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i am pretty riddled with arthritis now. had a ankle fusion and a hip replacement, currently waiting for my 2nd hip doing.
seen the doctor recently, wanted to give me tramadol. i wont take that, i try not to take anything if i can cope. sometimes paracetamol and ibuprofen.
anyone use anything else for arthritis pain. any of the cannabis stuff worth a go.
co codamol? codeine with parcetomol ( but only occasionally - codeine is addictive and turns your poop into concrete
tramadol works really well for some folk but sends some loopy.
TENS machine? Accupuncture? Heat pad?
I am pretty dubious about the effects of cannabis on pain - anecdotal evidence is there but not a huge amount of real evidence from the little I know
tried co codalmol Teej, and codeine. toilet problems is why i wont take painkillers if possible.
hot and cold treatment works for my wrists/hands. but a bit hard to do for the whole body.
Nice ice baths from your local rugby club?
accupunture might help you
Rotten luck. What type of arthritis?
Was crippled with RA. Primarily ankles and feet. Contrast baths reduced a lot of inflammation IME. Get two ‘long’ buckets at least big enough to place your foot flat on the bottom so ankle is comfortable submerged. They enabled me to maintain and ultimately increase physio regimen. I also used hydrotherapy at local pool to deal with referred stiffness/injury.
Do them (contrast baths) morning, noon and night if possible. Religiously.
IANAD etc. Read precautions.
*Edit - not ice water, and not (obv) scalding water. Cold and hot. Some sensible guidance incl temperatures here:
https://www.verywellhealth.com/contrast-bath-in-physical-therapy-2696628
Have you seen a rheumatologist?
I was recommended one 18months ago who put me on some heavy duty shit called Sulfasalazine. Works a treat! Before that I could hardly walk. Friends had recommended all sorts of stuff; Turmeric, Pineapple extract, Collagen, CBD, but it was guzzling steroids that did the trick short term. My GP was effin useless. Go and see a rheumatologist, a good one!
Check out www.versusarthritis.org
Luckily mine is just my right knee, where I have advanced osteoarthritis. I only occasionally use ibuprofen. I used to get a cortisone jab in the knee but changed GP and this option seems no longer available.
Sulfasalazine can be really effective but it is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
If it's osteoarthritis, then supplements might help.
I used to give my dog the doggy version of this:
https://ace-canine.com/product/i-flex/
Seemed to help.
Heat pads can help ease the pain too.
I understand your reluctance to take painkillers but I'd suggest having a rethink about that.
If they help you move, then they are probably doing more good than harm.
Also, not to be indelicate but the slimmer you are the better when you've got arthritis, within reason obviously. And taking painkillers might help you not only move more but lose weight too.
I have RA but have not had symptoms for years. I couldn't ride as my knee wouldn't go round but i used to go to the swimming pool and do what I could. I couldn't rotate my shoulders so I used a float and just kicked a bit.
Edited to say: just read why you don't want to take painkillers. Could you change your diet to offset what the painkillers do to you toilet wise?
Could you change your diet to offset what the painkillers do to you toilet wise?
no - not enough. codeine is so constipating it should always be prescribed with laxatives.
Ton is not that overweight - just a huge man!
Wow! I didn't know that. Ibuprofen seems to have the opposite effect on me. Never noticed being constipated with any other painkillers either. Not that i'm doubting you, just my experience.
Ah, I see re the hugeness. Hope it didn't come over as offensive.
ibuprofen does not constipate - its opiates that do ie codeine . tramadol etc. codeine is really bad for it
used to go to the swimming pool and do what I could. I couldn’t rotate my shoulders so I used a float and just kicked a bit.
This apparently is why I was prescribed hydro-pool sessions as swimming pools are not near warm enough for the therapeutic effect. Hydro pools are around 34 deg C.
