I haven't been feeling well for the last week or so. Just in case you aren't aware, I have an illness called Ankylosing Spondilitis. It's a chronic inflammatory disease which also a form of arthritis (although it doesn't just effect the joints). I've had it for many years now, but only got the diagnosis about 5 years ago. I'm on regular medication for it which helps with inflammation as well as the pain. As my meds can cause stomach problems (like ulcers), I also have to take something to help with counteract that.
A few weeks ago, I went to the doctor with a new symptom that they thought was a side effect of my stomach meds and gave me something else. A week later, my stomach was on fire. I went back to the doctor and was told to stop taking the meds for my AS until my stomach healed. That was a week ago and I am not coping well. The pain and fatigue are is awful. I have no idea how I lived like this before I started taking AS meds.
I have a bad shoulder that since I stopped taking the meds, has become a whole arm problem (I guess the meds masked a lot of the pain). I can hardly use my right arm. My knees burn, my neck keeps getting painfully stuck when I turn my head and its stiff which is also causing headaches and that's not even touching on the back pain which is worse than all of it combined. I feel like I'm 80.
I'm still trying to function normally with everyday activities (housework, cooking and bathing my son) and on Tuesday, I even went into my son's class (I'm a class mom), but the last couple of days I've had to rest in between tasks. Today I'm resting, but I've had enough. I called the doctor and asked for my old stomach meds and a lower dose of my AS medication. I just can't do this anymore and have decided to risk more stomach problems.
My doctor (who was amazing) left the practice and the doctors they have filling in until they replace him are apparently useless. I wonder if my doctor would have had me suffering like this or if he would have had a better replacement medication that would not have caused my stomach problems in the first place. I'm stuck in the hands of random doctors I don't know and don't trust and I'm so very frustrated. So when I called today and spoke to another random doctor, I didn't explain. I just asked for the meds I wanted. Now I just have to hope they will call them in to the pharmacy in time for me to have them today. If the stomach problems come back, I'll go back to see someone else, but I just can't suffer mine this anymore.
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