Well the downward skid of my health just seems to continue... I've had moderate to severe back pain for about the last 10-12 years. I've managed it fairly well through the use of regular OTC NSAIDS (ibuprofen, naproxen, asprin) but since my diagnosis of UC I've been on the anti-inflammatory drug Lialda (mesalamine) and therefore has prevented me from taking any other anti-inflammatories for the back pain. I originally thought it could possibly be due to a muscle problem such as Piriformis Syndrome since x-rays and MRIs over the years showed no abnormalities at all with my spine. The pain, now accompanied by significant back stiffness, has become quite severe so I was referred to a rheumatologist by my GI doctor. After various testing I have now also been diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis in the sacroiliac joints, specifically Ankylosing Spondylitis. The doctors now want to put me on the biologic, Humira (TNF inhibitor Adalimumab), as it should treat both the UC and the AS... To tell the truth through all this, I've come close to just saying f--- it to the whole fitness thing. It just feels like I'm fighting and losing battle. With any luck I will eventually end up with a colostomy bag and a fused spine. I hate to seem overly dramatic or sound completely defeated but, well I do. This is no way to live, especially at just 31 years old.