Any Help

[Cooker]

Ok ... I am not sure if this is in the right place, if not, Ross move it..... Since AVR and starting ACT I have not found any arthritis medicine, OTC or prescribed that really helps much.... I have not had much of a problem but I fear age is creeping up on me.... I play guitar and have been having increasing pain... I saw my PCP a Tuesday about another issue and she suggested using a glucosamine chondroitin product.... if anyone has any miracle cure I?ll gladly make you a banana pudding.....

 

[Karlynn]

It may be worth a try. I took glucosamine for quite a while and it helped my achy knees. It did not affect my INR. One of the things it does, I believe, is help the fluid in between the joints, so you don't get pain from bones rubbing together. It takes a month of taking it to notice a difference.

 

[njean]

I take Tylenol Arthritis Pain reliever myself when the pain is more than I can handle. It works pretty good for me. I only take 1 tablet --- 650mg.

Hope you get to feeling better!

 

[Marguerite53]

oh, poor chimp! We can't have you straying from your music!

Be aware that the glucosamine has something to do with shrimp, or shrimp shells, so if you have any tendencies toward shellfish allergies, it's a no-no.

I have bad knees, arthritis-type problem, losing the cushion. I went on the glucosamine chondroitin and found it to cause me to retain water. I am very sensitive to just about everything so it might just be that. But I think the idea is to cause the cushiony fluid stuff to increase. Anyway, it made me uncomfortable so I never used it for very long. I don't have INR issues, so can't address that aspect of it.

I know this is probably out of your comfort zone, but please, please consider acupuncture or chiropractics. If you can find a good one (and ask friends you trust and can rely on for good referrals) one or the other can be a huge help to you. Honest!!!!

There is a gel available at Whole Foods type places with Arnica in it. That can be soothing (I think that may just be for temporary trauma, but I know there are other gels and rubs that are natural that are great). Ask someone at the natural food store. Ingesting herbs, I can't recommend. My husband will take anything. I never will due to its almost always being a blood flow increasing thing and gives me arhythmmias.

Best wishes. Keep us posted.

Marguerite

 

[Bina]

Cookie, be careful what you "take in" or "rub on"......Most of these anti-inflammatory types of products can tamper with your INR. The herbals are the most deceiving because there is not usually a "standard" concentration in dosages.
Check on www.warfarinfo.com

 

[AgilityDog]

My DH takes tramadol for pain, along with ibuprofen for his reactive arthritis.

Tramadol is a controlled substance, but not a narcotic. It is not inexpensive. It is physically addictive (oh yes, indeedy it is, and must be taken 3x per day, withdrawal causes shakes and irritability) but it helps him enough that he can play racquetball 2 or 3 times per week - more if he didn't tend to get "golfer's elbow." Without it, "fogedaboudit"

My vet also used it for post op pain for my dog (they don't clear it as fast, so 2x/day for the dogs).

I've no idea how tramadol works with INR but like most long term meds one can most likely adjust the warfarin dosage--but check first.

 

[CThrock]

Don't feel to bad Cooker I dealt with the joint thing last year. Went to a PT to see if that would help and it really did'nt. So meet with a nurse friend of mine and see she told me to try the natural stuff just to be careful with the doses because of the INR. So I started out with half a dose for three months and NO MORE PAIN. I could'nt believe it! I still take one tablet a day and it never affected my INR at all.
I order it off line and comes right to my door and its 85% aborb into the body which is the highest I've ever seen. Made right here in the USA.
I'll give you the web site to check it out :
www.MELALEUCA.COM
Replenex is the name of the tablet it has Glucosamine,HCI,Bromelain,Ginger and Green Tea. Then I take Vitamin D also.
I tried everything and this worked for me and I did'nt want to take more meds.
Let me know what yea think. Give it a three month try they guarantee it or money back, so what can you lose.

Good Luck hopefully you start feeling better.

Crystal

 

[Ross]

I'll just stuff your monkey butt back in the womb and you can be reborn. That'll fix the problem.

