The cortisone wore off. It lasted maybe 5-6 months. I’ve got it in one finger. I hope the doc has got some bright ideas because this just plain sucks. What’s the best relief you’ve found? I need some help until I see the doc again.

I've been using diclofenac cream. Lots of it.

I go next week to get tested for Lyme Disease as my joints hurt so badly and xrays show plenty of joint material left, but I'm scourged with bone spurs.

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
I've been using diclofenac cream.

Yep. Diclofenac for moderate days. Ibuprofen and/or Biofreeze for minor days.

I have arthritis in my knee. I get about 6-9 months of total relief per injection, and then another 6-9 months of partial relief, before it's time for another shot. I'm about due for another one.

Unfortunately the only thing that has helped me has been Enbrel. Injections once a week and a world of difference. My arthritis was more widespread, hands, wrists, shoulder. Prior to the Enbrel I was in a cocktail of methotrexate, prednisone and folic acid. That was worthless.

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
I've been using diclofenac cream. Lots of it.

Another vote for diclofenac. Both hands, primarily index and ring fingers. Right index also has what I believe is called "trigger finger" where if I clench my fist I can't straighten it back out unless I grab it with my other hand and straighten it out.

I was surprised to find that I can buy Diclofenac cheaper OTC than the co-pay on a VA prescription.

Agreed on the diclofenac cream. My back has had some really bad issues, and they gave me diclofenac oral 50 mg and 75 mg. The 50 is potassium and the 75 is sodium. Difference is rate of absorption. If I’m in a lot of pain and need immediate relief, the 50 it is. If I have been taking it and will keep taking it for a few days, the 75 is the way to go.

The potassium is released and absorbed in the stomach, and can bother many people’s stomach. The 75 is released and absorbed in the small intestine and causes less stomach problems, but takes a while for any relief.

My wife has bad arthritis in her fingers. She took some for three days and there was an incredible difference. The swelling was gone, and her fingers didn’t hurt. She has always had acid reflux, and this kicked it into overdrive. I am fortunate enough that my stomach is pretty durable, but this is a pretty strong NSAID, and I don’t take it as often as it was prescribed.

So while I will rave about the diclofenac cream, the oral route will give you unbelievable results in a day or three.

As with any medication, you should consult your doctor and not take my advice as anything more than what it is. Some dude on the internet.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
I've been using diclofenac cream.

Yep. Diclofenac for moderate days. Ibuprofen and/or Biofreeze for minor days.
<snip>

Re: “Ibuprofen”

Fortunately at 80+ I don’t have any joint, foot, or back problems. But I found Interesting info about analgesics and reported it in this thread:
https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...650010405#4650010405

quote:

Originally posted by Beancooker:
Agreed on the diclofenac cream. My back has had some really bad issues, and they gave me diclofenac oral 50 mg and 75 mg. The 50 is potassium and the 75 is sodium. Difference is rate of absorption. If I’m in a lot of pain and need immediate relief, the 50 it is. If I have been taking it and will keep taking it for a few days, the 75 is the way to go.

The potassium is released and absorbed in the stomach, and can bother many people’s stomach. The 75 is released and absorbed in the small intestine and causes less stomach problems, but takes a while for any relief.

My wife has bad arthritis in her fingers. She took some for three days and there was an incredible difference. The swelling was gone, and her fingers didn’t hurt. She has always had acid reflux, and this kicked it into overdrive. I am fortunate enough that my stomach is pretty durable, but this is a pretty strong NSAID, and I don’t take it as often as it was prescribed.

So while I will rave about the diclofenac cream, the oral route will give you unbelievable results in a day or three.

As with any medication, you should consult your doctor and not take my advice as anything more than what it is. Some dude on the internet.

Back when we were still figuring out my migraine meds they gave me a trial of Cambia. Cambia is a diclofenac potassium powder, and it worked damned well.

