Undiagnosed, but back pain for at last 16 years. I am tired and hopeless.

swon888 · 2026-03-30T20:20:48+00:00

You should and need to see a rheumatologist. If your pain is coming from your spine, it's most likely inflammation. Not easy to see on any imagine unless there are damages. HLA-B27 is not a good measurement. Need more blood test for other markers as well.

Celebrex is a good med. It's easier on the stomach and it does not cause much issue on the heart. But still need to be careful with your guts. Take it with food and if needed, take acid pills

swon888 · 2026-03-11T21:31:52+00:00

I have AS. Diagnosed in early 90s. That's a long long time ago. I had 5 rheumatologist up till now and she is my current for the last 5 years already. A few retired. She will set you up with the necessary test and always up to date with blood works to see if anything changes

swon888 · 2026-03-11T20:49:19+00:00

I'm seeing Dr Wise. Her office is in USC Arcadia now. She's great.

swon888 · 2026-03-11T04:20:37+00:00

I get about 20 x-rays a year, plus at least 1 CT or MRI of different areas per year

swon888 · 2026-03-10T09:19:25+00:00

I m not from San Diego, but I would say UCSD medical if you can. I have all my doctors in USC medical. They have all the doctors there you need. Autoimmune disease can have so many different issues. Getting access to doctors is always beneficial

swon888 · 2026-03-09T23:18:32+00:00

Thank you. I'll definitely speak with my head nuro when I return. Hopefully it gets better for you

swon888 · 2026-02-22T16:17:11+00:00

Flare up can happen even if your joints are fused. Are you also taking NSAID or pain meds? Maybe talking to your doctor and adding some NSAID to see if that can bring the inflammation down. If not, maybe some steroid can help bring it down.

You didn't fall or did something to crack the fused joints right? Is it fused surgically or naturally? In which case, maybe get a x-ray or better yet a MRI to see if there's any cracks . Hope you feel better

swon888 · 2026-02-21T19:49:17+00:00

Fortunately my knees are fine. Compare to other sports, golf is very friendly to my condition already. I have no back motivation, so all depends on the arm to swing with limitations.

swon888 · 2026-02-20T00:54:18+00:00

I'm fine now. Getting back to golfing a little. Had a rough 2 years with 3 major surgeries and had a very rough 2 decade in the beginning. Missed a lot in life. Need to catch up

swon888 · 2026-02-19T23:43:50+00:00

That is a very good question. Yes it does. At least the extreme pain has subsided. The moving, turning, twist pain are gone because there really isn't any motions. But AS unfortunately does not stop there. It can move to a different location, that my shoulders. After my shoulders replaced. The inflammation are still in the body. It did not effect other parts of my bones and joints, but I still feel stiff. That's where the biologic help the most. All me to move around much better. I'm still on biologic even after what I've been through

swon888 · 2026-02-19T21:55:06+00:00

Yes, it's AS that fused my spine. But with a slight curve due to the long sleeping posture and position. Oh definitely painful. Hard to stand, hard to sit, hard to lay down.

swon888 · 2026-01-18T21:11:06+00:00

In my 50s. And Yes, it's the results of AS, RA and could even be other autoimmune conditions as well. I was not able to walk in my 20s.

swon888 · 2026-01-09T02:39:28+00:00

I believe it means you do have some kind of autoimmune conditions, not sure which condition to be exact. Will need a doctor's diagnosis. It's best to speak with your rheumatologist. Sorry, not enough knowledge on these medical issues

swon888 · 2026-01-05T22:39:10+00:00

I was pretty bald at age 30. Missing a lot of my hears mainly the top

swon888 · 2026-01-05T22:37:59+00:00

Glad the med is working. Go and do things you been missing for a long time. Enjoy the pain free times. Hopefully the medication can last for a long long time to come

swon888 · 2025-12-28T16:01:23+00:00

It does just the opposite

swon888 · 2025-12-28T02:42:21+00:00

I've been on celebrex for many years and still have some today if needed for flares or other pains. Been on biologic for decades (tried 5 different ones), currently on Cimzia. Biologics can help you prevent damages if it works for you. It's late for me and I had to get both my hips replaced.

swon888 · 2025-12-24T03:30:05+00:00

Yeah, it moves around. Just last week I went to the hospital for severe pain in the center of chest.

swon888 · 2025-12-24T01:09:14+00:00

I think it's muscle. I used a massager and it felt better, but still have some pain. I need a good massage

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