Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Stiffness in the morning

Can I ask this?

When you awaken in the moring if you are stiff, which I am most mornings, would you also feel slightly unstable. I mean this in the nicest way, and I am talking mentally, not physically.

How can I put it. In the morning I do not feel like I am myself, I feel a bit like I have a hang over, thats about the closest thing I can describe this too

As this feeling lifts the stiffness lifts, does this strike a cord with anybody, or is this unusual

Kindest Regards

Joanne

Hi Joanne! I only feel physically stiff in the morning. I am eager to see the replies of others.

Craig

When I'm having a flare up, I battle fatigue. In the morning, as well as feeling stiff and achey, I feel groggy. I don't feel refreshed, as though I've had a great night sleep, that's for sure. I compare it having a flu. Not a "cold" but the actual influenza virus, when you feel so ill and wobbly and just "out of it" on many levels. When I'm not having a flare, I feel back to my sunny and annoyingly chipper morning self!

Physically stiff in the morning. Causes me to walk with a funny stiff-hipped walk (penguin-ish?). The funny walk goes away in 20-30 minutes, but the stiffness lasts for 2-3 hrs. But my mind wakes up nearly instantly-don't need caffeine. May be tired, but I'm alert. (And the world needs more lerts!)

I only feel the stiffness in the morning. I feel mentally sharp in the morning.

I had a feeling the replies would be contrary to what i am experiencing. I am not certain what to make of this. It could be a personal thing, I am not good with pain, and folk with fibro do tend to experience pain in an exagerated manner, or it could be low blood sugar, i am still over weight and insulin resistant, but the worse the stiffness the worse this groggy feeling is

Anyway, not to worry, at least i am not getting flares, ad my joit pain is very low, just my spine and hip mainly i am having trouble with. And considering it is them two i am thinking this is more evidence of AS

Love Joanne

I sleep for about 5 to 5 1/2 hours a night to which I am awakened by pain with stiffness. The timing is better than my alarm clock. My back hurts and I could swear someone had just kicked me in the groin. I first roll out of bed trying to land with the feet on the floor and limp to the bath tub and draw a hot bath. I soak for at least 20 minutes or more to loosen up. I then can get dressed for work. After about 2-3 hours the stiffness and pain subsides. Unfortunately this is repeated everyday. However, the rheumies are starting down a path from switching NSAID's to adding sulfasalazine and next would be the anti-TNF's.

Mentally I'm doing fine except for some fatigue.

Naj

Your description is very much what i am talkig about. Much worse with a flare, but even witout a flare present a bit.

Must admit this has improved since i have eliminated all starch and lactose

Boy I wish I had somebody in the flesh to share this stuff with.............. like a doctor LOL

Thanls everybody for your shares

Love Joanne

Usually just body stiffness, but in a flare I feel completely befuddled most of the day. And of course there're periods of depression which wear off as the day goes on.

Erica

This is what i was like before the NSD. Less so recently because I had been doing LSD. But even on LSD I felt weak and foggy headed.

But before LSD, flares almost every day to the point where i could not functio, not even think straight. There were times i felt like i was loosing my mind

Since NSD very clear mind, even i the morning when feeling stiff and groggy

This is why i will not ever be eating starch or lactose again

My feeling is that it is only in flares that damage is done to my back, at least thats how it feels, could i be wrong about that?

Love Joanne