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Spondylitis in the top of the neck

Posted , 6 users are following.

jean17560
jean17560

I have been diagnosed with Spondylitis in the top of the neck its not the tightness or the pain its the way its affecting my balance!!!  I also have a inner ear problem so not sure what is causing the Virtigo or could it be a bit of both can anyone out there help before I go crazy thanks!!!

1 like, 28 replies

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  • jim93390
    jim93390 jean17560

    Posted

    I have the same thing! My rhumy had never heard of a patient having inner ear autoimmune disease so........ I got a different rhume. The new rhume. is aware that it can be an issue I have been on remecade for 12 years and the thought is that I am building an immunity to it so I am going to give humera a try. MY ENT dr, has me on betahistane (maintenance) and meclizine (emergency) for the vertigo. I have been popping a meclizine every morning just to keep the vertigo from happening, I am hoping that the humera goes it's trick and fixes me up. YES, these episodes of dizziness start suddenly without any warning. good luck.
  • Yogee
    Yogee jean17560

    Posted

    i am very interested in your comments.  Before being diagnosed with AS A , I experienced vertigo and my PC Doctor referred me to PT for vestibular training as well as prescribing  meclizine (which doesn't really help).  The  dizziness I experienced at that time is managed by periodically doing the given exercises.    Now, my concern is the ongoing light headed dizziness I am experiencing.  I have constant popping/cracking sounds when I turn my neck.  I might have aggravated 'something' in my neck by doing head stands in yoga (which I no longer do).  My current rheumatologist has no comment about my dizziness/neck popping sounds.  I have not been to a ENT because I don't think I can find one who will get to the root of my problem.  What type of dizziness do you experience and what does Betahistine treat?
    • EMT929
      EMT929 Yogee

      Posted

      Popping and cracking in ur neck?!?! Holy smokes! I thought everyone has that! I've had that since I was a kid! It kinda sounds like a fuller Rice Krispies! Is that it? Is that what u hear? I hear it and it kinda sounds like I'm 'hearing' it IN my neck. Do u know what I mean? Is this NOT normal?
    • Yogee
      Yogee EMT929

      Posted

      My PT says could be a degenerative disk in the neck.  I hear the popping sound when I do a certain exercise for tendonitis in my shoulder ...which PT said is not really normal.  Someone mentioned you are prone to getting tendonitis with PsA.......maybe with ASA, too.
  • jim93390
    jim93390 jean17560

    Posted

    OK to answer the popping sound:

    All Joints contain oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide gasses as well as fluid that lubricates the area where two bones meet.  When you put liquid under pressure (which happens when you put pressure on a joint), the tiny gas bubbles in the joint are released, creating a popping sound.

    It’s similar to opening a can of soda.  The pressure in the can is released when you open it, and the gas bubbles forcefully rise to the top with a pop!

    Betahistine is taken 2x daily and used to prevent vertigo...The meclizine is for emergency when I am having a dizziness (vertigo) session..I take one of them at the onset of dizziness/nausea.

    Betahistine  is an anti-vertigo drug. It was first registered in Europe in 1970 for the treatment of Ménière's disease. It is commonly prescribed to patients with balance disorders or to alleviate vertigo symptoms associated with Ménière's disease.

    Salt tends to  trigger the dizziness so I have cut way down on my salt intake, and add caffeine to the list too, cut down on that. The vertigo sucks!!!!

    Have you tried going to a chiropractor?

     

  • Yogee
    Yogee jean17560

    Posted

    Thanks for your reply.  I have not considered a chiropractor ..... I am thinking about going to a PT to address posture issues as well as determining what yoga postures are okay to practice.  I guess I really need to see an ENT, too.

    About the salt I take....my bloodwork showed I was low on salt and the doctor advised me to increase it...he said the lack of salt was causing my dizziness.  Well, subsequent bloodwork showed normal range for salt but srill have light headed dizziness.  So much for that.  Psoriasis has appeared since AS A diagnosis And I was also dealing with heartburn so coffee has been restricted......no change in dizziness.

     

    • jim93390
      jim93390 Yogee

      Posted

      Just wonderiing how the PT sessions went? I have an occasional vertigo and I pop a mecalzine when I feel it coming on and it dissapates. been on/off humara for 5 monthis now giving myself injections 1x  2 weeks and I cannot say that it is helping with the vertigo. I had a viral (cold) that lingered on for 5 weeks and I had to discontinue all of the immune supressing meds. but I am back on schedule. I am, going to push my rhume Dr. to try 1x per week dosage and see if this makes a difference. i have continuous ringing in my ears that occasionally goes away but that sucks too.

