Spondulitis!

[mailee]

Took a trip to the Doctors today as I have been in pain with my neck and shoulders for a few months. Turns out I have Spondulitis which is an artheritic condition! Nothing can be done about it according to the Doctor but he didn't mention any suppliments or drugs I could use, not even a perscription? I have been told by more than a dozen people to buy Gluecosamine tablets which will help with the pain if taken on a regular basis. I have bought some to give them a try.

 

[Dibs-h]

Took a trip to the Doctors today as I have been in pain with my neck and shoulders for a few months. Turns out I have Spondulitis which is an artheritic condition! Nothing can be done about it according to the Doctor but he didn't mention any suppliments or drugs I could use, not even a perscription? I have been told by more than a dozen people to buy Gluecosamine tablets which will help with the pain if taken on a regular basis. I have bought some to give them a try.

Try the combines ones - with condratine as well.

 

[head clansman]

Hi Mailee

Nothing can be done about it according to the Doctor

That sound familiar , my mum in law was recently told by her doctor after visiting him on many occasions from October as her back ache was getting steadily worse , he very reluctantly agreeing to send her for x ray only to tell her eventually sorry its your age 81 nothing we can do for you fair wear and tear of the spine.

all the time she was seeing him he just kept her on bog standard pain killers she finally break down in Morrison super market in tears as the pain by now is totally out of control , so back to see him emergency visit , no change of pain killer only an appointment in three months time at the pain clinic.

at this point i explode , eventually after a very heated argument with him he reluctantly agrees for her to be refer-ed to a private consultant this still took him three Weeks and two more arguments with him before this got done .


so now it's late April , first visit to the consultant at winterbourne private hospital her new doctor now examines her first ask loads of question then he get out the x ray that where taken in NHS and straight away find her back broken in two places ( just where and tear according to her doctor and the nhs doctor)

she came out of hospital last Friday after having her op which is called KYPHOPLASTY in for two days only four tiny little cut both side of her spine and three balloon inserted and inflated then filled with cement which hardens in fifteen minute , now no more pain , she now looks twenty yrs younger .

So don't let yourself go through that much pain before you start to doubt your doctors ability . mind it was,nt cheep but when your written off by the nhs and the pain is getting worst by-the day then money don't mean a thing . hc

 

[toysandboats]

Hi Mailee,
I took Glucosamine with Chondroitin (GC) for about 14 months for the same reason as you - others recommended them. They worked reasonably well and reduced the pain a fair degree.

After 12 months my GP gave me Diclofenac Sodium (DS) (Voltarol is one of the Trade Names) and this seemed to dull the pain almost completely when taken with GC.

After a couple of months I stopped the GC and felt no worse and then stopped the DS and the pain came back. Back on the DS and the pain dulls almost completely again.
As I'm now over 60 and prescriptions are free, I'm happy to go without the GC and just take DS.
GP's view was that there was no hard evidence supporting GC but many patients used it successfully.

David

 

[Digit]

GP's view was that there was no hard evidence supporting GC but many patients used it successfully.

My GP's view as well.

Roy.

 

[BMac]

Hi Mailee,

I'm assuming your doctor meant ankylosing spondylitis (AS). I've had AS for over 30 years so if I can help you in any way I will. Drop me an email, [email protected] and we'll take it from there rather than bung up this thread.

NASS is the official charity and has lots of information on the website:
http://www.nass.co.uk/

There is no magical cure but the most important thing is to remain active and do the exercises because once fusion sets it it cannot be reversed. Don't go spending a fortune on over the counter remedies because none work. Relief of some symptoms is the best you can hope for so try anything you think might help, I did, but walk away from anything that claims to be a cure. I hope I don't sound like the Grim Reaper here but I wish someone had told me at the start that I needed to work on managing the condition rather than seek a cure.

Brendan

 

[Digit]

I have to agree with Brendan. I found that none of the medicines available were of the slightest use, eventually my GP sent me to see a Physio. He sent me despite saying he thought it was a waste of time, in my case he was wrong. The advice I was given is the only thing that has kept me mobile for some years now.
Strangely the pain killers I was taking at the time caused me urinary problems and when I stopped taking them the urinary problems ceased.
By that time I was booked in for a blood test and they discovered that I had prostate cancer.
Funny old world isn't it?

Roy.

 

[Dave S]

Not to undermine what BMac and Digit are saying ( I have no particular knowledge of this condition), but I take Glucosamine for a different condition. I use this stuff as I find large tablets hard to swallow.

It may be of no interest or use, but thought I'd just post the link for information.

Good luck!

Dave

 

[Doctor]

Doctor knows best..... :lol:

 

[Digit]

Not to undermine what BMac and Digit are saying

You're not! What doesn't work for me doesn't mean it won't help others that for sure.

