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Crohns and back and joint pain

Hi I was diagnosed with crohns about 25 years ago. For the last 10-12 I have had increasing pain in my lower back when being up right for too long. Over the years the time I could stand or walk before pain has decreased considerably. I now walk slightly stooped forward and most days walk the short distance I can walk with a limp. I now have pain in my feet, ankles, hands, lower back around to my hips and knees occasionally. Over the last 2-3 years I have been backwards and forwards to see the arthritis doctor with little help. I have now started all the tests again.

If anyone would like a go at diagnosis any help would be appreciated because this has now got so back I hardly go out because I can't walk and had to stop working because I was self employed and had no one to deligate to.

This is really getting me down now I am 46 years old
 

Jennifer

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Hi mandy1967 and welcome to the forum! :D

Did your Rheumatologist do an x-ray or MRI of your painful joints to check for arthritis? What tests have you had done? Is your Crohn's in remission? What medications (if any) do you take for your Crohn's?
 
I suffered a flare up a few months ago but is currently okayish. It was very bad back when I was diagnosed and took a long time to get in control which wasn't helped by the fact I also fell pregnant. I then had bouts of flare ups but then went about 6-7 years in remission.

I spent 7 years telling my gp I thought I has arthritis in my back before I put in a complaint with them and then they sent me to rhemy. I wasn't aware at that time the connection with crohns.

I have had several tests xrays, MRI, nuclear injection (no idea what its actually called) and bone density. Had another xray this week.

I am only taking pentasa at the moment along with adcal and iron tablets. They has said its spondylo arthritis caused by crohns disease but this is very general.
 
Hi Mandy,
When I was rushed to the ER in july 2013 with severe flare and obstruction symptoms, the ER docs did take an MRI and told my wife that my Sacareliac (sp) was fused together. They said this was common in Crohn's because the immune system attacks joints in the lower back. My GI doc also told me that many Crohn's patients start to develop the disease 8 to 9 years before symptoms come out.
I still get the stiff back pain. Especially during a bad flare like I'm in right now. It's been a bad night. Hang in there. We are all in the best place we can be with this forum. :goodluck:
 
Hi I was diagnosed with crohns about 25 years ago. For the last 10-12 I have had increasing pain in my lower back when being up right for too long. Over the years the time I could stand or walk before pain has decreased considerably. I now walk slightly stooped forward and most days walk the short distance I can walk with a limp. I now have pain in my feet, ankles, hands, lower back around to my hips and knees occasionally. Over the last 2-3 years I have been backwards and forwards to see the arthritis doctor with little help. I have now started all the tests again.

If anyone would like a go at diagnosis any help would be appreciated because this has now got so back I hardly go out because I can't walk and had to stop working because I was self employed and had no one to deligate to.

This is really getting me down now I am 46 years old
I'm only 20 years old, and I've been diagnosed for only a year after having symptoms for 2 years, but the last year or so I've been having awful joint pain as well. My knees kill me! Even my fingers and my upper and lower back hurt a lot. They get really stiff and everything, and I also deal with incredibly fatigue at times. I always pushed those symptoms off as something Crohn's related that I can't control. I hope you find some relief soon!! :)
 
strawberrys78 have you spoken to your consultant about your joint pain? I have trouble with finger joints too but hoping they get something sorted soon.

I wish you well very soon as crohns can affect everyone differently it can make it a problem to sort out treatment.
Good luck
 
strawberrys78 have you spoken to your consultant about your joint pain? I have trouble with finger joints too but hoping they get something sorted soon.

I wish you well very soon as crohns can affect everyone differently it can make it a problem to sort out treatment.
Good luck
Thanks!! I mentioned to my GI about my joint pain but she seemed pretty unconcerned. I also told her I am always tired/fatigued, and she said why are you always fatigued? Felt like asking her if she is stupid lol.. Sometimes I feel like she doesn't take me seriously, but I have an emergency appointment to see her Jan. 28 because last weekend I ended up in the hospital for 6 days with a partial blockage, so I'm hoping now she will be different.. Obviously pentasa isn't working for me. The GI at the hospital told me that pentasa is more for large bowel problems whereas mine is in the small bowel (no one told me that before!) so it might be back on imuran for me which drove me to the hospital yet again before because of vomiting and pain (they pushed it off on gallbladder and sent me home when it was proven not to be, I'm thinking it was another partial blockage or the imuran.) The health care system angers me sometimes lol!
 
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