Are my pain levels consistent with Crohn's?

[rowdyirish1]

Hi,
My question is to those of you with CD or CD with AS. I'm not sure what my triggers are but I believe that Metamucil is one of them believe it or not.
Anyways, when the inflammation is at it's worst it feels like the skin on my back just below my ribs is pressure sensitive.
I am having trouble trying to find a place (in the house) to sleep. I can't sleep on either side because I tend to wake up with more pain but I'm finding that I can't sleep on my back either because ANY pressure on my back is excruciating! Even my recliner has this cushion that hits right below my ribs when I recline back in it.
Are any of you experiencing this same type of pain? Like the bowels are so swollen that you can't even touch the skin on the back or abdomen? If so, how do you sleep at night?

 

[afidz]

I have both as well (assuming you mean Ankilosing Spondylitis) The skin on my lower back gets very sensitive and I feel like I have bee punched in the same spot over and over again.
What meds are you on? What country do you live in?
I am on Remicade, it treats both diseases and as been my saving grace with AS. In between doses of Remicade, sometimes I take prednisone because of the swelling in my back. Laying on and ice pack has really helped too.

 

[rowdyirish1]

I have both as well (assuming you mean Ankilosing Spondylitis) The skin on my lower back gets very sensitive and I feel like I have bee punched in the same spot over and over again.
What meds are you on? What country do you live in?
I am on Remicade, it treats both diseases and as been my saving grace with AS. In between doses of Remicade, sometimes I take prednisone because of the swelling in my back. Laying on and ice pack has really helped too.

Exactly... That is a very good analogy like deep bruises from repeatedly being punched. I'm in the U.S and currently prescribed Humira and Methotrexate however the Humira is pending approval from the insurance company. I'm tapering off of prednisone because the GI doc says I've been on it way too long! Honestly the prednisone at higher levels has been the ONLY thing that has brought any relief to the areas affected by the Ankylosing Spondylitis. I have got to the point that I dread going to bed at night.. Simply rolling over or getting up to use the bathroom can be excruciating! I have tried the heating pad but not the ice pack. I will definitely try it tonight thanks for the heads up!

 

[rowdyirish1]

I have both as well (assuming you mean Ankilosing Spondylitis) The skin on my lower back gets very sensitive and I feel like I have bee punched in the same spot over and over again.
What meds are you on? What country do you live in?
I am on Remicade, it treats both diseases and as been my saving grace with AS. In between doses of Remicade, sometimes I take prednisone because of the swelling in my back. Laying on and ice pack has really helped too.

I tried the ice packs last night and after getting comfortable with cold it worked real well thank you. I have these large sheets (12inX12in) that are filled with some sort of cellulose and swell when soaked. They remind me of a patchwork quilt and they stay frozen for quite some time. The good thing is they are flexible so I was able to put one on both my chest and back and they conformed to my body. Then I just wrapped an ace bandage to keep them in place and went to bed. Like I said once I got comfortable with the cold they worked very well and kept the pain to a minimum. I feel stupid for not thinking of it sooner but I was thinking heat not cold. I guess the last thing you want to consider is sleeping on something frozen when you get in bed. So I wanted to thank you for the advise.

 

[afidz]

I meant to respond to you last night, but I was in bed on my phone and I didn't want to have typos all over the place. Generally with joint or back pain, heat is a bad idea. Heat ca make inflammation worse. When something is inflamed, it doesn't have the flexibility to move because its bigger than it should be. Ice constricts, doing the opposite. I am really glad that it helped. I know all too well what you are going through.
Hopefully Humira helps. If you don't start to feel better right away, do't be discouraged. It can take a while before you start noticing any changes. Just keep the lines of communication open with your doctor. Tell him everything you feel, good and bad so he can tell if its working or not