Hi Ginny:
I don't know if you'll check your mail before you go on vacation. If
you don't comment or post again, I'll know you didn't read this and will
repost in a week or so.
Celebrex just came out on the market Dec 1998 so I would expect to hear
anything about it. It's supposed to not irritate the GI tract the way
the other nonsteroidals do and does not interfere with coumadin. I
haven't seen any info on it, its not in the drug reference books at work
yet. I read on the Internet drug data base that oen side effect is
headache, another diarrhea, another dyspepsia. (?) I did have some
heartburn tonight and immediately thought of the drug.
So you have the arthritis in the spine stuff too-interesting. if I were
you I'd have myself diagnosed with Crohn's for sure. I can't remember
if you said they ever checked your small intestine. I know you've had a
colonoscopy and an endoscopy but what about the middle of the small
intestine? I think I told the story of the woman who came into the
hospital and it turned out to be crohn's of the jejeunem, diagnosed by
CT. She had no other symptoms typical of crohn's besides pain and
occult bleeding.
I don't think there is anything I have that suggests MS. I'm sure I do
have some type of immune process. The IGG has been elevated since the
1970's, but inflammtory tests are not remarkable. My sed rate is
borderline normal-high and my c-reactive protein is normal. But I've
never had documented joint inflammation before, nor did I ever have back
pain. The rheumatologist I saw 10 years ago refused to do a bone scan
on me.
I hope you have a nice, relaxing vacation!