Until I tried to get the prescription filled. $1000 for 9 packets. That created a whole new headache. We ultimately went back to Fioricet because of the dozen drugs I tried that was the only non narcotic drug that made a difference for symptom control. (I'm happy on Ajovy for my preventative.)

quote:

Diclofenac

Also available in pill form, which is good for easing the pain of Gout attacks, since Gout is basically a form of arthritis. It helps reduce the swelling which is where a lot of the pain comes from as it enlarges the area.

quote:

Originally posted by vulrath:

Back when we were still figuring out my migraine meds they gave me a trial of Cambia. Cambia is a diclofenac potassium powder, and it worked damned well.

Until I tried to get the prescription filled. $1000 for 9 packets. That created a whole new headache. We ultimately went back to Fioricet because of the dozen drugs I tried that was the only non narcotic drug that made a difference for symptom control. (I'm happy on Ajovy for my preventative.)

The bottle of diclofenac potassium without insurance was only $25 at CVS.

It was because it was name-brand bullshit that was too new to have a generic. My insurance refused to pay for it and now I understand why.

I used my brain to deduce it was powdered diclofenac potassium, flavoring, and filler (but not till I was in Peachtree City, GA for training. I tried asking for the pills so I can crunch it up myself but my doctor sent a prescription for the sodium salt.

This summer got off to a rocky start because I lost my job in January and had to go a month without insurance and Teva gave me the finger when I applied for the hardship program (it just went to a black hole, I swear) so I missed a dose of my Ajovy which left a huge mess (my internal weather radar is too sensitive now), but overall I've been extremely happy with it over the Aimovig.

Diclofenac pills/powder are prescription only. But Diclofenac gel is available over the counter. It's around $15 for an 5 oz tube of the generic (the brand name stuff is Voltaren), which lasts me many months. You just rub it in to whatever joint is aching.

For degenerative arthritis ( which is by far the most common) nsaids like diclofenac topical, or the various orals are first line.

My recommendation ( which I give. MY patients)is if you got 5+ months of relief from steroids is to repeat steroid injection every 5 months until it doesn’t work anymore. There is no way to predict if this will happen after 4 injections or 14.
Surgical options are limited with joint fusion most common but this obviously results in decreased motion or function

quote:

Originally posted by 400m:
The cortisone wore off. It lasted maybe 5-6 months. I’ve got it in one finger. I hope the doc has got some bright ideas because this just plain sucks. What’s the best relief you’ve found? I need some help until I see the doc again.

There is a very effective treatment that Medicine won't tell you about because it would cost them all that money you piss away for "treatments" that are not effective from a long term perspective.

I have Arthritis in the radial head of both wrists, the basal joint for both thumbs and Trigger Finger in the middle finger of both hands. Back in 2020 it was bad enough that it was painful for me to fill out a deposit slip and sign a paycheck. While visiting my nephew and his wife for Christmas in 2020 his wife noticed my "sweet tooth" and sat me down for a little talk. BTW she is now an LP with a Masters in Nursing and both very smart and a fantastic mother of 2 wonderful little girls. What she told me is that SUGAR may at some point may be classified as Toxic. Because it is such a strongly Inflammatory substance. It's bad enough that Cardiology is starting to consider it as being the primary cause for Heart Disease, because inflammation of the blood vessels surrounding and in the Heart causes them to become "sticky" and collect cholesterol.

Basically you need to eliminate as much Sugar from your diet as is possible. What this means is that you MUST read nutrition labels. If you see more than 10 grams of total "sugars" then don't eat that food. For instance Cereals are typically Sugar Bombs. If you want a low sugar breakfast food what you can eat is Rice Chex (3gr) or Corn Chex (4 Gr). That is it. If you want to sweeten them up Blueberries or Strawberries are both good for you and tasty, just don't go nuts with them. Candy bars - forbidden. Donuts - forbidden. Ice Cream, Halo Top tastes sort of like real ice cream but don't go nuts. Pancakes, waffles, sweet potato pie, all forbidden. Needless to say any type of soda pop is forbidden. Get used to drinking decaf tea or coffee and lots and lots of water.

