Boron

mellman01
mellman01 Member Posts: 5,306
edited 14. Jan 2015, 05:27 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hi all has anyone used or is still using Boron for their Oa or RA?, I ask as friend said they use it and it defiantly made a difference, I take Strontium Citrate as the JR hospital found it helped in a study the carried out a while ago but Boron is a new one on me.

Comments

  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,697
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    This is what the NHS says, Mell:

    Boron is a trace element, which means the body only needs very small amounts of it. Boron is thought to help the body make use of glucose, fats, oestrogen and other minerals, such as calcium, copper and magnesium, in the food we eat.

    Good sources of boron
    Boron is found widely in the environment, in the oceans, rocks, soils and plants. Food sources of boron include:
    green vegetables
    fruit
    nuts

    How much boron do I need?
    You should be able to get all the boron you need from your daily diet.

    What happens if I take too much boron?
    Taking high doses of boron supplements for long periods may reduce fertility in men.

    What does the Department of Health advise?
    You should be able to get all the boron you need by eating a varied and balanced diet. If you take supplements containing boron, do not take too much as this could be harmful.
    Taking 6mg or less of boron supplements a day is unlikely to cause any harm.

    http://tinyurl.com/p3vbbw9
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • mellman01
    mellman01 Member Posts: 5,306
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Cheers for the info, the fertility issue I can live with I just didn't want to poison myself or waste my money, anyway I've ordered some supplements so I'll be taking Strontium and Boron soon with luck I should have bones of steel so I might even give Ard Tony a run for his money one day!. Well I can dream :lol:
  • Tia1723
    Tia1723 Bots Posts: 43
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    This is interesting!!! Numerous studies suggest that boron interacts with other nutrients and plays a regulatory role in the metabolism of minerals, including calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D. and subsequently bone metabolism. One study quotes “Via its effect on steroid hormones and interaction with mineral metabolism, boron may be involved in a number of clinical conditions such as arthritis.” Boron supplementation seems to be helpful for arthritic patients especially, whose diets are likely to be low in boron.

    Altern Med Rev. 1999 Oct;4(5):330-41.
    Prog Food Nutr Sci. 1993 Oct-Dec;17(4):331-49.

    Let us know how you get on, mellman.

    Love,Tia.
  • elnafinn
    elnafinn Member Posts: 7,412
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Mell

    I take boron or eat prunes for osteoporosis.
    I thought strontium was for Osteoporosis.

    Elna
    The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

    If you can lay down at night knowing in your heart that you made someone's day just a little bit better, you know you had a good day.
  • mellman01
    mellman01 Member Posts: 5,306
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Elna and all, yes Strontium is used for osteoporosis and thats how I heard about it, the local radio ran a short article on how the woman with OP had been given Strontium in a trial up in Oxford and those already with OA reported improvements so I now take Strontium Citrate, it works by making stronger bone than calcium so it's meant to stabilise the area of damage, the Boron idea came from a chap I was talking to the other day, he has OA in his spine and couldn't play guitar anymore due to is and someone told him that in countries with high levels of naturally occurring Boron they have a lot less OA, Japan was one I seem to remember, anyway I'm taking it and so far all is OK mind you flares have a habit of disappearing then come howling back at you one dark night so I'll give it 6 months then report back to you all!.


    Mell
  • elnafinn
    elnafinn Member Posts: 7,412
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Mell

    I look forward to hearing how you get on. :-D

    I take Vitamin K2 as well for osteoporosis to help calcium go to the bones and not the arteries. I try to get enough calcium via diet and the gp prescribes Vit D tabs for me. My gp is aware that I am doing the calcium bit with diet.

    Elna
    The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

    If you can lay down at night knowing in your heart that you made someone's day just a little bit better, you know you had a good day.
  • mellman01
    mellman01 Member Posts: 5,306
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Elna I'd defiantly add Strontium citrate to your inventory of supplements the Nuffield is the main orthopaedic hospital in the region and it was they who did trials with it I think I said it was the JR but I got that wrong, anyway I've found the medical report and it got the thumbs up makes sense as it makes tougher bone so stabilises the area of damage more than straight calcium, I get Swanson's Premium Citrate cost around £10 for 60 tabs and you take one a day so its not that cheap, the Boron is around £8 for 250 again its one a day so one pot will last just over a year.
  • mellman01
    mellman01 Member Posts: 5,306
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Just found this on line its quiet interesting i hope the link works!.


    http://www.health-science-spirit.com/borax.htm
  • mellman01
    mellman01 Member Posts: 5,306
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Well Im not sure whats going on but I had to go into town yesterday and that normally means pain then and or later on in the day and also the middle of the night but so far zippo?, also I woke up around 3am with an odd feeling in both knees, not painful at all, kind of feeling when you were fit and had enjoyed a day out and about it was most odd I even went back to sleep which is a first, all in all its very strange, who knows I may crash and burn later but that said this is not the way things normally go so God only knows what it all means but its nice not to be crawling the dam walls for once. :mrgreen:
  • mellman01
    mellman01 Member Posts: 5,306
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Well yesterday wasn't to bad a day pottered around messing with me Moxon beam in the garden did a bit of the same today but had a slight hard landing this afternoon seems all me perambulating caught up with me so I'm resting right now as the neuropathic pain fairy is doing a dance on both my knees although I think it will be Ok so long as I don't go silly again.


