Philip (Phil) England

I have been trying to raise awareness about Fibromyalgia for ages, and also have a car sticker in my car. In any health blog I try to include Fibromyalgia and how is it affecting how I am feeling. I have been a sufferer of Fibromyalgia for a number of years, it coupled with Ankylosing Spondylitis makes my life a living hell.  I think of Fibro as an amplifier for pain, seems to double or triple the pain I suffer with. Plus I've been getting more forgetful forgetting simple things like words and what I am doing. It also makes my body tingle and go itchy.  If I forget to take my gabapentin it's like asking for my body to be attacked. Why does Fibro do this to me? It's really affecting my life, I just hate it. My GP doesn't seem to know. Fibromyalgia seems to be shroud in mystery! If you suffer with Fibromyalgia , share your experiences here so others could benefit from anything we post. Useful websites to help: NHS https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fibromyalgia/...

Forgetting names. Losing words. Having trouble concentrating. You may have heard the term “brain fog” to describe these issues. Brain fog is a common — and often upsetting — symptom of spondylitis. What Is Brain Fog? In short, brain fog refers to mild cognitive impairment. It results in a whole host of cognitive issues, from forgetfulness to general mental sluggishness. Brain fog is not specifically a medical condition, but rather a symptom. It has been connected to certain inflammatory conditions, including spondylitis. Inflammation is thought to affect the brain and prevent it from reaching a full state of alertness. Many people associate forgetfulness and cognitive problems with serious medical conditions like dementia, which can be scary to consider on top of a spondylitis diagnosis. However, the cause of the brain fog is usually something else. One member wrote, "I thought it was the beginning of dementia. Now I see it’s not. Spondylosis is the cause." The Im...

Living with spondylitis, a type of inflammatory arthritis, comes with a long list of  symptoms . Alongside characteristic symptoms like back pain, a common complication of spondylitis and other inflammatory conditions is  cognitive impairment , or “brain fog." This includes mental changes like temporary memory loss, forgetfulness, and difficulty remembering words and phrases. Forgetting what you were about to say can be embarrassing, and not being sure if you took your medications can be scary. Luckily, there are some ways to manage memory loss and live better with spondylitis. What Does Memory Loss With Spondylitis Feel Like? As with any spondylitis symptom, each person experiences memory loss differently and to different degrees. Some MySpondylitisTeam members have shared that they feel as if their minds are in a confused fog, like one who wrote, “I have memory loss and fogginess.” Another member described her memory loss and brain fog as affecting mostly her sho...

Life with spondylitis, an inflammatory disease, can mean living your days in constant lower back pain as your immune system attacks your joints and spine. Unfortunately, because your outward appearance may not reflect the physical pain happening in your body, your friends, family, co-workers, and other observers might think you’re perfectly fine. One survey found that  54 percent  of people with ankylosing spondylitis felt that friends and family did not understand their chronic illness. Spondylitis and chronic pain can take a toll on your overall wellness and quality of life. A strong  network of support  is one way to get the help you need when living with spondylitis. Because the symptoms of spondylitis are often invisible, it’s important to be able to discuss your condition with the people who love you most or those who will see you most often. Understanding Spondylitis Pain Spondylitis , a type of arthritis, is an autoimmune disease, which means that...

I had two appointments today. The first one this morning, in Singleton Hospital, with Dr Nash (Rheumatology). He just wanted to touch base in person. He poked and prodded a bit to see where and if I was tender in places. He did find a few areas, still feeling where he located them even after 5 hours passing from the appointment. The second was a virtual one, a video call with physiotherapy at Morriston. They say I'm doing ok with the exercises I was given, keep doing them, but if I get in too much pain don't keep going, just stop. If the pain keeps about for over half hour after then I have done too much. I also have to remember to stop beating my self up over things that I have no control over. Things will improve, just have to give things time. With having Ankylosing Spondylitis and Osteoarthritis, coupled with a slight heart condition and also fibromyalgia (specialist today in Singleton said it seems it is a sure thing that I have that due to being lethargic, run down, pain ...

Well, my theory of being ok for the first week after doing my Imraldi injection has been blown out of the water well and truly. Woke up at about 5:30am this morning with terrible neck pain, which is also affecting the top part of my back and shoulders. Along with the pain, I have got like a high-pitched sound in my head. Not too sure what is causing it. Think it could very well be a trapped nerve, more or less curtain about that, but could be wrong.  This better go soon, doing my head in. What a way to start a new week. I am pleased I got out yesterday to see a friend whose birthday it was and his dog, Jet. If you suffer with Spondylitis check out this great site with a very supportive community   https://www.myspondylitisteam.com/