What form of arthritis do I have – any thoughts?

[SPDF]

Hi,

I am a 55yr old male, tested HLA-B27 positive. No previous family history of arthritis. Symptoms include severe inflammation in archilles tendons at insertion point to the heel (both feet), plantar faciitis on right foot, and swelling mid right foot. I have just started to get severe anxiety and panic attacks which is impacting on my ability to perform the really long, hard hours required for my demanding job. As part of this, I am also experiencing sore eyes (like they are inflamed).

As a result of the inflammation, I find it very difficult to walk, and do so with a limp and find it very painful. Some days are better than some, but others I do experience more pain. This has really only come on since September, so about 3-4 mths. I have had ultrasounds, bone scans (no significant degradation noticed so far) and x-rays. There is significant fluid around the insertion point of the archilles which is definitely not normal.

Yes I have read The New Arthritis Breakthrough and yes I am keen to find someone who will prescribe AP.

Currently I am on Mobic 15mg (NSAID) and am taking a number of natural supplements, which do seem to be helping reduce the pain from the inflammation: Fish Oil tablets, Krill Oil tablets, Evening Primrose Oil tablets, Flaxseed Oil tablets and a combined tablet containing Ginger Root/Tumeric Root and a few others designed to reduce inflammation.

So, I am wondering what I have? I am HLA-B27 positive, and there is no RH factor present. Of what I can read, the types of arthritis that HLA-B27 indicates is Seronegative RA, but then sub-types of ankylosing spondylitis (but that mainly affect the back of which I don’t have symptoms – yet, however it appears it can affect the feet and archilles – not sure if that is in conjunction with the back, or if it can be standalone), psoriatic (I don’t have any skin condition with this), reactive (I am not aware of any infection that could have caused this, and my symptons and pain are constant, not there for a few days and then gone, only to return – assuming that is how reactive works?).

Reactive arthritis symptoms do quite closely match my own, but not all of them. Again, I have no history of illness or infection which I am aware could have triggered this.

Would be really interested to know if any forum members have some clues/insight into this, as it will be 2 months before I can visit a rheumy for a more detailed diagnosis.

Many thanks in advance.

[lynnie_sydney]

SPDF
Hopefully John (who posts as DragonSlayer) will see your post and respond. In the meantime, you may want to check out his Personal History thread viewtopic.php?f=3&t=872, the links in his signature line and his posts (just click on his user name and then search his posts).

Be well! Lynnie

Palindromic RA 30 yrs (Chronic Lyme?)
Mino 2003-2008 100mg MWF - can no longer tolerate any tetracyclines
rotating abx protocol now. From Sep 2018 MWF - a.m. Augmentin Duo 440mg + 150mg Biaxsig (roxithromycin). p.m. Cefaclor (375mg) + Klacid 125mg + LDN 3mg + Annual Clindy IV's
Diet: no gluten, dairy, sulphites, low salicylates
Supps: 600mg N-AC BID, 1000mg Vit C, P5P 40mg, zinc picolinate 60mg, Lithium orotate 20mg, Magnesium Oil, Bio-identical hormones (DHEA + Prog + Estrog)

[SPDF]

Thanks Lynnie,

Will do.

(PS: shame the two Tassie GPs on the ‘list’ are no longer available!!!)

Sean

[lynnie_sydney]

(PS: shame the two Tassie GPs on the ‘list’ are no longer available!!!)

Yes Sean, but not uncommon. You will find that many people who decide to pursue AP (wherever they are) end up having to travel to find a doc with whom they want to work. I fly to see mine about once a year (twice in the first year, tho now it’s been 2 years since last face-to-face) and I do phone consults every 6 months or so in between.

Be well! Lynnie

Palindromic RA 30 yrs (Chronic Lyme?)
Mino 2003-2008 100mg MWF - can no longer tolerate any tetracyclines
rotating abx protocol now. From Sep 2018 MWF - a.m. Augmentin Duo 440mg + 150mg Biaxsig (roxithromycin). p.m. Cefaclor (375mg) + Klacid 125mg + LDN 3mg + Annual Clindy IV's
Diet: no gluten, dairy, sulphites, low salicylates
Supps: 600mg N-AC BID, 1000mg Vit C, P5P 40mg, zinc picolinate 60mg, Lithium orotate 20mg, Magnesium Oil, Bio-identical hormones (DHEA + Prog + Estrog)

[DragonSlayer]

Hey, Sean:

As lynnie says, I would check in and noticed Your posting–55 years old! You have avoided the worst of it! Yes, of course it is AS and nothing else but AS.

