I was diagnosed with AS in 1985, it was 2 yrs after I got out of high school. It started with low back pain and as of today (31yrs later) I have full blown AS. I've been on just about every drug there is under the sun for AS. I've taken so many that I've had 3 ulcers at the same time from the meds. I have been on Remicade for the last 5 yrs as I've been on everything else and this was the last resort. It has worked wonders for my AS but now my immune system is getting use to the remicade and it's not working as good as it use to. My Sacroiliac joints are completely fused together as is the bottom 6 vertebrae, I've lost 2 inches in height because my neck is going forward and my neck is fusing together and I can not turn my head to the right or left and I can not look up or down. My doctor said my chin will eventually touch my chest and be permanently fused there which it is half way there now. My neck muscles are getting stretched because my neck is going forward and I get BADDDDDD headaches from it everyday!
It inflames my heart, lungs, intestines and it causes a psoriasis type skin rash, I only get about 3 hours sleep a night because of pain. The thing is I can not take pain medication, it makes me very ill so I've had to suffer through AS and surgery's with out pain meds. I live in a MMJ state and just got my Card and it has been a blessing. The MMJ has helped tremendously but there is only 2 dispensaries in my area(within 120 miles) and the prices are outrageous and with no competition I don't see the prices coming down anytime soon, it's runs around $160 more an oz than what I can get on the street. Either way it has helped me soooo much with Pain/inflammation, insomnia, headaches.
No matter what it will not keep me off my SCOOTER!