Calling Osteoarthritis Sufferers

[fossyant]

Hi all,

New to osteoarthritis - now have it in my left AC joint (shoulder) following a traffic accident (on bike) almost two years ago. Have been stubbornly carrying on regardless, trying cod liver oil, glucosamine (trying this for 4-5 months), ibuprofen gel etc. Nothing seems to work.

Doc has so far said - oh take 8 paracetemol each day. That doesn't touch the sides. The local pharmacist recommended Voltarol gel, and that seems to help for a few hours (takes an hour or so for the cream to soak in). Seems good, but it's flipping expensive - £7 for a small tube and should only be taken for 7 days before seeing a doctor

I'm back to the docs tomorrow for prescription pain killers, and also going to ask for some cream with capsaicin (it's a pepper extract) as that's highly recommended. Or get Voltarol on prescription.

My steriod jab helped for a couple of months, but that's now worn off.

Anyone have any tips............ what helps you ?

I'm trying to avoid strong pain killers like the plague due to the problems they cause, and I'll not be taking them during the day - riding on strong pain killers is not good..........

The pain is bad enough to stop me sleeping and I wake probably 6 times a night with the pain. Red wine works a treat but you don't sleep well on that really. The other option is push to get the A/C joint operated on, where they remove some bone !

 

[Fiona N]

Sadly the only thing I can suggest is even more expensive than the Voltarol gel - when I'm in Switzerland I stock up on Flector patches. These are big (postcard-sized) fabric plasters with diclofenac gel on the surface. You wear them stuck on the skin for 12 hours during which there's a fairly steady drug uptake through the skin to the painful joint. So like the the gel but better as the patch doesn't get worn off on clothes/sheets etc. When my knees or ankle are bad, these are what I use particularly at night. The downside is that they're about £4 a patch (at the present exchange rate) and I'm not even sure they're available in the UK.

 

[yoyo]

There's also a great smelly cream produced in Austria called Stenol which is very good.

However, I had a colleague who had a similar injury and went for the surgery option which was very successful.

 

[Jaguar]

I'm trying to avoid strong pain killers like the plague due to the problems they cause, and I'll not be taking them during the day

I too have shoulder pain, and haven't found anything to completely take it away (surgery isn't an option for me sadly).

I'm currently on Co-codamol, which just takes the edge off the pain so I can function. The only side effects have been postural hypotension.

I also take amitriptyline (25mg at night, to help with sleeping, it's pretty good).

 

[Evilcat]

I have osteoarthritis in my hands and neck. Doc prescribed Meloxicam (an NSAID) which helps a bit. Have tried Diclofenac as well, although the only thing that makes a dent in the pain when really bad is codeine.

EC

 

[fossyant]

Cheers guys. Been to GP (who is excellent by the way - just so no-one get's upset) and we talked over a number of things, me explaining what I've been trying etc etc (glucosamine, diclofenac etc etc) since my last visit.

Cut to the chase, have a repeat prescription for diclofenac - it's Voltarol (equated to £7.20 per 100ml, not £7.39 per 50 ml over the counter) and I must take 6 parecetemol a day and move onto 2 co-codemol in the evening (so I can sleep). MUST is the bit I have a problem with, but I've got to accept pill popping - no more of this MTFU stuff.....

Surgery is still on the cards - GP says, oh get it operated on. I'm due back to Specialist in November, but I must not say what I can still do (2 hour track sessions and 100 mile rides in 5 hours ) - more what it's stopping - i.e. sleep/swimming pain etc.. Need to push the Specialist to have the op done. Basically told to 'lay it on a bit' to the specialist.

Anyway thanks for this - looks like I'm taking the right sort of stuff, GP said I need to build up the tollerance (with pills) until the point it does get 'fixed'..... Can't get capsaicin cream on prescription in 'my area' as it's on the 'black list' - i.e. it's not been proven to work - could get on internet, but you don't know what you are getting.

Anyway, any remedies greatly appreciated....

 

[ChrisKH]

I'm a bit late for this but codeine based pain killers work for me at night and miraculously when I'm in sunny hot climes the pain goes away.

My m-i-l has some ultra strong pain killers for her twisted spine which I've used once or twice which are fab but I wouldn't want to make a habit of it as they are addictive.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

You need to get a referral to see Mr Leonard Funk.

Despite his name, he is not a 25 stone black guy covered in bling jewellery driving a '67 Dodge Charger while singing to 'all the lovely lay-dies out there', but the best shoulder expert around.

http://www.shoulderdoc.co.uk

 

[chillyuk]

DLPA available from Holland and Barratt. Amazing stuff. Takes a few weeks to show real effect but when it does the results have to be seen to be believed. Vets have been using it for years to traet arthritis in animals but doctors don't seem to have cottoned on yet.

Some info here:

My link

There is a plethora of clinical and research datasubstantiating the extraordinary therapeutic efficacy of DLPA.

 

[Evilcat]

There is a plethora of clinical and research datasubstantiating the extraordinary therapeutic efficacy of DLPA.

Such as? Most of the stuff I can find is old with very small sample sizes and inconclusive results... I may not be looking hard enough, of course!

EC

 

[Jaguar]

miraculously when I'm in sunny hot climes the pain goes away.

My (constant) back pain is always more bearable in the summer. Winter it's just hell, and sends me down the quack's for some anti-depressants

Heat with moisture is particularly good for relaxing the muscles, ie a hot bath/shower

Olbas Oil is a good muscle rub too

 

[chillyuk]

Such as? Most of the stuff I can find is old with very small sample sizes and inconclusive results... I may not be looking hard enough, of course!

EC

There is a fair bit of info online. I only mention it because I used it for two years when I mashed my spine up, and I was able to function almost normally (with care) whist on DLPA as recommended by my dogs vet! All the usual NSAID's didn't touch the pain. Eventually I had surgery and thankfully didn't need it any longer.

the sentence I put in bold in my post was an error, I meant to just preface the article I linked to but got it wrong!

 

[Evilcat]

There is a fair bit of info online.

Sorry, but there is hardly any decent scientific information: studies are old (typically 1970s and 1980s), with small sample sizes (20-30 people) and inconclusive as to therapeutic benefits (one study showed little difference from a placebo). Pretty much every site I can find which has something positive to say about the drug is actually selling it, and most of the cited links are just junk "science". Some doctors also worry about the impact of taking such a "supplement" on those with diabetes and those taking any form of anti-depressant.

I'm glad you found something that helped, and I'd be the last person to try and gainsay someone's personal experience, but everyone should be wary of untested, untrialled and unproven drug therapies.

EC