Now I have the easy fix and the hardest fix for You, but You should pretty much make the best choices, based upon knowing the risks and I would scare You well away from NSAIDs. Just see whether the GLA (essential fatty acids) help instead of these destructive agents. Antibiotics will work, but take them 2 or 3 times per day just before largest meals and I would for now avoid starches–but not to panic over them–just the four major poisons of bread, cake, pasta, and potatoes. You will put thing right right away and just consider all these years the only thing separating You from this disease has been good intestinal fortitude! Now You will heal up the tract once again and be right–just stay away from stuff that chews this up–and don’t get sick with salmonellosis or giardiasis, or candidiasis that can stir things up again. It all begins in the bowel for this disease.

But I get bored talking about it…

HEALTH,
John

[SPDF]

@DragonSlayer wrote:

Hey, Sean:

As lynnie says, I would check in and noticed Your posting–55 years old! You have avoided the worst of it! Yes, of course it is AS and nothing else but AS.

HEALTH,
John

Hi John, thank you for responding. Initially I thought it was ankylosing spondilitis, but was told that mainly affected younger men – 30ish, and was mainly back related where the back fused together to give you bamboo spine. I read that it can also affect your archilles as well, but it seems to be in conjunction with the back, not in isolation from it. I may be wrong, but that is how I read it.

Reactive Arthritis, however, does specifically affect the extemities and particularly at the insertion points where tendons meet bones, eg. archilles and also plantar fasciitis. It is also common to have inflammation of the eyes which I have. I guess both AS and Reactive are Seronegative and share the HLA-B27 gene marker, but for the sufferer, it all becomes a bit confusing.

Add to this these bizarre panic attacks I am now experiencing. Are they common?

[DragonSlayer]

Hey, Sean:

Younger men! Well, the truth is that AS can occur at any age. This fact is the conundrum experienced in the Norman Cousins case. Certainly, his AS began due to an ReA, but in susceptible individuals most ReAs will evolve into AS within 18 months.

The problem is that there is no

[SPDF]

Your comments certainly resonate with my symptoms John. Thank you for sharing.

I have had a history, over the years, of back pain (but this is over 30 yrs or so). It would flare up and then go away after a week or so. Recent X rays show some degeneration of the lower spine (a hospital doctor noticed this after a car crash a couple of years ago and made comment). However currently I am not experiencing back pain; it is all in the ankles.

As far as diet, I have been on a low carb, high protein diet for about 2 yrs. Brekky is typically mushrooms, a bit of onion and tomato and silver beet (spinich) lightly pan fried (in a smear of butter, not margarine), with an egg, and then onto a bed of smoked salmon. Morning tea a tin of salmon (95g), lunch – 150g chicken with salad, afternoon tea – another tin of salmon, dinner – 150g meat (bbq steak, fish or chicken) with boiled veges – only a little potato, but cabbage, brocholi, pumpkin, a bit of corn.

Supplements of fish oil, krill oil, ginger/tumeric, flaxseed oil, evening primrose oil tablets. Only anti-inflammatories I am taking currently is Mobic 15mg. Currently on a wait list to see a rheumatologist who on face value from what I can gather knows about Minocycline so is hopefully open to this.

I have also just recently started with a local gym and doing resistance training mainly for upper body as anything with the feet is pretty much out.

Be very interested in your regime of AP for AS. Is it different to the 100mg of Minocen?

Thanks again for your understanding and support.

Sean

[jaminhealth]

My 48 yr old daughter just tested positive for the HLA B27 blood test and it could be AS.

Her foot is affected but has no back pain…..damn damn damn…..she deals with so much and now this.

Now she wants me to test for the AS blood. I shall. jam

[Author]

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