Arthritis, Hosted by Xwordwonder

I've been doing research on the net about arthritis remedies (for personal reasons) I found this about GINGER, in addition to glucomsamine:

"In this Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine article Ginger, author Sharon Crawford notes that ginger, taken orally, brings more blood circulation to arthritic joints. She points out that its anti-inflammatory abilities have been shown to help reduce knee and hip pain in some osteoarthritis patients."

Did you know that May is National Arthritis Month?

In communities throughout America, thousands of people have participated in the Arthritis Foundation's Annual Arthritis Walk. On May 31st, I will be one of those people.

The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, region of the Arthritis Foundation will be holding it's First Annual Arthritis Walk on May 31st at Holiday Park where everyone will be walking to benefit the 70 million and nearly 300,000 children living with arthritis.

I am writing to ask you to lend a hand as I take on the personal challenge of raising $1,000 to support research to find a cure! Please visit my Web page to join my team or make a secure, online contribution to help me reach my fund-raising goal (http://teamjones.chariteam.com).

As you well know, arthritis doesn't discriminate -- it affects one in three people, including men, women, teens and even children. People turn to the Arthritis Foundation for information, support and resources -- you and I can help. The Arthritis Foundation has made it easy!

Your generosity ensures that the Arthritis Foundation continues leading the way toward prevention, control and cure of the number one cause of disability. Contributions through special events are vital to providing these services. Together, we can make a difference.

Thank you for your support!

Toni Jones
http://teamjones.chariteam.com

Two free websites -- http://www.ayudandopacientes.org and http://www.helpingpatients.org -- have been created to make it easier for seniors, needy and their caregivers to obtain FREE medications. Those in need or their helpers simply go to the free website, fill out a form and receive a list of free programs for which they may qualify.

This is a brilliant site which specializes in pain medications but the
doctors can also prescribe most other drugs via phone consultation.

http://www.1stmeds.com

Hello-This is my first visit to this site and this forum. Please forgive me if this particular subject is old hat to many of you. My husband has had two orthoscopic surgeries for his knee and still suffers daily from worn cartiledge and arthritis. I've been reading about liquid glucosamine and its supposedly amazing effects. Can any of you tell me of your own personal experiences with this therapy and also if there is any danger in taking this if you have an allergy to sulfa drugs? Thanks.

Hi! I'm new with this forum,hope always welcome as everybody else.I am not suffering from Arthritis but help people having unbearable pain with their parts of the body.I didn't believed before that Oriental Medicines and Theraphies might not do well for those suffering in painful attack of arthritis.To make it short I interested to study Oriental Massage as to put in my practice.So far glad to hear that it can help without the help of ICE and HOT Remedy.
Lou34

I thought I would let you know, I have been back to the Drs. I asked for a mild sleeping pill. I take it after i get home from work. I now get a full nights sleep.I am not up with painful ankles walking the floors all night. I feel a good sleep does help the pain. Although I am not pain free, I can handle what comes now and know how to control it. I also take my vitamins and herbs daily which help me alot also. Carry on warriors with your battle. You will find an answer, just keep trying!
gegs51@cogeco.ca

I am new to this forum so please bear with me if this gets to long. I have so many questions. I just hope someone of you have some answers.
I am 43 and was diagnosed 11 years ago with advanced RA. I wasn't given any forwarnings. I was at work one day and my left hand started to hurt like heck and my fingers started drawing back towards my wrist. I tied a piece of pantyhose around my wrist and then around my fingers to pull them back out straight. Doc said carpul tunnel but after 4 weeks he had to admit he was clueless. So I went to a bone specialist who took one look at my hands and feet and told me what I had and further tests proved it. Said it was sort of like I had been hit with a ball bat. No forwarning, just hit. Since then I have been on more meds than I can count and even now I call myself, every druggies dream girl! The past year has been really bad. I have gone from doing yard work to doing as little as possible due to pain and stiffness. To make this as short as possible, is there anyone out there that has severe advanced RA and that can maybe share their stories with me? I have a great Rheumatoligist but sometimes as we know, we need help that they just can't or won't give.