I once bought Mrs P a membership for a health spa which was advertising a ‘hydro pool’ but it was never warm enough so she cancelled her membership and visited the nearest NHS facility, which although much smaller was nonetheless at least fulfilling it’s own brief (insert all kinds of wrong punnage here)
^^^^
Yes, I remember it not being ideal getting into a cold swimming pool. And you had to be careful not to slip on the walk to the pool.
It did help to keep moving though. And mentally it was beneficial.
Never got referred to a hydro pool. I did join a private gym and used to steam room but that didn't seem to help.
it is osteoarthritis, not the other one.
started with it in my 20's, had a cruciate op after a rugby injury and it just got worse.
prior to ankle and hip being done i was living on tramadol, hence not wanting to start taking them again.
tried a tens machine, pointless. got heat pad, they work when in place. also got rotary massager, which i use with some ibuprofren gel ( placebo ). the massage helps a bit for awhile.
only time it dont hurt is when cycling.
I have an infrared lamp which definitely eases the pain, I'm currently waiting for a bilateral hip replacement, left leg is now considerably shorter than the right advanced on both sides, i can't even get on a bike, walking is also extremely challenging.
I can suck up the pain it's the fact i was very fit one minute and then suddenly a ****in cripple.
Doesn't look like it'll get done any time soon either, been waiting two years as is.
You have my sympathy mate.
Found another link detailing contrast bathing
Suggest to try it for (say) 5 - 7days and see if you get relief? I came to depend on it, along with diclofenac sodium. The foot-baths gave the most breakthrough/profound relief while the NSAIDs ‘smoothed out’ the other times
I use Marine Collagen which has helped me quite a bitwith my knee pain after I broke my Patella a few years back, but it sounds like you have it worse than me.
Seeing the previous comment about the infared lamp, I saw a Chiropractor with a K-Laser for a wrist injury at the beginning of the year and that thing is like a magic wand and may well help you temporarily if there is someone near you that has one.
the plant comfrey is a well known and free mitigater of lots of aches , swellings and arthritis , best used as a poultice on affected area , absorbed through skin to the area , people used to take it internally but not advised in large doses as can play up with liver , it’s certainly worth a go , won’t harm you and may well alleviate your pain .
My gran used to swear by nettles. Used to pick a bunch, lay them out on the kitchen floor and roll over them naked. Not sure if there is any scientific backing behind it but she swore by it. She was a bit bonkers though.
There is something in the nettles oddly enough. IIRC its two things - one the skin irritant acts like "deep heat" and also it sets up a histamine reaction! I wouldn't recommend it tho
I started using cbd oil 6 months ago, initially to try and regulate my moods, which are a little up and down.
It was moderately successful.
However, after a few days, I noticed that i was no longer getting any pain from my leg.
(Not rheumatoid, i broke it just above the ankle a few years ago.)
I had pain literally every day since, until this year.
I started with oil, but switched over to capsules as the oil tastes rank.
The capsules can be bought from holland and barrat.
There’s no thc, so you don’t get high or anything, in fact you don’t notice anything.
I have osteoarthritis in two places under my left kneecap, and I have a prescription for Zapain, basically co-codamol, and Naproxen, a stronger NSAI than ibuprofen. I was also prescribed some tiny little capsules because of some digestive issues, but I wasn’t sent any last time, and I’ve not noticed any difference. I swap between them, but even if I take Zapain for several days, which usually amounts to two in the morning, and maybe two later if my knee gets particularly achy, but I’ve never noticed any gastric issues with either.
Can’t say I’ve noticed any dependency issues either, for that matter, I just take whatever’s handy - having said that, Naproxen’s bloody difficult to swallow, there’s no microcoating and they’re big and dry, and tend to stick in my throat, I’ve chugged a litre of water to try to get one tablet down!
I have osteoarthritis in both hips.
I use Dyclophenac (not sure that spelled correctly mind) and that helps.
I use it before heavy rides or lang days on my feet. Seems to be the best anti inflammatory I've used.
diclofenac and naproxin are good meds for arthritis. Usual risks as with any NSAID
My spelling looks better lol. Might be wrong , but is more flowery !
I do find it really good though.