Arthritis of IBD

After a long awaited appointment with a rheumatologist, a doctor who specializes in arthritis, I received an official diagnoses of arthritis last week. I made this appointment at the end of November, and this was the quickest I could get in to see this type of doctor. It can be very difficult for a new patient to schedule an appointment with a specialist for the first time.

I have written in previous posts that I started experiencing joint aches and pains almost a year ago in April 2013. My pain was mostly noticed in my wrists and in my left thumb joint. Slowly the left thumb joint became more stiff and painful to do certain tasks, like opening a jam jar. The pain started right after I weened off my last steroid Endocort, a drug I had been taking for quite some time. So, it seems steroids were helping. However, steroids are not a longterm answer.

In November 2013, I was having a difficult time washing heavy dishes, folding laundry and picking up a mug. My thumb really hurt, and it was swollen. A previous bone doctor who had seen me gave me a steroid shot into my joint. And that helped! I still had to wait three months to see a specialist to confirm the pain was indeed arthritis.

I have what is called arthritis of inflammatory bowel disease, also known as Enteropathic Arthritis.

"Many people don't realize that the gastrointestinal tract contains the largest immune system in the body. The immune system is the body's natural defense against foreign invaders, and it is somehow altered in people who have these conditions. Some researchers believe that the long-lasting inflammation found in the intestines of people with IBD damages the bowel, which in turn may allow bacteria to enter the damaged bowel wall and circulate through the blood stream. The body's reaction to these bacteria may cause other problems including inflammation in the joints and/or spine, skin sores and inflammation of the eyes. Currently this hypothesis is neither fully understood nor confirmed by rigorous scientific study(www.spondylitis.org)."

When my Crohn's symptoms were flaring, bacteria escaped out of the damaged bowel wall, circulated through my blood stream and affected my joints. Thus, aches and pains in my left thumb joint and wrists. 

Although it does not change the outcome, I always feel better and empowered when I have a deeper understanding of my illness. Knowledge gives me some kind of peace. I do not feel out of control when I understand what is happening to my body and why. 

When I asked my doctor if my thumb would ever feel normal again, he said, maybe, maybe not. He said that inflammation is very stubborn, and it may take many years for the pain and stiffness to subside. In the meantime, I can continue to be injected with steroid shots if I wish. He wrote me a prescription for a gel to rub on the joint three times daily. The gel contains Advil and steroid medication, which topically melts into the joint from the skin. I'm interested to see how the gel makes a difference. 

Knowing that bad inflammatory Crohn's bacteria can escape the bowel wall and travel through the blood stream is one of the most important reasons to do whatever it takes to keep IBD symptoms under control. Eat a healthy noninflammatory diet, regularly take prescribed medication and do not learn to live with the symptoms. The bad bacteria can affect the entire body and intensely lower quality of life. Not only can arthritis arise, skin, eyes and other organs can also be negatively affected. 

I challenge those who suffer from any illness to do what you can to be your best kind of healthy, because a long quality life is worth it.