Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Flare ups?

I'm only 90 days per calander year and I've used 49. Ill be going on Ltd if I go back off I'm afraid. I'mim desperately trying to make it till March because that's when my 401k becomes mine

Maybe you need a prednisone taper. Has the rheumy suggested anything? Maybe you need a new rheumy.

You should consider getting FrccMLA if you havent already gotten it. It can cover you somewhat & protect your job. It also validates that yes you do have an ongoing illness with flares & you may be out of work from time to time. You could have the greatest boss there is who says, 'dont worry about just feel better' but if hr gets involved it can get sketchy. Trust me, I was burned when I didnt have it at another job.

So, like I said, consider getting it if you dont already have it. It will help.

I too am starting to flare. Havent worked on the diet yet, but will work on it soon. Thats still new to me.

Good luck & I hope your flare fizzles out soon.

Take care,
Kirsty

The nurse called me today and put me on a predisone taper starting today through next week till she can talk to him on monday. He is also a professor in a masters program at a local state university and is only available a few days a week. I would consider another but there is only a handful in this area and he is the best there is.

They put me on "vacation" since I had 2 weeks built up so it doesnt have to go through the whole process. I need to get on that just in case as you suggested. I also am having severe muscle cramps when I flare. Is that normal for the rest of you?

Definitely look into FMLA. It covers you for 90 days on a specified illness/condition. You have to have held your job for a year and have the doctor fill out the papers. I couldn't get the rheumy to do it, but my pain management doc did. You can use FMLA a little bit at a time, too. You shouldn't have to use your vacation for an illness if it's covered by FMLA. I have 200hrs of vacation built up and still don't have to use it if my absence is covered by my FMLA.

HOpe the steroids help the flare.

When I flare the muscle cramps are crippling. I can be walking and they just floor me out of the blue. They are so bad that I start breathing like I am labor to get through it. I look strange when it happens because it could be the back on one side, the stomach on the other and then a leg cramp all at the same time. I try to stretch out all the different areas at once, well, I am sure you are getting quite the visual, like.. a reject from cirque de soleil? Quite the contortionist from it yes!

It takes me 5 minutes to walk 10 feet. I am not really exagerrating. Its the a.s. shuffle! Heh, sometimes I get asked if I am a patient if my badge isnt visible.

So, yep, muscle cramps are big and bad during a flare.

Kirsty

where are the muscle cramps? do you mean muscle spasms? not sure there is a difference anyway? are they in your low back? buttocks? in response to your inflamed SI? upper back and neck? calf cramps? foot cramps? those are the things i deal with. ice and heat help the muscle spasms in the neck/back/butt. i've found no good solution for the calf and foot cramps though there have been several good posts on here suggesting things like stretching, magnesium, etc.

They are in calf muscles, side, back, for arms, and biceps. All occur mainly on my right side...probably 90% of the time its the right side

The other thing was before the humira i was on 20mg of pred for 3.5 weeks roughly and it didnt kill the flare last time.the humira was my first bit of relief

Well day 2 of pred taper. I actually was able to get up out of bed unassisted this morning, take a shower on my own, wash and dry my own body with no assistance. I am still hurting but at least I can move a little. I've never felt as helpless in all my life as the past 7 days. Hopefully this is the last flare up for a while