    Mell and his Boron blog
  • elnafinn
    elnafinn Member Posts: 7,412
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Mell

    Hope you are feeling ok again now. You must be doing something right as you appear to be much better all round than you were some goodly time ago.

    Look after yourself, as you seem to be doing,

    Elna
    The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

    If you can lay down at night knowing in your heart that you made someone's day just a little bit better, you know you had a good day.
  • mellman01
    mellman01 Member Posts: 5,306
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Elna well things have calmed down somewhat and yesterday I spent a fair old time messing about with my radio aerials in the garden and so far no real downturn, got the normal slight acidic feeling in my knees but I had no redness and pain last evening in fact it was like this morning fairly still, and yesterday I noticed my neck seems a lot less painful and looking back over the last week my Nortriptyline intake has gone down by 50% at least, that said it might just be a lull before the storm, the false dawns are the things that sucker me in so I'll not say for certain that its the boron just yet I can't imagine its a cure all but things are very calm right now pain yes but a lot less than normal at the mo.
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Mell, this is all sounding rather good, yes? I hope the better effects last but I do think you're right in not building your hopes too high. Good luck with it! DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • mellman01
    mellman01 Member Posts: 5,306
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    well so far so good, its been some time now and its still helping, I've actually cut down on my Nortriptyline intake by around 50% and haven't taken any pain killers for a month or more, I ran myself a test on Monday and Tuesday by walking to the village shop and managed to do it, I do have a slight neuropathic tingling and numbness in my feet and lower legs but thats about it, Ive even managed some DIY today which is unheard of, if nothing turns up tonight then I'll call it a miracle!.
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Mell, this is very good news indeed, I am pleased for you! :) DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • mellman01
    mellman01 Member Posts: 5,306
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Morning DD, well there's a bit of an ache in my right knee this morning but not bad enough to take pain killers for and there's just a hint of neuropathic tingling and numbness in me feet so its not a miracle buts its definitely a positive result.
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,697
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I, too, am pleased it's helping, Mell. That's very good news.

    (No DIY for ages :? Are you sure? It doesn't seem two minutes since you were doing DIY surgery on a finger or thumb, supergluing it together after a DIY accident :lol: )
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • mellman01
    mellman01 Member Posts: 5,306
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Well I think I pushed things a bit to far yesterday around 5pm I started to get some serious neuropathic warning signs but thankfully no flare which is very odd but last night both knees were aching really heavily deep bone ache so I slept in, right now I'm up and the pain is going and there's no neuropathic warning signs to speak off again thats not normal at all but I will take it easy I don't want to push my luck by being so foolish again.

    Mell
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    You are doing the right thing in resting today, our bodies need time to recover when we demand a great deal from them and we should give them that time. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,332
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Very interesting thread Mell :shock: (Mell and his boron blog :wink: I like it!)

    I hope you'll continue to feed back to us how things are going - I know it's only one person's experience, but it is still very very interesting.

    Thanks

    Toni xx
  • mellman01
    mellman01 Member Posts: 5,306
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi DD and Toni, yep resting today and its going ok again, I have had a fair old hit of the neuropathic heavy numbness and tingling today that has always lead to a flare situation but now its dying off and the bone pain as ebbed a fair bit, if I don't get a flare of either OA or the neuropathic sort tonight or tomorrow I'll be happy, that said it feels like its going to be OK, normal MO of the neuro pain is I get really bad mood swings before an attack hits and thats not really happened yet which is odd in fact I feel fairly good right now.
  • mellman01
    mellman01 Member Posts: 5,306
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    well i think I've found my limit, was up at 4am with a neuropathic attack so I think I might have pushed things a bit to much, that said I feel that it might already be on the way out already but tonight will tell, if it is then its a bonus as they normally lasts days if not weeks. :(

    Mell
  • mellman01
    mellman01 Member Posts: 5,306
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thank God the flare is already leaving I feel so much better thats got to be one of the quickest ones ever.

    Mell
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,697
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    :D:D:D
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright