Advice please

Siouxsie

Greetings to those who are members and who are now online.

I would like some expert advice please.

my first question is:

does osteoarthritis spread?

I have it in most parts of my body and believe it started when I was 30 and had my oldest daughter. It started in my neck but then after at least a year, the pain fortunately stopped but moved through my back. I have it quite badly in my lower back, both hips, my jaw ( although fortunately the pain in jaw has been in remission for some time; dentists do not understand and can be impatient during treatment), and now I have it in both thumbs, and use frankincense ointment which takes the pain away. I am top of the list for a total right hip replacement after waiting 2years. Can I expect my Osteoarthritis to get much worse with time or is progression a myth? I have lost at least 10% of my body weight as advised prior to surgery and I will keep loosing weight. Weight loss is due to a calorie controlled diet, not so much exercise since my mobility is very restricted but I try to keep as active as possible.

my second question is, Will taking glucosamine long term cause diabetes? I also want to take MSMs and chrondroitin. I am so sorry about the spelling of the last one. I have read through some of the research on here about alternative treatment and it seems worth giving this a go, only thing is these supplements will work out to be very expensive long term, and I don’t want to waste money on something that may not work. Many thanks for any advice.

Anna

Hi Souxsie and welcome to the online community,

You’ve had osteoarthritis in various parts of your body since the birth of your daughter when you were 30, and you are wondering if it will get much worse with time. You also would like to know whether Glucosamine can cause diabetes, and whether MSM and chondroitin are effective.

All our members and friendly and helpful and have experience of living with arthritis. We’re not medical experts, however, but I’m sure there are members who will be able to answer your queries from their own experience. Of course, everyone is different, and our conditions develop differently too. Treatments that suit some people may not suit others, so it’s always wise to discuss these things with a medical professional.

It’s also good to learn as much as you can from reputable sources. The Versus Arthritis website is full of correct up to date information about arthritis, and I’ve linked to a few pages that you might find useful. The first is a link to the page on osteoarthritis. It talks about symptoms, treatment and ways to look after yourself, including diet and exercise:

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/osteoarthritis/

The second is about Glucosamine - its uses, benefits and side effects. It does mention that if you have diabetes you should take care since it can increase your blood sugar:

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/complementary-and-alternative-treatments/types-of-complementary-treatments/glucosamine/

Finally, here’s a page on alternative treatments where you can find out more about other types of complementary medicines:

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/complementary-and-alternative-treatments/

Do have a browse round the forum and join in wherever you feel comfortable.

Anna ( Mod)

stickywicket

In answer to your questions - yes it can but, if it's so widespread, it would be worth asking your GP to do a blood test to check for RA or some other autoimmune form of arthritis.

Re supplements - pharmacists are excellent sources of advice