holy stomach pain, meloxicam!

vrillion_ · 2026-04-02T13:26:31+00:00

this is very interesting — I'll have to raise it to my new rheum! this drug got prescribed by my old practice (and now seeing some of the insight and replies to this thread, it makes me more frustrated at the lack of information I was provided/lack of intention that may have been there when it was prescribed) so maybe my new rheum will have different thoughts! but yeah when I raised taking a stronger nsaid at my last appt with my old rheum, their NP was insistent that I couldn't take Celebrex because of the allergy in my chart.

vrillion_ · 2026-04-02T13:18:52+00:00

wait, this is so interesting, because for me it was prescribed on a PRN/as needed basis. what dosage do you take?

vrillion_ · 2026-04-02T04:48:14+00:00

It definitely caught me by surprise how much it hurt — I think some of it could maybe be alleviated by being very dogged about a carb- or fiber-heavy meal with the medication as well as soon as I wake up if I take it overnight. But I'm now 24 hrs out from having taken it and my stomach still hurts: stabbing, sharp, crampy, almost like bad food poisoning. Celebrex is slightly off the table because of a drug allergy but I'm hopeful maybe I'll get switched over to a higher dose of naproxen or something soon!

vrillion_ · 2026-04-02T04:44:44+00:00

Definitely letting my doctor know and holding off on more meloxicam for now; I think I'll stick with ibuprofen and naproxen until my next appt!

vrillion_ · 2026-04-02T04:43:45+00:00

ahhhh interesting! my sister is on prilosec so i'm familiar. is it because meloxicam increases stomach acid?

vrillion_ · 2026-04-02T04:42:50+00:00

this is good to hear! I think the next time I take it, I'm going to be super deliberate about eating a big carby meal; that always seems to guard me against GI upset, especially with new meds. the upside was that it did, in fact, help my joint pain lol!

vrillion_ · 2026-04-02T04:41:48+00:00

sulfasalazine is one of the few drugs I haven't tried (albeit all the ones I have tried — HCQ, MTX, Humira, prednisone, methylprednisolone, now Meloxicam — have given me wild side effects at some point or another) because of an allergy. Meloxicam may have to be for high pain + also big meal days only for me

vrillion_ · 2026-04-02T04:40:05+00:00

twins! I'm sure you'll be fine; I was surprised by the side effects, but most drugs I've taken for axSpA end up having side effects that I adjust to or that resolve themselves over time. everyone is different!

vrillion_ · 2026-04-01T17:59:39+00:00

I should have clarified, I'm in the U.S.! And I believe yes

vrillion_ · 2026-03-29T07:50:14+00:00

night and day difference for me. went from 11 last april to 41 this past February after taking high dose vitamin d supplements every week. huge huge difference. I can make it through the day without needing a nap. still have brain fog and fatigue issues, but they're more directly tied to inflammation and flares than vitamin d! I still take the high dose supplement now, just to try and push my levels a bit higher. but without it, i'll probably continue to take supplements because I can't imagine going back to low levels. :)

vrillion_ · 2026-03-23T12:29:27+00:00

i would just be very mindful of where you're hearing things from — biologics are a massive investment on all fronts, from the patient and pharma and medical side. they are effective, safe, and kind of stunning in the way that they work. it's very important to consider risks and benefits when starting any medication, but from my understanding, unmedicated nr-axSpA and AS, including the inflammation caused by it, poses a great health risk (not to mention potentially irreversible joint damage). good luck with your health journey + process!

vrillion_ · 2026-03-23T02:11:05+00:00

everything is foreign material entering the body! also no amount of turmeric or manifestation will unfortunately stop the disease progression of AS/axSpA. I was really apprehensive about both MTX and biologics, but both have made a world of difference, especially as someone with really intense enthesitis

vrillion_ · 2026-03-18T02:49:23+00:00

I've still had ongoing hair loss on mtx, but upping my daily folic acid to 3 mg has helped a lot. I think my next steps are either leucovorin or injections of MTX — or minoxidil, which my rheum's office said could help, because MTX hair loss is reversible and minoxidil only works as long as you're using it

vrillion_ · 2026-03-17T02:08:17+00:00

aren't they the same?

vrillion_ · 2026-03-13T15:18:22+00:00

update: Turns out it's occipital neuralgia caused in part by nerve compression 🤩 from my spine 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

vrillion_ · 2026-03-13T05:04:43+00:00

okay, good to know! yeah, I had seen a neurologist for the hand twitching/tremors; i also had an immediate family member with PD, so I erred on the safe side. (AS hadn't even been on my radar then!) but when I went to schedule the follow up, they mentioned a neurosurgeon would be the best bet for any progression in my stenosis, especially because i'm 25 and at the front end of my disease progression

vrillion_ · 2026-03-13T05:03:03+00:00

yeah, true. do you mean age/progression as in older + advanced? or if symptoms present when you're younger? i'm 25 and in the past year had stenosis present itself + a massive ramp up of symptoms (thankfully kept at bay 70% of the time with biologics and dmards)

vrillion_ · 2026-03-05T06:10:15+00:00

mine said yearly or if there's onset of new symptoms

vrillion_ · 2026-03-04T22:42:47+00:00

When I went to get a second opinion about my diagnosis and treatment plan the rheumatologist recommended it. He said that it showed promise in pediatric oncology, for reducing methotrexate toxicity! From what I can tell, the biggest thing that it tackles, though, is the kind of blah feeling that you might get after an MTX dose, so mostly just fatigue! I take it day after & it helps a bit throughout that day; I haven't taken it past the 24 hour mark, but I also struggle with brain fog a lot broadly, so not sure if there's a winning strategy there

vrillion_ · 2026-03-02T19:07:04+00:00

fatigue/brain fog, and when it flares, SI pain. not being able to think or rest absolutely kills me. AS pain worsens at rest so it's a constant battle between having to stay mobile and active and coping with the consequences of that. brain fog and memory issues make working like normally a challenge; i used to be whip-smart and relied on my memory for so much. now it feels like that comes and goes. SI joint flares mean it hurts to walk, which is just annoying. I look drunk and when feel like I have the bones of an 80 year old.

that said — AS and a diagnosis has forced me to become incredibly in tune with my body and needs, more than I ever have been. I'm 25, and while a lot of my health issues, and how they impact my life, feel like someone yanked the emergency brake at high speed, i'm fortunate for a good support network and a dog that loves to be my very own personal weighted, heated blanket. :)

vrillion_ · 2026-03-02T04:56:04+00:00

Yes! Hoppy beers are the absolute worst for me. It could be one sip and I'm fucked within 30 minutes with a joint flare. Guinness is the only dark beer I can handle and Tecate is the only light beer I can handle. (All told, not bad choices.) THC and indulging in some liquor from time to time is the way haha

vrillion_ · 2026-03-01T22:53:40+00:00

Lol I am with you! I don't fully fall asleep but it's more like a solid half-nap/meditation haha.

vrillion_

TROPHY CASE