Roy.

 

[BMac]

I agree, if something gives relief go for it. My doctor once suggested reflexology to me, I was shocked because he was a very straight-speaking man who I reckoned didn't tolerate unconventional medicine. When I expressed my surprise he said 'After 30 years in medicine I have realised we cannot discount thousands of years of Chinese medicine and other therapies - even psychosomatic pain relief is still pain relief'.

 

[mailee]

Well guys I have been doing some internet browsing on this subject and am not sure if it is indeed Spondylitis or Spondylosis. My Doctor is an Indian which may explain the confusion. He did tell me that it is due to the cartlidge in between the bones of the neck compressing and the bones then produce more bone to try to repair this which causes them to rub together or fuse and give the symptoms. It also states that this is quite common in older people. (I am now 54) I have an appointment to see a physio next month so will see what she says about it. In the meantime I shall continue to take the Gluecosamine tablets and see if this helps. :?

 

[Digit]

Gluecosamine seems to be a long term remedy mailee rather than something like analgesics where you can expect rapid relief, so I was told.
I am no expert on the subject by any means but in my case the disease seems to have stopped in it's tracts, I am freer of pain than I was previously, the only medication I take of any kind, by recommendation, is Cod Liver Oil.

Roy.

 

[Rich]

I have had acute sciatica for the last 10 weeks, I have been under the physio and do daily exercises, but the pain still persists (thanks to B/Q stacking sheets on their sides instead of on edge) anyway, the only thing giving me relief is cocodamol, I have finally recieved an appointment with a consultant for the 24th of July, I have pad into the system since I was 15 and am now 55, 69 days seems a long time to wait to me,(working back to when I recieved the appointment) still, at least things are moving forward.

Rich.

 

[yo_chuci]

Hi Mailee

Nothing can be done about it according to the Doctor

That sound familiar , my mum in law was recently told by her doctor after visiting him on many occasions from October as her back ache was getting steadily worse , he very reluctantly agreeing to send her for x ray only to tell her eventually sorry its your age 81 nothing we can do for you fair wear and tear of the spine.

all the time she was seeing him he just kept her on bog standard pain killers she finally break down in Morrison super market in tears as the pain by now is totally out of control , so back to see him emergency visit , no change of pain killer only an appointment in three months time at the pain clinic.

at this point i explode , eventually after a very heated argument with him he reluctantly agrees for her to be refer-ed to a private consultant this still took him three Weeks and two more arguments with him before this got done .


so now it's late April , first visit to the consultant at winterbourne private hospital her new doctor now examines her first ask loads of question then he get out the x ray that where taken in NHS and straight away find her back broken in two places ( just where and tear according to her doctor and the nhs doctor)

she came out of hospital last Friday after having her op which is called KYPHOPLASTY in for two days only four tiny little cut both side of her spine and three balloon inserted and inflated then filled with cement which hardens in fifteen minute , now no more pain , she now looks twenty yrs younger .

So don't let yourself go through that much pain before you start to doubt your doctors ability . mind it was,nt cheep but when your written off by the nhs and the pain is getting worst by-the day then money don't mean a thing . hc

can i just say that is f-ing unbelievable.... can't believe she was carrying on as normal with a broken back in 2 places...
just goes to show with the nhs sometimes on how its 'get em in get em out' did he not look at the xrays...
without wanting to sound to american there's a claim there...
and you would win and at least get a good holiday out of it...
and his backside kicked...

and before we go on about hands in troughs and we are only paying for compensation thru our taxes etc. true.. but we pay more to people who have never worked and just stand with their hand out every 2 weeks. the hard workers deserve a break (sorry for the pun)

 

[Digit]

That's the lottery again Rich. I was treated very much quicker than that I'm glad to say.

Roy.

 

[Rich]

I suppose it's all to do with the head of population in the chosen district, without wishing to get political (as if) multiculturism is rife here in Reading.

Rich.

 

[Digit]

The bottleneck here is the hospitals Rich, if you stay out of them the rest of the service is excellent. I'm stuck in the middle between Cardiff and Welshpool for anything serious.
I had X-rays and a follow up with a physio within days, which was fortunate as I was in a lot of pain, I had to be lifted out of bed.

Roy.

 

[RogerS]

Took a trip to the Doctors today as I have been in pain with my neck and shoulders for a few months. Turns out I have Spondulitis which is an artheritic condition! Nothing can be done about it according to the Doctor but he didn't mention any suppliments or drugs I could use, not even a perscription? I have been told by more than a dozen people to buy Gluecosamine tablets which will help with the pain if taken on a regular basis. I have bought some to give them a try.

You need to go for the largest dose and combine it with chondratine. See if there is any beneficial effect. If there is, great, continue but gradually reduce the dosage. If no benefit then stop taking them.