I'm new to this site (and haven't had the chance to read all the comments). Looking for information about joint therapy (specifically shoulder) by injection.

Quick history: I dislocated my left shoulder in 1995 while catching a baseball. Have had 3 arthroscopies to date. I have gone from regular subluxations to frozen, complicated with what the surgeon has recently determined as OA. Therefore, I am not a candidate for autologous chondrocyte implantation (which a previsous OS had suggested) and am too young for replacement (am 47 f).

Most recent OS has recently referred me to a colleague to undergo injection therapy to try to lube the joint so I can regain ROM without disturbing the arthritis. I'm scheduled to start treatment Aug 15.

Have been on Vioxx since Feb this year, take Tylenol (not much help), and apply ice every 2-3 hours to reduce inflammation.

The whole ordeal has severely restricted my daily life, but I am determined to lick the problem somehow. Any info?

I have gone through the gamut of all the old Rheumatoid Arthritis prescriptions 6 yrs ago,including steroids shots
& lots of prednisone. My pain got worse and my body stiffer until I signed up in a research program. Testing Vioxx & Celebrex for 2 yrs. I am now pain free, can walk again and work in the garden.
I take 200mg of Celebrex daily, Life is great again.

Hi did not make it on the 3 day fast...second night my foot went into complete spasms, the pain was awful. I had to take tylenol 3's at 2:30 am to get some relief. I think my foot is too far gone to go through with this fast. The talus is completely deteriorated, and I think after working 3-11 it takes a toll on my ankle joint. I am still drinking more water though, and feel better for it!

My ankle will not let me sleep, I just took 2 tylenol 3's. Hope they kick in soon. I am new here..just roamed onto this site and thought I would vent,and read a few posts. Thanks for being here for me.!

I just started a new treatment phase for my knees. We started with injections of cortisone in my knee and will begin the lubercation injections in Aug.. In the mean time I am on Vioxx and occationally moltrin 800. I was also taking glucosimine complex and large doses of calcium.

Hi,

Just thought I’d let you know another useful site : http://www.21stmeds.com

They’ve got a great message board that talks about all the online pharmacies etc…

Hope you find this helpful,

Fizzie

Anyone tried www.aaamedsworldwide.com ?
I use them for getting strong pain meds.
Don’t get me wrong they have been very good to me, but if we can let each
other know about good sites like this, it could probably benefit everyone in
pain.
Let me know if you have used them or better still any good sites that
you use.
Sorry if this is posted in the wrong place. But I thought it was
useful.
Liz

That I am still monitoring this forum.

Please share your experiences and suggestions with us. Take a second to post a message in the box at the bottom of this page.

The best of health to all of you.

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that I receive each day via email today included the following:

What Should You Take for Arthritis Pain?
CHICAGO (AP) - New treatment guidelines for osteoarthritis recommend using a wide range of drugs, from Tylenol to the controversial painkiller OxyContin, depending on the severity of the pain.

The American Pain Society's endorsement of opiates and heavily promoted newer drugs like Vioxx and Celebrex is among the strongest yet from medical groups that deal with arthritis patients, said Ada Jacox, a nurse who chaired the guidelines committee.

According to the guidelines, acetaminophen, or Tylenol, is the first choice for mild pain. Drugs like Vioxx and Celebrex -- known as cox-2 inhibitors -- are best for patients with joint inflammation or moderate to severe pain. And opiates including morphine and oxycodone, the active ingredient in OxyContin, should be used for severe pain that does not respond to other drugs or treatments.

The society said the guidelines -- its first for arthritis -- are based on studies showing that cox-2 drugs work as well as other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including ibuprofen, but with less risk of stomach irritation.

OxyContin has been blamed in highly publicized overdose deaths linked to recreational use, but Jacox said the doses often needed to reduce severe arthritis pain are small and unlikely to be addictive.

