Spondylitis Association of America Forums General Discussion General Message Board for Ankylosing Spondylitis and Related Diseases Flare up pain with stinging pain

I was just wondering if anyone experiencing a flare up has had radiating pain ALONG WITH what feels like a stinging pain. I am experiencing this in conjunction with a flare up in my SI joint, with the stinging in my upper spine/ shoulder region. Any help would be appreciated!

Radiating and stinging are both words that sound like they indicate nerve pain. I have no idea if it could be part of your SpA or if it is a separate problem that rears its head as a "downstream" effect of your spondy flare. Where does this pain occur/start and where does it radiate? Do you have any MRI results that indicate problems that could cause nerve pain - e.g. spinal cord impingement from a bulging disc, stenosis, spondylolisthesis?

I am very familiar with this. It sounds like nerve impingement in the cervical spine. I have stenosis and bulging discs which cause this.

Is this your first flare with stinging pain?

Ditto and its all the time here I am about to go nuts...nothing helps. I also get it mid spine bc I have thoracic disc issues here as well.

Have you tried neurontin? I helps alot of people...my dad being one of them. I can't tolerate it. Makes me loopy.

I would discuss this with your dr if hi have not already!

I have this and take gabapentin (Neurontin), which helps quite a bit. I have bulging discs, fibromyalgia, and muscle spasms in addition to AS, so I don't know what exactly causes this pain. Mine's in my thoracic spine and across my shoulders. It's a persistent burning, sometimes stinging pain. My muscles there are tender and extremely hard. It wouldn't hurt to get an MRI done.

I'd agree it sounds like nerve pain. I was in for my pain med refill this week. I couldn't sit in the room as my SI's were "on fire" as I am flaring particularly bad right now. She immediately said it was likely nerve pain and wrote a script for gabopentin along with my zytram xl. I am only taking the gabopentin at night as I can manage it during the day with position, etc. It seems to be helping so fa FWIW...

Thanks all for the responses. I am about three weeks out from a scheduled appointment with my rheumatologist. I have not been diagnosed with fibromyalgia or anything else but AS at the moment. My stinging pain comes and goes. I just started an internship in a cardiac hospital and really don't have the time or energy to have a flare up of AS, let alone possible nerve impingement. I will ask my doctor about the neurotonin. How well will that mix with an hour drive both ways and 9 hours of clinic time?!?! I am not a fan of this disease, FYI.

Neurontin (gabapentin) can work well on nerve related pain, whether of the fibro sort or the more acute/transient types like disc herniation/nerve impingement, diabetic neuropathy, or shingles. Unfortunately, it can definitely make you very sleepy, so if you are prescribed this med or something similar like Lyrica (pregabalin), do test it out on the weekend. As someone mentioned, if it does make you drowsy, taking it only at bedtime, rather than around the clock, may help some & is worth a shot.

Yeah, between work, families, etc. none of us have the time, energy, or desire for a spondylitis flare Given the intense and stressful demands of your work (and the fact that you're "on the inside") I would encourage you to call your rheumy first thing Monday and push to be seen ASAP. Let us know how you are doing!