For those who have arthritis

I was diagnosed a few months ago with arthritis in my right hip. My underlying illness is still undiagnosed, my GI thinks Crohn's or microscopic colitis are likely. I'm assuming that the gut illness and the arthritis are probably linked in some way since I am pretty young to have arthritis (I'm 31) and the hip pain didn't start until I was well into this gut illness.

So my arthritis has been pretty easy to manage (up until now). I've been doing exercises twice a day per my physical therapist and just taking Tylenol to take the edge off the pain. But yesterday, my arthritis pain went from a dull ache to a sharp poking pain. I was sitting at my desk at work when suddenly it felt like my keys in my pocket had shifted and were sharply poking me in the hip - but when I put my hand in my pocket to adjust my keys, I found they weren't the culprit. Since I was just sitting at my desk when this happened, I don't think I over-exerted myself or injured myself. I'm not sure why the pain suddenly got sharper, but it's been like that for going on 24 hours now.

I'm wondering if anybody else with arthritis has experienced this? Does your pain go from dull to sharp? Does it happen often? Is there anything you do to relieve the pain, such as ice or heat, rest or exercise? Should I call my GP or my physical therapist?

I have arthritis and the pain does change for me but not usually as quickly as you said. It takes me to be sat down in one position for a while or when I have been to sleep. I would talk to your doctor. Have they discussed putting you on any other medication to treat the arthritis? I am on humira at the moment that helps my crohn's and arthritis. I also find if the pain gets very bad to do very gentle movements even if I'm just lying down trying to bend my leg up and down slowly and gradually increasing the movement sometimes that helps for me.

Hope you feel better soon x

Thanks for responding! No, they haven't discussed putting me on any meds yet. When I was diagnosed with arthritis, my GP said it's mild and he told me to take Tylenol (I believe it's called paracetamol in the UK) for the pain or to use an over-the-counter arthritis cream. I don't think Humira is an option for me right now since my gut illness is still undiagnosed and my GI doesn't want to put me on any hardcore IBD meds until I am diagnosed. I see my GI on Monday so I'll talk with him then, but if it gets worse in the meantime I'll call my GP and see what he has to say about this. Thanks!

What you're describing sounds like me-enteropathic arthritis. Which basically means that with Crohn's comes this arthritis. For me it is more debillitating than the gut issues-has your doctor recommended any tests? I had ultrasounds and a bone density scan.

The cause of the sharp pain is usually from a bone spurr. Mine also comes with an overall stiffness and an inability to move; not just stiff, but physically incapable of movement. It's usually a forerunner to a bowel flare.

These extraintestinal symptoms can help lead the doctor to a diagnosis, so be sure your GI knows what's happening to you.

Thanks Jeannette! I did some googling on bone spurs and it says they can be diagnosed with an xray, so I'll definitely ask my GI about that on Monday when I see him.

I'm actually feeling somewhat better today and am wondering if I was over-exercising my hips which led to the pain. My physical therapist is having me do my exercises twice a day, 10 to 20 reps of each exercise on each side. I've faithfully been doing them, and trying to do 20 reps of each, but have been feeling worse and worse. I didn't exercise last night or this morning, and voila I started feeling better! So I'm going to take a few more days off from my exercises and see if I continue to improve. I will discuss all this with my GI and my physical therapist and probably my GP as well... phew!

Oh, and I certainly hope this isn't a precursor to a flare like you said! Although the timing is good, since I already have a GI appointment set up. My GI hasn't yet seen me in a full flare, he's always booked up when I flare and I end up seeing my GP or just going to urgent care. So if I do flare, in a way that'd be good I guess.

Well, I hope not too! The only good thing is the doctor could see you when the symptoms are there-even then it doesn't necessarily mean a difinitive diagnosis.

For me Crohn's was elusive for a long time-I would have a flare, wait about 6 weeks for my GI appointment, and by then it would be over, all the labs would ne returning to normal. I had horrible symptoms but no PROOF the doctors wanted-until I had an an abdominal hysterectomy and the surgeon saw Crohn's damage and inflammation on the outside of the bowel-can you believe that mess?

It's like when your car makes a funny noise and when you take it to the mechanic it stops...go figure.

Jeannette, that's where I am now - I have symptoms of an IBD (and have ruled out other stuff such as Addison's and Celiac) and I know that I respond well to steroids - I've tried both pred and Entocort and responded well to both. I know that Entocort only works in a specific area of the intestine and my GI has said because of this that I most likely have Crohn's or microscopic colitis (UC has been ruled out because I don't bleed). But, like you said, all of my tests have come back normal and I don't have absolute PROOF that I have CD or MC. It's awful that you had to have surgery to get diagnosed, I hope it doesn't come down to that for me!

I do feel a bit worse today so I am wondering if a flare is approaching after all - I'm having more abdo pain, nausea, and weakness today. If it is, so be it, at least then my GI will be able to see in person what a flare is like for me.

Thanks again for all your advice! I really appreciate it. Sometimes I feel like my body is just completely falling apart, and in a way it's nice to know that others have gone through the same things and have gotten through it. I hate that others have to experience this too, but it's nice to know that I'm not crazy and/or dying.

Don't know if this will be of help, but have read a few times of others finding relief from arthritis after avoiding grains. One example from Tom Naughton:

"Weekend Bonus: Grains and Arthritis"

http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/2011/05/14/weekend-bonus-grains-and-arthritis/