Newly diagnosed
Hi all. I will try and keep this short. Thanks in advance to anyone who can lend advice.
For about 4 years I have been having on and off low back pain. One of my brothers has ankylosing spondylitis and it never occurred to me that. I could have something similar. Back in may 2022 i woke up around 5 am from really bad back stiffness. The kind where the longer you lay the more intense and painful your low back gets. I have dealt with this every day since. Not a single morning of relief. However about a hour after I wake up I am totally fine for the day. Finally saw a rheumatologist about it and based on history, ct scan, and description of what I have been experiencing i was diagnosed with psoriatic spondylitis. Effecting my right hip/si area. Dr says the pain I am feeling in the morning is inflammation that gets worse when you sleep.
I have been prescribed Celebrex 200mg 2 times a day. 400 mg total. I have taken 2 pills so far. Only one a day for the last two days because I absolutely hate taking pills. I’m the type of person who rarely takes medicine for headaches. I’m having a real hard time to warming up to taking my meds. Between my natural hesitancy and reading through all the side effect possibilities it really makes me hate the idea of taking these meds. Most are mild side effects but then there is stroke, heart attack, skin infections as possible side effects.
Admittedly the two times I have taken the meds are have felt great. The stiffness goes away. I slept until 8 in the morning yesterday and that was the first time in almost a year that that has happened. When I woke up I felt normal. However, every time I get heartburn or itch I worry about medicine side effects. I don’t know how I am gonna be able to adjust to this.
I know I got it good compared to a lot of people but I am having a hard time adjusting. I almost want to see if the dr can drop the dose to 100mg 2 times a day or maybe I just take one pill in the evening since mornings are the part I have a hard time with.
Hi @Jerry. Welcome to our community. Most of us experience the stiffness and pain in the mornings. Most of us hate taking medication as well. However, are you aware that once arthritis damage is done it cannot be reversed. Not trying to scare you but I can say for me it is a determining factor in taking medication. Vickie W., Team Member
Your life is your life, and how you deal with this is completely up to you. But the sooner you sit down with your wife and explain all of this to her, the sooner the two of you can get on with dealing with it together. It's up to you whether or not you face this head on, but probably not a good idea to deny your loved ones the opportunity to come to do so. the National Psoriasis Foundation has a program called One to One that you might be interested in. You would be paired with an individual that you can talk to and ask questions to. You can find out more at www.psoriasis.org. Vickie W., Team Member
You might read up on COX-2 inhibitor medications like Celebrex, which is the only one available in the US I believe. Traditional NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen sodium) block both COX-1 and COX-2 enzyme, whereas Celebrex blocks only COX-2. This is important to note, as the COX-1 enzyme protects the lining of your stomach, and that's why GI AEs are so common with medications like Ibuprofen. COX-2, therefore, does not produce these deleterious effects. The majority of the reports of cardiac events and strokes with COX-2 inhibitors was with Vioxx, and it was taken off the US market years ago. Generally, according to all of my doctors, there is no advantage to Celebrex over other NSAIDs unless GI issues or bleeding disorders are a consideration. Still, no NSAID is ideal for long term use, and hopefully your provider will figure out a more palatable long term solution. That's not what I said. I was briefly describing the difference between non-selective and selective COX inhibitors (ibuprofen is non-selective), and stating that my healthcare providers have always advised me that, short of a major gastrointestinal condition or bleeding disorder, there is no real reason to prescribe one over the other, as they all work in pretty much the same manner to reduce inflammation. As for whether or not YOU wish to use ibuprofen, and it does not upset your stomach, that is for you to decide. I suffer from GERD, due to a weak LES, and I take low dose ibuprofen as needed when I'm having breakthrough pain and stiffness, or for PsA unrelated inflammation.
Got it. Thank you!
