Any advice welcome

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tim60
tim60 Member Posts: 12
edited 19. May 2011, 02:57 in Chat to our Helpline Team archive
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

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  • helpline_team
    helpline_team Posts: 3,490
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    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
    elnafinn Member Posts: 7,412
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi Tim :smile:

    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
    The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

    If you can lay down at night knowing in your heart that you made someone's day just a little bit better, you know you had a good day.
  • tim60
    tim60 Member Posts: 12
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    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
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