       

    • Yogee
      Yogee jim93390

      Posted

      Thanks for asking.  The vertigo episodes stopped and the lighted headed dizziness has disappeared.   I am on NP Armour for Hashimoto's which has improved my energy level (before I was on Levoxolthyroxine (sp.).  I do feel the PsSA is tied in to the vertigo, somehow.  after developing an ache in my shoulder, I finally sought PT.  diagnosis: tendonitis.  The stretching/strengthening exercises help tremendously...do them regularly.  Learned tendonitis is very common with my diagnosis (have already had tendonitis in quads and am realizing what I thought was sciatica from 5 yrs ago is really joint ache due to diagnosis.  Sorry about your ear ringing..have you thought about seeing an ENT?
    • EMT929
      EMT929 jim93390

      Posted

      I get the high-pitched sound in my ears. Idk what causes it or whether or not it's 'normal', now that you've mentioned it, but that's been also since I was a kid. I can remember trying to seek the origin and then, after a while, it just slowly dissipates. (??) I nvr told anyone because I thought it was normal stuff. I HAVE asked ppl from time to time, "do u hear that?" And they look at me like I'm nuts.
    • Yogee
      Yogee EMT929

      Posted

      I think  the high pitched sound that suddenly starts/stops is possibly hair cells (something like that) dying in the inner ear.....naturally occurs.  It occurred more often with me, too, when I was younger. The sound is really loud, isn't it?
  • jim93390
    jim93390 jean17560

    Posted

    YES did the ENT dr's.... went to 3 of them and the diagnosis was ???? not sure what I have going on. One of them did a set of steroid injections in my ear drum, sounds worse than it is: does not hurt at all he numbs up the ear drum before hand the only negative is the feeling of liquid going from your ear canal down youtr throat. Anyway's it did not help. He has me on betahistine maintenance drug and I take a mecalzene (sp) for emergencies. That seems to help, but I still have the almost continuous ringing in my ear and ocassional vertigo.I googled the drug U are on and that is for thryoid conditions. I could get mine checked and if it is an iissue that would solve my constant fatigue problem. Good thought I will check that out.

    No to make fun of it but did U know that NP Armour for Hashimoto's is actually dried pig thryoids?

    I do not know what PsSA means. please explain

    • EMT929
      EMT929 jim93390

      Posted

      Also, when I was about 8-9, I had a Ps problem on my elbows & knees. Our family doc gave me this 'salve' that stunk to put on. (Id go wash it off b4 I left for school. Lol)
    • EMT929
      EMT929 jim93390

      Posted

      Maybe when u call for an appt, ask if this dr specializes in these issues. If the receptionist doesn't know, the answer is most likely, no. I hate to see u waste ur time seeing ppl/Drs who don't have a clue.
    • Yogee
      Yogee EMT929

      Posted

      I, too, have psoriasis...lucky me.  My coverage includes a large part of both arms and knees.  Luckily, my rheumatologist has prescribed meds which have decreased the inflammation and spreading.  Am trying to figure out what in my diet makes it flare up.  So far, I know eating a lot of sweets make it itch.  I think the salve is called coal tar....I was given that for my eczema whenI was younger.  Yes, I remember it used to smell.  Guess what I apply to my psoriasis now to alleviate the itch....mixture of apple cider vinegar and glycerin (recommended by a poster on a psoriasis website).   It smells but it works!
  • Yogee
    Yogee jean17560

    Posted

    Disheartening to hear you saw 3 ENTs and still no resolution to ear ringing...and I am sure listed under practices each is able to address vertigo!  About 6 yrs ago, my GP diagnosed hypothyroidism.  It was the rheumatologist who checked T3 T4 in addition to Tsh in the bloodwork and said it was Hashimoto.  Regular GP don't usually check the former. PsSA...psoriatic spondylitis arthritis.  You might check around for a PT certified in vertigo...tell him/her it could be related to your type of arthritis.  Good luck.  Oh, my rheumatologist recommended an inversion table for the arthritis.....helps, but you can't lie on it when you are dizzy!!
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