Wasn't sure which board to post this in, so hope ok. I've had arthritis in my hands for years and now it's affecting my feet and ankles, making hiking and working out difficult. I've tried Aleve, which seems to do nothing. I'm cutting back on sugar, salt, alcohol, etc, but I'm not getting much relief. I don't do high impact exercise (like running) just long walks, and Pilates every day. Has anyone tried Celebrex or any other prescription medication? I hate taking meds, and side effects but it's to the point where it's really impacting my life and ability to do normal things- like take a 30 minute walk or climb down the stairs in the morning. I'm in my mid 50's and feel like 100! Advice or shared experiences appreciated.
lauragreenbaum
Member Posts: 984 Member
Member Posts: 984 Member
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It's good to know you don't have to take the drugs every day. That makes me feel better about it. I also take turmeric daily, and glucosomine, but I don't know how much those are helping.
Have you tried eliminating nightshade vegetables for a few weeks?
https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/healthy-living/nutrition/healthy-eating/best-vegetables-for-arthritis
...Eggplants, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes are all members of the nightshade family. These vegetables contain the chemical solanine, which some people claim aggravates arthritis pain and inflammation. However, most reports are anecdotal, and while it certainly might be true for some people, there are no scientific studies done to prove that they actually cause inflammation or make symptoms worse, says Kim Larson, a Seattle-based dietitian and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Spokesperson.
Nightshade vegetables are rich in nutrients, making them a worthy addition to your diet. Simply test it. Eliminate nightshades from your diet for a couple weeks and slowly reintroduce them back into your diet. If you find that adding nightshades trigger arthritis pain, don’t eat them, Larson suggests.
33gail33 - agree inflammation reduction is a life saver too for some if not many of us.
Laura op;- I've had to go the alternative path, my system can't take prescribed or over the counter anti-inflammatories, aspirin, ibuprofen and the like, I think it relied on the way too much in the distant past. They cause pain in me rather than reduce it. Having been told by the doctor, to use the things before exercise, being human I'd forget and did not get pain.
I use higher does of glucosamine with MSM and only recently have introduced chondroitin because I started getting discomfort in my right hip. I've had knee issues for over 30 years. Both glucosamine and chondroitin are in the more easily absorbed form. I've been using the combination for less than a month and the rising discomfort in my hip has gone.
MSM is, should be made naturally in the body its anti-inflammatory. Glucosamine, I've read, are little disks of/ within cartilage, chondroitin is the scaffolding which holds the disks apart, the two together enable "fluid" to pad the cartilage out.
I hope you find something to help you.
Hi- I actually don't like any of the nightshades listed. I've always hated eggplant and peppers in particular. I do eat some tomatoes, but not regularly and can't remember the last time I had a potato. Are there others?
Going gluten free has helped both of us with pain (I have pretty bad arthritis in my hands as well -- I'm 56 and my wife is 60). Eliminating fried foods, most sugar, cow dairy and eating more plant based has made our lives so much better in every way imaginable. We feel younger, move better and are able to enjoy life.
Turmeric, Tart Cherry are two other supplements that we regularly take as well.
Glenn Frey, from the Eagles, died from arthritis medicine. Not arthritis. His medicine lead to colitis and pneumonia.
Just getting out of bed was often a problem. When we built our new three story home, we tried to think ahead. We had an elevator installed for the future, and wood paneling on the stairwells walls so I could go down the stairs hand-over-hand on particularly bad mornings.
I began a stretching regimen every morning. I started with ten minutes then added more and more til it was often thirty or forty minutes long as I discovered how much I enjoyed it.
That led me to try yoga, which was great for flexibitility.
And of course, mucho weight loss didn’t hurt at all.
That could be really handy.