Cbd oil

 Cannabinoids are worth a try. it's yet to be determined if it's any better than any other therapy, even the biologics work for some and not others - biologics will block TNF or IL-17 directly, cannabinoids would have a more indirect pathway. Although unlike some supplements it seems to be fairly safe and has decent bio availability. Your tolerance of the side effects (depending on the form) are another issue. 

Cannabinoids as novel anti-inflammatory drugs

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2828614/

don't have time for all the references, but here's my alternative plan if I don't get back on Cimzia soon.

NSAID: 200mg 1 pill/day Celebrex (half the max) - a  COX-2 inhibitor known to be one of the safer NSAIDS - all of them can cause problems

Fish oil -omega-3

Chondrotin sulfate

Curcumin Longvida - other forms didn't do much for me (Meriva, w/ bioperine, C3 Complex), Curcumin isn't very bio-available and even the forms I mentioned here if they get in the blood spike quickly, like in the first hour, and trail off quickly over the second hour and minimal up to 4 hours in the bloodstream. Curcumin is a COX-1, COX-2, 5-LOX (maybe 15-LOX?) inhibitor. You wouldn't want to double up at the same time while your NSAID was working ie. Celebrex pills have a 11-hour half-life.

Skull Cap - works on NK-fb, but known to have potential hepatoxicity (liver). Can't find the study now but I recall that moderately increased doses didn't provide any additional benefit. I'd stay low on this maybe even have the recommended dose on most bottles 1 pill 425mg/day. Many herbal remedies have a risk of causing liver damage so I'd be conservative on the amount and wouldn't double up on too many.

FYI, if you are using NSAIDS or anything that has the potential to block COX-2/arachidonic pathway 24-hrs/day you may want to consider a low arachidonic acid (omega-6) diet. For healthy people I think the goal is under 1 to 4 omega-3 to 6 ratio. The easiest way to achieve this would be to get half of your total fat from 1/1 ratio high fat foods, like white beans. Also realize that your total fat consumption shouldn't be too high either. Think of it as a modified Mediterranean diet where you limit your meat intake to healthy fish (omega-3) and back off the nuts - walnuts and macadamia are the only nuts that come close to with a 1/4 ratio. Garbanzo beans (hummus) would be off the table along with too much avocado. Much of the info on low arachidonic acid and healthy omega-3 ratios will come from the paleo community so they aren't necessarily concerned with the arachidonic cox-2 pathway. The idea hear is while arachidonic acid is necessary and is used throughout the body, but when inhibiting COX-2 it pushes arachidonic acid into the Lipoxigenase pathway producing Leukotrienes and a different kind of inflammation. Your body just can't handle as much arachidonic acid when taking NSAIDS.

If you have any constipation issues, you may consider drugs like Trulance or Linzess as they've shown to reduce pain via the ganglion nerve connection to the spine. I've personally switched from Amitiza to Kiwi fruit  - I had side effects from Linzess and couldn't get approved for Trulance (it's new). 

The kiwi fruit peptide kissper displays anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects in in-vitro and ex-vivo human intestinal models

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3927908/#b35

Hi Gillian,

I've been using cannabis oil for 8 months now and they work very well for me.  I have ankylosing spondylitis, polymyalgia and also giant cell arteritis.  Ive been on Palexia (opiod) for over a year now and it was affecting the part of my brain that controls respiration (lots of breathlessness and all the respiratory tests I have done have indicated a restrictive breathing problem just like interstitial lung disease yet all the xrays etc were clear - had the specialists scratching their heads)So decided to give the cannabis oils a try and wen myself off the opiods.  Ive cut the opiods down by half and going to cut back further.  I take cold pressed oil twice a day under my tongue and also five drops of the hot pressed oil(it contains THC).  Ive found they help a lot with the pain and the hot pressed oil gives me a slight feeling of wellness.  If I have a flare I increase the hot pressed oil by 4 more drops.  Ive also noticed that I dont get as many flares.  I've changed to a GP who is very supportive of me using the oils and my rheumatologist thinks its great that I'm cutting back on the opiods.  Ive recently been in hospital with polymyalgia with giant cell arteritis and now I'm weaning off the prednisone _ I've got the moon face again!  The other reason for taking the oils is that I cant take regular Celebrex because of a past stomach ulcer.

Hope this info helps you.  Good luck!

I started having roving pain from my hip to my ribs to my spine six months ago. I am 67 years old and in a debilitated state. AS has been  diagnosed. Has CBD oil helped you?