While opiates are usually associated with cancer treatment, pain can be just as severe for the 20 million U.S. patients with osteoarthritis, Jacox said.

Last year, the Drug Enforcement Administration and several medical groups said they favored potent painkillers such as OxyContin for patients with a legitimate need.

The guidelines were released Friday in Baltimore at the society's annual meeting.

Arthritis treatment guidelines from the American College of Rheumatology do not favor cox-2 drugs over less expensive over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen.

Dr. Thomas Schnitzer, a Northwestern University rheumatologist who helped write the American College of Rheumatology guidelines, said opiates "are fine if people don't respond adequately" to other drugs, but that applies to very few arthritis patients.

Dr. Gary Kaplan, medical adviser to the Arthritis Foundation, said the foundation has guidelines similar to the pain society's, but he said first-choice treatment for moderate pain shouldn't be limited to cox-2 drugs.

Based in suburban Chicago, the American Pain Society represents 3,500 pain specialists, including doctors, nurses and pharmacists.

Associated Press (c) iSyndicate

Marquisa, I agree with Yarka's suggestion to do swimming. It is wonderful exercise for someone with arthritis.

There is a program called PACE (People With Arthritis Can Exercise). Hospitals are charged with providing programs for their communities; contact your hospital and see if they know about PACE.

Dizzygirl, your doctor will have to diagnose your arthritis type. I have rheumatoid and my joints swell.

Yarka, I hesitate to endorse products. Here we merely relate personal experience and leave the diagnosis and treatment to the experts.

My best to all and thanX for your posts.

I am unclear ... I have arthritis and my joints in myhands are enlarging :(

What kind of arthritis is that?

Thanks

This may sound strange from a women at 55 but I have to ask for some help here. I was diagnosed with Rhuematoid Arthritis 4 years ago in both hips and both shoulders. It has taken me until now with many heavy meds to get to where I am. I have gained a tremendous amount of weight because of the meds and the fact I could barely move without pain, therefore, more meds. Before this happened I was very active. 5 miles a day and loved it. Now, I have started to walk again. I try for 1/2 hour a day, most times I make, some I don't. What I need to find is an exercise routine that I can accomplish as the failing is really eating at the emotions. Does anyone have some ideas?? I have started to take a couple of the courses through this site. Sweet Dreams, being one, but they want an "extreme"( to me) amount of aerobics. I need help to get my body back on track and if I can maybe then the emotions will also begin to ease. Help from anyone including people who are straightforward is welcomed. I hope I can find some answers.

Hope you all will feel free to share your concerns and/or information with us.

My best to all.

Recently I ran out of my gluc/chond caps and didn't take any for several days. In that time my joints became stiffer by the day. Last October I had a knee replacement op and it was all healed. But that knee became stiff too. This seems ample proof, although not scientific, that the gluc/chond really is helpful. duchessa

I don't know about you, but I am experiencing some serious pain. I think it must be the cold weather. Any thoughts?

My best to you in this New Year.

Hope you are enjoying this holiday season. My best to all.

that I am monitoring this discussion. Do you have any information to pass along? Any questions? Any comments?

All are welcome. We'd like to hear from you on any aspect of arthritis.

That I am still monitoring this discussion.

Do any of you have any experience to share? You are welcome to comment here.

My best to all.

I like your attitude. You have arthritis but it doesn't have you.

Congrats on making the most of your life. My very best wishes to you.

I have had arthritis and sactic nerve problems in both hips and legs, and ive been downtht road of everything, excerise, hot packs, meds, vitiums, ive tried it all and i live with it i go to my doctor and tell him to put something in a needle and shoot me with it so i can keep going, i am very active i retired a year ago and i dont have time to sit around, i travel, fish. and walk 14 miles a day 6 days a week weather permitting, i just came back from IRELAND where i spent 7 days walking and in and out of a tour bus, im suffering for it but i dont regret doing anything i want to do, just keep on keeping on

and I don't like unpaid advertisements in ThirdAge. I hope you all ignore GSo1han's message.

Shame on whomever he or she is!!!