I'm in the process of getting a diagnosis although where i live this will be a long journey. What brought me to the suspicion that I may have AS? since i'm reading that women may experience differently AS, i'm addressing this question to women, but anybody feel free to chip in if you have any sugestion or input.

• lower back pain since i was 14
• the pain progressed through Uni as i had to sit for long periods of time
• as a kid i always needed to stretch, i even remember doing yoga poses i've seen in a book, or else i would get uncomfortable
• i have all the marks of hyperflexibility & i need to pop various joints but especially my back loudly to get some relief
• around 22, i felt a loss of mobility in my SI joint and loss the ability to pop it
• any high impact sports tend to hurt my joints (back mostly, but also knees and hip) so i avoided doing them
• i always enjoyed yoga, ballet, dancing especially belly dance (a lot of spinal movement and lower back)
• in the last 6-8 years yoga or at least stretching felt more like a necessity, if i would stop i would experience lots of generalised pain
• over the same period of time i had costocondritis (or so i thought) several times and many episodes of lower back pain (i thought it was sciatica or piriformis)
• in the last 9 months severe lower back episodes happened 2-3 times a month, with loss of mobility in the morning, 7-8 pain at night especially in the morning hours.
• some of the episodes coincide with the lutheal phase (high prostaglandins which increase inflamation and pain in the body)
• heart palpitations - feeling the heart beat very irregular and too strong in the chest
• i get tired very easily and have maybe 3-5 days a month where i feel okay.

For background, i generally have a healthy lifestyle, no drinking or smoking whatsoever (due to a skin condirtion). I don't have kids nor parents in care, moderately stressful job.

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