I have AS and RA. I have to agree with the docs, as I read your description I thought of AS. I can tell you that the Methotrexate works great for joints where you have fluid (fingers, hands, elbows) but not as well where you don't (spine.) They have greater success treating AS with Enbrel and Humira. Have they tested you for HLAB27? You can be negative and still have AS, but it is an indicator. I suggest you check out the Spondylitis Association of America web site as they have a lot of good info from the basics to the latest and greatest research.
As for what to expect, it is different for everyone. Some go into remission, some are disabled, some have infrequent flares and others live in flare. I think it depends on the disease activity, it's progress at the time of diagnosis and how well it responds to the drug regime prescribed for you. I can tell you it took me about 2 yrs to get diagnosed and then another 8 months before we got the right combo of drugs so that I started to respond positively to the therapy. Even with a positive response, I have good days and bad days and, my new favorite, side effect days - days I suffer the side effects of methotrexate.
My suggestion for coping is to keep yourself informed, develop a great support system including friends on the web who suffer the same or similar disease and educate your family. I pray you will be one of the lucky ones who responds quickly and well!
I have had your exact symptoms for the past 6 years without a true lab test indicating any abnormalities yet there are days/months where I am disabled by it. My rheumy swears that I have anklyosing spondylarthropathy, but I disagree. I have been on naprosyn and now piroxicam. I use moist heat daily on my pain areas and when inflamed I use some ice. I have trouble sitting or standing, so I have to alternate almost every 15 minutes or keep moving. Yoga has helped some too...Hope you find something that helps....keep us posted
I also have that. Have psoriatic arthritis/Spondyloarthropathy. Have you started any treatment like methotrexate? Unfortunately this takes quite some time to start working but the doc will probably put you on a couple of meds. Starting off with a high dose of prednisone to help with the pain/inflamation until the dmards (methotrexate/biologics) kicks in.
I was on methotrexate for a year but didn't help my back at all. I am on arava now but isn't working either so I will be going on humira (biologics) later this year.
Good luck!
I was diagnosed with Spondyloarthropathy and now I need to know what is in store for me...does anyone have any ideas?