Back Pain related to Ulcerative Colitis

[Nwicks01]

I've been diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis and have had constant flare ups since November 2009.  When the flare ups start my GI specialist puts me on prednisone at a high dose and every week I taper off.  While on the high dose of prednisone I feel much better but as the dosage decreases the flare up start.  

Recently I was admitted into Hospital with severe abdominal pains and weight loss.  I also started having lower back pain that acts up mostly at night.  The back pain is so bad that I have trouble walking and sleeping. My GI has run all the test and found nothing and is not sure if it is related to the UC however when the back pain gets the area of my colitis also flares up.  Does anyone know if this back pain can be associated with the Colitis? Or has anyone had this symptom before?  Any help/advise would be greatly appreciated since I couldn't get any answers from the hospital GI team.

Thanks

[Nwicks01]

Hi,

Thanks for the advise.  My GI did a few catscans, MRI, and ultrasound but all of this was done in the abdominal and lower back area and showed nothing (at least thats what the GI team said).  

From what the neurologist found, were they able to help your pain?    

I find that as my dosage of prednisone is getting lower the pain in my back is getting worse.  I have also been given pain killers (Hydromorphone) which is losing its affects as well.

Thanks again for the suggestion.  I will talk to my GI specialist to see if he can get me connected to a neurologist.

[ulcerativecolitis]

I was also diagnosed with UC a few months before you were.  I do not have back pain, but back spasms in my lower back, that I never got before I was diganosed.  I have told my GI dr about this and asked if it was associated with the predinsone, which I have been on for almost 2 years.  I would do the same as you, get a flare up and be put on a high dosage, then tapered off, and get another flare up.  The GI dr informed me that it doesnt have anything to do with UC or prednisone.

I was also getting migranes, and went to a neurologist and asked about them.  She did an MRI and found something wrong with my back, I dont remember what she said, she used very medical terms and told me as I was walking out of the office.

I am no dr, but since you are not getting answers from your GI, I would look into seeing a neurologist and see if they can run other tests that a GI normally wouldnt do.  

Hope that helps and get better soon!