Hello. Lots of OA and fibro and poly

[Deleted User]
[Deleted User] Posts: 0
edited 28. Nov 2023, 14:06 in Living with arthritis

Tried glucosamine, chitochondrin, purple-spotted New Zealand muscle (!) extract. All useless.

Tried CBD oil for 6 weeks. apart from slightly strange dreams NO USE AT ALL.

Chatted to my wise old GP and said 'It's degenerative arthritis and not the more polite OA isn't it?;.

He said 'yes'. I then said 'no treatment or relief?'.

He tapped his head and said 'its all in your mind. You have to learn to program your system to handle the discomfort/pain and physical limitations'.

STILL TRYING!!!!!!

Haven't tried cannabis weed/resin yet. Gave up smoking 20 years ago and dont want to start again.

pip pip

Comments

  • Brynmor
    Brynmor Member Posts: 1,755

    Hi @marge and welcome to the Online Community.

    I understand you have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia and have tried lots of complimentary therapies, which have not been successful.

    Many people find that appropriate and moderate exercise is very beneficial. We have a great website with useful information and tips that you may find helpful, including suggestions on how to manage your condition:

    Do join in across the Online Community, give advice and say how you are getting on. You will be most welcome.

    Best wishes

    Brynmor

  • Jona
    Jona Member Posts: 406

    They call it wear and tear nope it’s not all in the mind there was a recent study done can’t remember the name where they injected mice with blood from fybro sufferers and all 4 showed signs of severe pain and concluded it’s autoimmune

    as for osteoarthritis it’s your bones I always liken it to toothache nothing I take seems to stop it but I can’t pull it out but I do get annoyed when they say it’s all in the mind poppycock

  • I didn't say 'its all in the mind'.

    I said that how you handle the discomfort/disadvantages was up to you and your state of mind/

    philosopy/stamina/strength of character etc etc.

    Fibro especially in my shoulders is often sore-to-painful, so I accept that eg, changing a alight bulb is really quite agonising.

    Poly, if I cut my prednisolone below 3mg pd is sickening.

    OA in my fingers and wrist ,means that there are many little jobs I just cant do any more -

    bless the wife who has the patience to fill in the holes.

    OA in neck, back, hips, ankles and toes - lots I cant do and a fair amount of discomfort - I do not recognise

    the word 'pain'

    In summary, yes, you can take supplements, paracetamol, CBD etc, but OA and associated 'malfunctions' are part of your system and probably auto-immune in origin.

    In spite of pain-management advice etc IT IS STILL UP TO YOU AND YOUR MIND.

    pip pip

    Martin

  • Just thought of something else a bit negative and probably heretical!!!!

    I have a range of finger/thumb and wrist exercises, which until recently, I carried out regularly.

    They have a limited effect on stiffness but not on the clumsiness (is this due to nerve damage I wonder?).

    During the past few weeks, another medical problem has kept me from exercising regularly and

    I cant really say that my fingers are stiffer.

    Everyone says 'keep it moving', but I ask the question:

    'if OA is largely due to non-replaceable cartilage damage and wear-and-tear,

    how does regular movement of the joint help to reduce symptoms?

    Am I being stupid here?

    pip pip

    Martin

  • Jona
    Jona Member Posts: 406

    No your not being stupid at all, the human brain wants to reason with everything it would be fantastic if we could get into that frame of mindset of dealing with pain things we do daily either makes it worse or better

    I was told time doesn’t stand still degenerative disease is unstoppable I’m miserable, stiff and in pain all of the time someone said my mindset should be I want therefore I can I’m more I can therefore I want but the reality is I want therefore I cant

  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,697

    I have RA which resulted in OA so I know rather more than I'd wish about both. No fibro. Daughter-in-law has PMR.

    PMR does require steroids and the hardest ones to get off are the final ones.

    I think the jury's still óut on whether OA, or some forms of it, have an autoimmune element.

    I'm sure mindset helps in dealing with all these things. It's been proved that the more we concentrate on pain the more we feel it. Distraction is a great med and free of side effects - unless we distract ourselves by bungee jumping and the like.

    I'm with Dara O'Brian on supplements: “'Oh, herbal medicine's been around for thousands of years! ' Indeed it has, and then we tested it all, and the stuff that worked became 'medicine'. And the rest of it is just a nice bowl of soup and some potpourri"

    I take DMARDS for my RA, the occasional pain relief for the OA, exercise as much as possible and consult disability shops to help me with what I can't do though, like you, I find the other half is the best aid of all.

    I wouldn't smoke anything. I know cigarettes can assist in causing RA and make pain of any kind worse. I don't know if that applies to cannabis but don't fancy experimenting.

    I think, with exercise, there are exercises to strengthen and to simply help keep range of movement I was always taught to do the latter, gently, even when flaring. When not flaring i sometimes use weights with the same exercises. For hands, squeezing Play Dough is good and easy.

    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • Just had another thought.

    As I have said, I have Fibro, some Poly and extensive OA and have suffered from this for 10+ years.

    Various doses of Prednisolone for various periods have had no effect, nor did CBD.

    Every now and again my GPs arrange an inflammation test and I believe that several factors

    are looked for.

    Strange, but in spite of flairs, my tests are ALWAYS ABSOLUTELY NORMAL even though recent X-ray shots

    clearly show cartilage damage in fingers and thumbs and my neck. back, hips, knee and ankles are usually v. stiff

    and often painful

    Are we looking at osteo (degenerative) arthritis as some kind of auto-immune (auto-allergy?) problem which gives rise to pain shots but does not release the usual inflammatory factors?

    Most people recommend carefully controlled movement and exercise for OA and I have a good range of

    exercises for all my affected areas, but I wonder - if the problem is the system over-reacting to even the mild trauma

    of exercise movement, is exercise definitely to be recommended???????

    I try to keep my fingers going as much as possible, as well as other exercises, but I cant really say that they are

    making the joints less stiff or less achey.

    We press on .........

    Keep well, loose and supooooool

    Martin G