The more stress you have, the more toxins your body gives off - the more toxins your body has, the harder it has to work to get rid of them - people with AS have a problem with toxins in there bodies already causing inflammation as your body does not know what to do with it.  I suggest trying to destress everyday you get home from work.  Yoga, meditation, or a hobby you love.  Those of us with AS need to slow down more often then others, the "overage" we accrue is not worth it.  The busier you are, the more 'me' time you need.  Hope this helps.

It sure does make a differance. I did ask my Rhuematologist about it and she said definitely it makes a differance. Right now I have so much stress,that I bring on myself. I want to get out of the house more and because it takes me so long to do anything I am exhausted and sore that I need to rest and then I end up staying home. Also I have a 32 year old daughter who constantly is in and out of a relationship that I allow my self to get worked up about it. It 's because she has 4 children she should be focusing on. I feel trapped inside this body. I sometimes wonder if my husband and I should move to a smaller house. That also stresses me. Sorry for going on and on.

I think it's more of a secondary effect but it definitely is there. What I mean by that is that stress keeps our mind busy trying to find a solution to our problems and that fatigues us. When we are fatigued we are less able to deal with pain so it feels like the stress is causing a flare, but I don't personally believe it is a flare, just an inability to handle the underlying pain that is always there

Stress plays a huge roll! The more stress, the worse you are going to feel. I try to do something that will relax me and put me at ease. I am no longer able to work, but even stress at home plays a huge roll on how I feel.

Oh yes definitly. I do think that stress effects your whole body! So when you have disease like AS your stress seems to hit hard wherever your pain hurts the most.... I hate it because I have been having stress days as well and my back and legs hurt..... We need a easy way to relieve the stress that is for sure. I have started working out which has help after a long day at my ____ job...

I have definitely found that stress impacts the way I feel.  When I had a more stressful job, the flares were much more frequent and seemed to last longer.  Of course, the fatigue was much worse also!

One of the great discoveries of the modern age was that stress actually does affect us. It even affects normal healthy people. At the upper end of the spectrum for those that ignore this, the phrase 'Stress Kills' often applies. For those with AS it becomes even more of an issue. You must become aware of all the stresses in your life and learn to manage them consciously and more effectively. It's often the difference between feeling OK and feeling quite terrible. I've noticed that even a minor disagreement with someone online can affect me negatively, so I've purposely become a more understanding and calm person for my own good. Learn to smile and think good thoughts and love more. Read poetry, breathe deeply, laugh, walk away from arguments and fights. Exercise and stretch gently, Rest a lot but balance that with not being immobile for too long.

Stress definetely can cause you to have a flare up.  I have a very demanding job (which I wonder how much longer I will be at), and particularly hectic weeks (like this one in fact) leave me feeling fatigued, naseaus, and in one monsterous amount of pain. When I know a week like that is coming I try to relax as much as possible the weekend before - do yoga, soak in hot baths and get myself pshychologically prepared.  It helps lessen the effect. Hang in there! And give yourself some I'm sure much needed rest!