Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Woke up screaming last night.

I just started the MTX yesterday evening.. Obvioulsy, it will be a while before it starts to work. My rheumy said a week to two or three weeks.. The pamphlet from the pharmacy said up to months... Aye.. (anybody have any experience with this drug?)
Last night was one of those nights that I haven't experienced in a couple months. I couldn't find a comfortable position, did the pillow between the legs, popped a couple vicodin and prayed to for sleep to relieve me for a few hours...
I wrote a few weeks ago about my right hip going numb when I lay on it and a few said that it was the tissue response to the inflammation.. Made sense.. Now it's pretty much numb all the time. I fell a sleep with a tube of chapstick in my pocket last night and apparently it snaked its way up just enough, best I can figure and lodged itself right in that sweet spot on my hip.. I went to role over and experienced such a sharp, burning pain I literally screamed... It felt like someone was trying to brand me! And I don't scream.. I mean.. You have to dangle me off the side of a cliff and threaten to let go before I'll scream... My poor boyfriend hit the ceiling.. We didn't know what to make of it..
Thwarted by a tube of chapstick... Oh boy.. Such good stories to tell the grandkids... If we have any.. Boyfriend says, kids? we can't have kids! You can't support your own weight.. Think of having a belly.. And carrying the kids and chasing them around..
He thinks kids are a bad idea.. Not that I want a kid anytime soon (like, in the next five years), I got an IUD for a reason.. And now the MTX, as I understand it, is so potent, I have to stop it 6 months before I 'plan' to become pregnant.. Oy..
Alright, well.. I'm going to go lay down for a little while longer.. Despite how exhausted I am, I only got about three hours of sleep last night.. Nothing much to do but sit around the house.. It's been raining since late Thursday night.
I want a sunny day at the beach, with my dog and my old weight (so I can wear that two piece I finally got the guts to buy last year) and a picnic and a beer and a frisbee... I want to be normal again, for one day.....

Hi Chelsie, Oh I feel your pain girl. I had that same thing happen to me a few weeks ago with my left hip. When I talked to my Dr. about it she said that it was most likely the nerves going haywire. I also have really bad sciatica most days so she put me on some stuff called Lyrica, the burning pain is now gone, the sciatic pain is pretty much gone, so I think it is working to a degree. If you look it up in the pharmacy forum you'll see some posts from myself and manatee. So far I haven't had any horrible side effects but Cindy said it took awhile for hers to come up.

Anyways, Good Luck, I hope you can get some sleep and relief soon.
Jill

Hi Chelsie!
i was on mtx for almost two years. I started out using the pill form....it did not agree with my stomach, after three months of vomittng i switched to injections...oh so much better. I found the mtx worked well after my body became accustomed to it...for me the pain level went down within a month but i was very sick and tired for almost 6 months. But then my quality of life improved big time! I was able to return to work full time...woo hoo!..... Speaking of babies! I was really worried about becoming pregnant while on mtx i was on the pill and used condoms because i was afraid of getting pregnant. My rheumy laughed at me and told me that recently they did a study in france on mtx and pregnancy and if you stopped using within three months it was unlikely to have side effects(i didn't research myself just took his word!) I stopped taking mtx about 9 months ago because my partner and i decided to try getting pregnant...we are still praticing! Anyway i did like my life on mtx, i hope it works for you SOON
gambit

I hope that you have managed to get some rest after going through such an horrendous pain episode. All of this pain really sucks.

I have had my pain spasms for a week. I am getting better but still need the walking stick first thing in the morning. I am popping Neurontin, plus a low dose of diazepam. I am not sure if the diazepam is working but the spasms are a lot better.

I agree with the others that it sounds like there is some kind of nerve involvemnet. I am not surprised that you nearly went through the roof in that situation.

I find that when I am sitting or lying still the pain seems to just spread everywhere. I had trouble trying to turn over, and I could not move the left side of my body. That is why I banished myself to the single bed in another bedroom.

I have some sleeping pills on hand if I need them. Despite the pain I have not been using them over the week. I have been popping my herbal medications, as well as DIGESIC or CAPADEX. I discovered that I had a packet of Mersyndol on hand, and I do find that it is very effective in these situations. In fact when I get one of those headaches it is the only product that seems to work for me.

I know it will be hard to achieve, but try and do it anyway. What you need to do is work on your pelvic floor muscles. I am trying very hard with the abs and the pelvic floor muscles. It is easy to pull them in and hold whilst sitting at the computer, or in the car or elsewhere. I find that if I do not try to pull them in that I am in more pain.

I am not sure what to say about the shoulder pain. I suffer a lot from neck and shoulder pain, and my right shoulder went numb during the pain spasms over the past week. I do know that making the effort to stretch the ligaments will help the pain. It may not happen immediately but it will happen.

Hope you feel better soon.

Maggie in Oz in pain