritis forum. More members look in there and we do have AS sufferers on here. Hopefully they will see your post and try to help and support you.

Elna x

tim60

Thanks for your replies.

Elna, I´ll post on the Living with Arthritis forum as suggested.

Paul, I´ll try and talk to my GP about changing to a less harmful medication.

Regards
Tim