Hla-b27?

[drew_wymore]

Has anyone here been tested for this? My doctor decided to go ahead and test for this gene marker along with a CBC because I've had a few new symptoms pop up with the joint pain, swelling of said joints now. I've done some cursory research and there seems to be a link to IBD in general not necessarily crohns though.

 

[DanSJVDavis]

Hadn't heard of it. I get a lot of joint pain, mostly my upper back, which radiates around my ribcage, and lower back, sacroiliac and/or tailbone and hips, but sometimes my fingers and wrists.

 

[drew_wymore]

Mine is in my fingers, hips and ankles. I've seen some swelling recently in my ankles and hands though.

 

[soupdragon69]

Hey Drew,

It is possible to develop an arthritis linked to your crohns because both could be autoimmune (so I was told by the rheumatology reg I saw).

I hadnt thought about it until my gastro team requested my GP send me to rheumatology recently.

I have a provisional diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis and they will tell me one way or the other mid august.

Do you get any stiffness in those areas? Something to think about as I hadnt pre appointment. I have pain and stiffness in my hands, ankles, knees and shoulders now along with hips intermittently. There are days I literally cannot type and had to put a recent assignment on hold for a degree I am doing because it was so bad, some days cant bend at the knee fully as examples. When I get up in the morning I cant flex at the ankle or ball of my foot for at least an hour and on a bad day it can take to mid afternoon or not ease up at all. The swelling in my hands and ankles comes and goes and I hadnt really thought about my hands til the doctor pointed it out to me - partly because I am fed up with being sick and partly because I am used to it if that makes sense?

The HLA - B27 test from my research can be linked to autoimmune arthritis Drew so it sounds like they may be trying to rule something along those lines out. I have had an HLA checked and I cant remember if its B27 or not (sorry rough day at work yesterday and still tired). Had a shed load of other tests too including xrays of my hands and feet, other bloods and having an MRI of my feet this coming wednesday.

My understanding is that rheumatoid is an inflammatory condition where your immune system kicks off "they think" post infection (sound familiar?). It initially appears in the hands and feet hence my xrays and MRI. Have to say it really caught me off guard as I always thought rheumatoid was something you were born with. Keep in mind though there are many different types of arthritis and this is just one of them!

Please follow it through Drew and dont put up with it. I put up with it thinking it was just my crohns affecting other things - which it could have been - but it is better to get it checked out as you are doing.

 

[drew_wymore]

Thanks for the info Jan. I'm not putting up with it fortunately. Its progressed to the point where its causing problems with engagements and such. Mostly in my knees and hips, there is stiffness when I sit, so I can't sit for long periods and when I wake up I'm in pain. So we'll see what happens when the results come back.

 

[soupdragon69]

Drew the stiffness when sitting is called "gelling" apparently. I sometimes wonder how I am going to get up after sitting for a period of time.

Anyway, keep us posted. Hope you get some answers and some relief more importantly!

Thinking of you

 

[drew_wymore]

I will definitely keep everyone posted. Its yet another piece in the puzzle I guess :voodoo:

 

[milesrlv]

My former boss had R.A. and he was basically on the same meds as people with Crohn's in fact a lot of the current meds used in Crohn's originated as treatments for R.A. the two diseases are believed to be similar in that they are autoimmune diseases hence the similar treatments. Both causing inflammation just in different areas.

 

[drew_wymore]

I've noticed that in the TV advertisements. I'm hoping they find something with this test as all the other blood work has come back normal, the white count was high and there have been issues with protein and potassium that could be explained with the D I was having but otherwise all the crohns specific stuff has been neg so I'm holding out hope that we can narrow the search here, they haven't ruled out CD but they are unwilling to definitively say thats what the problem is either so the search continues.