BTW, while I still have Arthritis it is not at all painful for daily tasks. However if I overload the joint it just doesn't have the strength it once had. The only issue that is still a bit irritating is the trigger finger if I try and make a fist. Used to be grabbing a handle less than an inch in diameter would lock the fingers, now I can grab three pencils without pain.

quote:

Originally posted by Scooter123:
Basically you need to eliminate as much Sugar from your diet as is possible. What this means is that you MUST read nutrition labels. If you see more than 10 grams of total "sugars" then don't eat that food.
...
If you want a low sugar breakfast food what you can eat is Rice Chex (3gr) or Corn Chex (4 Gr). That is it. If you want to sweeten them up Blueberries or Strawberries are both good for you and tasty

Your two statements here are a bit contradictory...

Fruit is mostly sugar. For example, one serving of blueberries contains 15 grams of sugar. If we go by your first stated criteria, these should be avoided.

Combined with Chex as suggested, which contain 3-4 grams of sugar per serving, that then puts the total amount of sugar in your bowl at breakfast at almost 2x your stated maximum limit.

Do you want some milk on that dry cereal too? Well, 1 cup of milk contains 12 grams of sugar. (Whoops, that's more than 10g too.) And now you're at 3x your stated maximum sugar limit with around 30-31 grams of sugar in that bowl.

Is a bowl of low sugar cereal with some berries on top a way better breakfast choice than a couple donuts washed down with a double caramel mocha frappuccino? Absolutely. No question. I just think your hard rules on max sugar limits, and perception of what is low sugar vs. what isn't, may be a smidge off here.

quote:

Diclofenac

You guys are lucky, I can't take that stuff, nor Ibuprofen. 400m, I got two weeks out of the cortisone shots before they wore off and did nothing, both times I tried them. I basically get to use ice, and half doses of Tylenol if I really just can't deal.

Now, if it weren't still a schedule 1 drug and something the ATF uses to target lawful gun owners, topical THC creams actually kill pain. It's the only thing I've used that stops pain and seems to have a healing effect when used consistently. However, both my wife and I have far to much to lose to have any of that stuff in the house anymore, so I can't have it. CBD topicals don't do shit for me.

Are you allergic to NSAIDs, or do they just irritate your gastrointestinal tract?

If the latter, have you tried the topical diclofenac cream rather than just ingesting it in pill form?

Someone here on the forum turned me onto tart cherry supplements, they work almost as well as the drugs the arthritis doc gives me or NSAIDS, with no side effects. I’ve gotten the steroid shots, but they do stop working after a while. The diclofenic cream helps, but needs to be used on a regular basis to be effective for me.

I’ve used HCQ, which worked well, but made my tinnitus worse, to the point I couldn’t sleep. Went to another drug until I happened upon sulfa drugs for something else and my hands stopped hurting or aching. That led to sulfasalazine, which I’ve used for years with no problems.

My wife is Type 1 diabetic. She NEVER,EVER eats cereal for breakfast. Why? Because it is a carb which will turn into sugar inside your body. It doesn't matter if you eat Chex, Wheaties, Shredded Wheat or whatever. And as Rogue said, the fruit you mentioned is also loaded with sugar. She also has arthritis. Eliminating sugar however has nothing to do with her arthritis.

Guys, concerning fruit I did say don't go nuts. While I don't know the official serving size for blueberries I consider a 1/4 cup as going a bit nuts. Generally for me it is 1 tablespoon, as in the number of blueberries that 1 "soup" spoon can hold.

I will also note that what has to be avoided is Refined Sugar and I should have stated that much more clearly in my original post. For reason I don't understand naturally occurring sugars in fruit and sugar from converted carbs don't seem to be as damaging as refined sugar. Best I can figure out using Google is that naturally occurring sugars are digested sugars via a much slower process to digest than refined sugars. Refined Sugar is so simple to digest it's like a light switch, as soon as you consume it you get a rapid and extreme hormonal response and it's that response that is so damaging.

What I am very certain of is that reading labels and avoiding refined Sugar has resulted in a huge improvement in my Arthritis and my quality of life. I will also state that the improvement was a slow process of incremental improvements so don't expect the pain to subside instantly, expect it to be a year before you actually notice an improvement. There was a time when every door I had to open had to be approached with caution. Because grab turn and pull could cause enough pain to darned near put me on my knees. A year later I noticed is that I was much less cautious with doors and the reason was simple, it was not nearly as painful as it was. Now I see a door and just grab rotate and pull without any concern at all.