Disc injury, Ankylosing Spondilitis

[BhargavJ]

I'm 30 years old, male. I got injured in 1999; prolapsed intervertebral disc L 4-5, Schmorl's node. Had to take bed rest for a month, and the back pain and sciatica continued for at least two years. Even after that, I had problems, though the pain was much less.

Some time back when I had gone to see my doc, he said he suspected AS, but I didn't do anything about it. A few days back I met him again, and got an X-Ray; it shows the lower vertebras are fused. I'll get the blood test done in a few days; what I'd like to know is whether the AS will continue moving upwards or will it stop at the point where it is now? Can medicines check the spread of AS midway?

Right now I don't feel much pain, just that I don't like sitting on a chair. More than 15 minutes and it starts to feel weird and maybe a bit painful but nothing as strong as the disc injury. I always slump in the chair, but with the disc injury I should keep the back straight. My back is stiff, I can't bend much, and in standing position, I can't even lift a straight leg half way up.

I don't have a copy of my earlier X-Ray and MRI pics on computer, but I've got the pics of the latest X-Ray:

View image: SPINE Lumbo Sacral LAT 218
View image: SPINE Lumbo Sacral AP 828

Are there others here who have AS and don't have a full spine fusion?

Thanks.

[BhargavJ]

Got the blood results and showed them to the doc.

HLA B27 is negative.

The other reports that are not good are:

CRP : 17.0 g/L (less than 10.0 is negative, more is positive)
ESR (Westergren Method) :
After one hour : 18 mm (normal range is 1 to 7 mm)
After two hours: 32 mm (normal range is 7 to 15 mm)

Haemoglobin : 11.3 gm% (normal range is 13.5 to 17.0 gm%)
RBC count : 3.68 mill./c.mm (normal range is 4.6 to 6.2 mill./c.mm)

Rest all, including Liver and Renal function test, are all OK.

The doc said its Spondyloarthropathy, and prescribed meds for 10 days: Sulfasalazine, along with Naproxen and Famotidine. Napro is an NSAID, and I don't have any real pain so I'm not going to take it, and Famotidine is an antacid so I'm not taking that either. But maybe Napro is also necessary along with Sulfasalazine? I forgot to tell him I'm taking Propranolol 40 mg daily; will have to call and ask, though a net search doesn't show any serious drug interactions.