Do you experience gut issues with your AS or AxSpa?
People with axSpA are more likely to get inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) than those without it. IBD includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. These conditions can cause digestive tract damage, which could require surgery.
Symptoms of IBD include abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea or constipation, blood in the stool, unexpected weight loss, reduced appetite, and fatigue.
Have had IBS since I was a child. Sometimes it’s stress related, sometimes not. Days of diarrhea, then days of not going. I’ve finally reconciled myself to this.
Thanks for sharing your experience. The connection between AS and gut issues is being studied, and it seems quite likely that there is some sort of link. You might be interested in this article by one of our health leaders who addressed her stomach issues to help her AS symptoms. All the best, Kathy (Team member)
I’ve had GERD my whole adult life, even had surgery to prevent it from getting worse after failing all of the medication at the time. Chronic diarrhea and constipation followed for the next 25+ years. Just have been diagnosed with AS since February.
My father also had lifelong chronic GI issues, Reactive Arthritis after an infection after he was stationed in S. Korea and was much later diagnosed AS. I don’t think the doctors at the time were putting the GI issues and AS together.Reading stories like yours really highlights how much these inflammatory conditions can overlap. And hearing about your dad’s history too makes it even more interesting how these patterns can show up across families too. You’ve clearly been dealing with a lot for a very long time though, especially with the surgery and ongoing GI issues so hopefully having the AS diagnosis now helps things make a little more sense moving forward. How's your treatment plan helping you now? -Latoya (Team Member)
Thankfully, I don't have IBD, but I've has IBS my whole life. I never really connected it in the beginning. It was just a "nervous stomach "
it was awful during college. I could count on spending a lot of time in the bathroom before a big exam, but in the many years since then, I've learned to manage my stress a lot better. I'll still find myself with terrible cramping occasionally, but I'm thankful not nearly what it once was Thanks for sharing your experience. Unfortunately, IBS is something many people with AS must deal with. Do you have a go-to way of coping when an AS flare and an IBS flare coincide? Warmly, Kathy (Team member)
yes 2-3days of diarrhea a week
You are not alone. One of our heath leaders had similar symptoms and wrote about them in this article. All the best, Kathy (Team member)
