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Dealing With Arthritis Pain

Discussion in 'LGBT Later in Life' started by LaurenSkye, Jun 16, 2020.

  1. LaurenSkye

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    I'm putting this threat in the "Later in Life" section since it's something that primarily affects older people. I'm in my late 30's and have trouble with arthritis in my hips. It's caused by a deformity that causes my hips to be more straight up and down than should be. This causes me the most problems at night. If I'm very active during the day, I may have pain in my hips in the middle of the night, which keeps me awake and causes me to be very tired the next day. It also causes me to feel soreness in my hips the next day, though it's not as bad as the pain overnight. I take OTC pain relievers when the pain bothers me, but they don't always help, and usually by time I decide I need to get up and take them, and then by time they start to work, I've already lost sleep.

    Someone said the me that it's okay to take three pills of an OTC pain reliever (instead of the recommended dosage of two as long I don't take too much the rest of the day (which I don't take very much during the day). I'm also wondering if pain relieving creams or gels work on joints, especially hips since there is a good amount of muscle and fat in between the joint and the skin. Also if anyone else has any suggestions they would be helpful as well.
     
  2. Brace

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    Have you tried yoga? I'm in my 60s, and it keeps the pain levels low.
     
  3. Shavs1

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    Hi im new to this. Just saw your post im in my 30s and have arthritis as well.
     
  4. quebec

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    LaurenSkye.....I have had pain in both hips. Last Summer I had my right hip replaced. I had hoped that when I recovered from the surgery the pain in my left hip would go away as it was supposed to be the right hip throwing the left out of balance. Alas, it was not to be as the left still hurts. This has resulted in an injection in the left hip...which has helped some. I will probably have to have the left hip replaced too. As far as OTC pain meds, it depends on what is causing your pain. If it is muscular or if it has to do with ligaments then the OTC may help some. If the joint itself is damaged and/or the cartilage has been damaged then OTC really isn't going to help much. You really need to see an orthopedic surgeon. He will most likely do some x-rays that will tell you a lot about what the root of the problem is. As a disclaimer...I'm not a doctor or any kind of a medical person...I'm just sharing my experience with you. Seeing an orthopedist would really help you!
    .....David :gay_pride_flag:
     
  5. OliveToday

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    LaurenSkye,

    I am a fellow in my 30s sufferer of arthritis. Mine is inflammatory and mostly presents in my hands and knees. Do you see an RA? Rheumatoid Arthritis doctors know all kinds of tips and tricks - one prescribed me something called PenSaid that was a lotion-type substance that had a nice numbing affect on my knees. An RA can also keep an eye on your joints and make sure the arthritis isn’t causing them lasting damage, and if it is, can give you some options to deal with that. I don’t have lasting damage since mine is inflammatory, but I am on a high dose of Remicade for my Crohn’s disease and Remicade is supposed to be great for arthritis too. I also take Mobic (Meloxicam) daily which is like a low dose aspirin that lasts 24 hours.

    As for over the counter meds, tylenol is meh, and aspirin is okay, but takes longer to absorb. My favorite rub on product is Biofreeze. The tube kind is messy, but it works! My personal fav is the roll on kind. No mess, easy to carry, and works just as well as the tube kind. It has a strong cold feeling to it when you first put it on and eases my arthritis and chest pains greatly. Pricey, but you only need a little bit at a time so it can hopefully last you months.

    Cheers,
    Olive

    (Links removed by moderator)
     
    #5 OliveToday, Nov 12, 2020
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 18, 2020
  6. Chip

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    This is always something that it's sensible to talk to a doctor about for reliable advice. Generally there's a pretty good margin of safety in over-the-counter drugs where you can go slightly over recommended dosages, but there are individual non-specific effects that can impact some people more than others, so always wise to discuss with your physician. Same with topicals. Things like Vics Vapor Rub and Biofreeze (which are very similar in how they act) are generally pretty safe, but if I had an ongoing issue with arthritis, this is also something I'd want to check out with my doctor before using.

    You might also want to take a look at Gabor Maté MD's book "The Body Says No", a well researched book that talks about the influence of our mind on physical ailments. He talks about arthritis among many other conditions.
     
  7. quadratic

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    I would certainly get the help of a professional. Arthritis, whether rheumatoid or osteo (or others) is a condition which requires a multi-disciplinary approach for management including drugs, physical therapy, maybe some lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise. Because every person is different, the particular combination of therapies for one person may not suit you, which is why you need professional advice. Good luck - but I understand that modern treatment modalities are allowing people even with quite advanced arthritis to lead rich, fulfilling, and enjoyable lives.