 

[Eva]

Cooker,

Here are two choices by two people:


My hair dresser swears that the night she forgets to drink mint tea, she has aches and pain in her shoulder and hands when she blows someone's hair next day. You know that mint has Vit. K, but if you are consistent, no problem.

A relative swears that a daily teaspoon of ground grape seeds (sold at Trader's Joe) helps her with her arthritis flares-ups. I am going to buy myself some!

 

[catwoman]

My DH takes tramadol for pain, along with ibuprofen for his reactive arthritis.

Tramadol is a controlled substance, but not a narcotic. It is not inexpensive. It is physically addictive (oh yes, indeedy it is, and must be taken 3x per day, withdrawal causes shakes and irritability) but it helps him enough that he can play racquetball 2 or 3 times per week - more if he didn't tend to get "golfer's elbow." Without it, "fogedaboudit"

My vet also used it for post op pain for my dog (they don't clear it as fast, so 2x/day for the dogs).

I've no idea how tramadol works with INR but like most long term meds one can most likely adjust the warfarin dosage--but check first.

Is tramadol the same as rimydil? Rimydil might work for our chimp.....

Seriously, I've read so many glowing reports about rimydil that I wonder if there isn't a form of it for human use.

 

[netmiff]

I know a few people that swear by the glucosamine chondroitin, and also some that have found releif with one of the B vitaimins, either 6 or 12, can't remember which one.

 

[hensylee]

I find that with really bad pain a celebrex is the only thing to relieve it. I still have two left and they are for emergencies. like traveling.

 

[Jkm7]

My girlfriend had tried various things and none seemed to help. A MD friend of ours suggested she try glucosamine chondroitin and it has helped her a lot. She has high sensitivity to many things including medications and this agrees with her fine.

 

[Cooker]

Thanks everyone ... good to hear it may help .... and Marguerite, my comfort zone is pretty wide, I have thought about acupuncture....

 

[Cooker]

I'll just stuff your monkey butt back in the womb and you can be reborn. That'll fix the problem.

What's that they say Rossman? ... spend nine months trying to get out and the rest of our life trying to get back in ... well, you started it

 

[corrineinwa]

Peter was allowed to continue with his NSI glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM after surgery. He's in a sorry state without it.

 

[AgilityDog]

My understanding is that Rimadyl is approved in Canada for humans, but not for dogs, and in the US for dogs, but not for humans. My understanding is that Rimadyl clears too quickly in humans to be much use - like 2 hours, where in dogs it is 8 to 12 to 24 hours. It also has liver toxicity issues in dogs, which is why Tank can't take it. He has copper storage disease. It may also affect INR in humans like ibuprofen, etc. because of the liver metabolism.

Warehouse of useless knowledge, but I asked my vet about the Rimadyl v. tramadol issue for Tank when he had his liver biopsy and exploratory a couple months ago, and why the dosage and timing differences (other than the body weight thing).
Today Tank's giving blood to assist a genetic marker study in Amsterdam for copper storage disease in dogs.

 

[Bina]

Cookie, just remember that after starting any supplement, check your INR a few days later.

 

[catwoman]

My understanding is that Rimadyl is approved in Canada for humans, but not for dogs, and in the US for dogs, but not for humans. My understanding is that Rimadyl clears too quickly in humans to be much use - like 2 hours, where in dogs it is 8 to 12 to 24 hours. It also has liver toxicity issues in dogs, which is why Tank can't take it. He has copper storage disease. It may also affect INR in humans like ibuprofen, etc. because of the liver metabolism.

Warehouse of useless knowledge, but I asked my vet about the Rimadyl v. tramadol issue for Tank when he had his liver biopsy and exploratory a couple months ago, and why the dosage and timing differences (other than the body weight thing).
Today Tank's giving blood to assist a genetic marker study in Amsterdam for copper storage disease in dogs.

Laurie:
Interesting...
What is the exact name or med abbreviation of the copper storage disease?

 

[Bina]

Marsha,
Canine copper hepatotoxicosis, also called copper storage disease.
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2103&aid=406