Hi again Beverley,

I really don't know much on this subject, but just from reading, it appears that Pericarditis can be caused by an existing inflammatory condition - an autoimmune disorder. Since spinal changes are usually slow to appear, I'd hazard a guess(?) that in your case the Pericarditis was secondary.

Low level fevers are a symptom of both inflammatory illnesses and pericarditis, and so would be the most likely explanation for hot flashes. I get feverish on and off throughout the day and have experienced this for years.

It is thought that female hormones likely have a 'protective' effect and may help delay fusion in females with AS. Maybe an underlying disorder is only now becoming more evident since you're post-menopausal? With AS, women don't always present a 'classic' pattern of symptoms (like men), so testing for the rheumatoid factor and HLA B27 could be useful.

In case they didn't mention this, it might be a good plan to completely avoid alcohol until you know all the results from liver tests.

Take care,

mig

mig