Capsaicin Cream
I had a video call with a pain consultant last month and she suggested using Capsaicin cream as a possible way of reducing my painkiller intake. I've been using it for about 4 weeks now - on my worst joints - shoulders and left knee. I think it's helping - I've reduced my painkiller intake and I'm walking more freely. I'm aware that it might also be due to the build up of Amgevita in my system as I started that in July but I'll take any options available.
In the UK the cream is on prescription only.
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Hi @jamieA ,
Its good to hear that you feel capsaicin cream is helping to reduce your painkiller intake as well as helping you to walk more freely. You might be interested to read on the Versus Arthritis website about the research that has been done on this:
Anna ( Mod)
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Just a bit of an update on this. I've definitely felt this cream has helped over the past 4 months. That and the Amgevita. I've actually stopped taking my pain medication regularly - dihydrocodeine and paracetamol - now only in times of need. Unfortunately when I requested a repeat prescription my pharmacy called to say that after a week of trying they cannot source it anywhere now. I did a Dr. Google search and came up with this site that has a recipe for home made capsaicin cream. I'm going to give it a go - I've the 3 ingredients in my cupboards.
https://www.arthritis-health.com/treatment/medications/capsaicin-cream-joint-pain
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Hi Jamie, I'm interested in how you got on with the homemade capsaicin cream? It's just been recommended to me but supplies are an issue. Would love to hear if it worked out for you.
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Hi @Henny_penny welcome to the online Community.
I see you have had capsaicin recommended to you, (prescribed by your Dr?) for your Arthritis.
I read from your post that supply of capsaicin is still an issue. This is really upsetting when it had helped @jamieA so much.
A quick internet search leads me to hope that capsaicin might be available in early April which is very soon. I hope you will both be able to locate supplies in the near future.
While you are here though I hope you will have a look around the site. This article is about alternative therapies/treatments and might be of interest?
Best wishes
Ellen.
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Hi @Henny_penny
Yes I've two outstanding prescriptions for capsaicin cream as my new rheumatologist gave me a prescription for the higher strength 6 weeks ago.
I think the home made does work - though I increased the cayenne by 50% from the recipe level. It works differently to capsaicin cream as there's a warmth to it continuously whereas the capsaicin I found only warmed the joint if I had something tight around the joint. I use it on my shoulder joints and left knee. I wear a tubigrip on my left knee and so could feel a warmth from the capsaicin cream there. However I didn't feel anything on my shoulders until I went out walking as I take a backpack with a fold up walking stick in case of emergencies. The straps of the backpack pressed against my shoulders caused a warmth to be felt. With the homemade cream there's a gentle warmth to the areas I apply it to at all times - until it wears off. The downside of the home made is it's more oily and as the cayenne turns it orange it can stain your clothes. It's not a problem for me as I tend to wear a dark t-shirt under my shirt but my tubigrips are stained. I think the actual physical massaging it into my joints helps as much as anything.
I'm trying to find how to get white or clear chilli but have come up blank so far. Any suggestions gratefully accepted.
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Thank you @jamieA . So interesting to hear your experience especially finding that the additional layer provided by the tubigrip seems to help with the warmth. I’ll definitely give that a go on my knee. Also good to get the heads-up about staining!
Not sure about getting hold of white or clear chilli. I’ll give that some thought.
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Thank you Ellen. I’m hoping you’re right about capsaicin supplies improving soon. Fingers crossed!
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Hi @Henny_penny
If you are desperate to get your hands on capsaicin cream there are sellers on a well known auction site but I'm a bit dubious of them as they are from a different manufacturer. There's also a cream called FlexiSEQ and if you search this site there are a number of posts about it.
Also my GP prescribed me Ralvo plasters as the capsaicin isn't available. It has lidocaine in it so needs be used sparingly - only on one joint at a time and only for 12 hours per day.
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Just an update to this. According to my local pharmacy the lower strength Zacin (0.025%) is still unavailable but they were able to source the higher strength cream Axsain (0.075%). It arrived Tuesday and I used it for the first time yesterday morning - following all the instructions. I only applied it once in the morning. This morning I woke at 03:30 with a really warm knee - and I mean really warm, like on fire. I think the closeness of pyjamas and covered by a duvet must have increased the function of the cream. So I've taken some of the cream and diluted it 2:1 with coconut oil to hopefully get back to the lower strength.
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I bought some off ebay! ,,didn't know it was supposed to be prescription only! ..thought it was made from chilli peppers or something???
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DoesFlexiSEQ contain Ibuprofen? ...or a warning to not take it if you have an allergy to Ibuprofen?
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My GP surgery pharmacist told me that if there is a rectangular box on the side of any drug/cream that has the letters POM in it then that's Prescription Only Medication. Both strengths of capsaicin cream supplied to me by my local pharmacy are made by a company called Cephalon and have POM on the box.
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The boxes I have has foreign writing on the other side of the box. I don't recognise the language, the letters are not recognisable for me to be able to input them into google. Only the side with english writing was shown on the page! Probably to bypass the need for a prescription but I didn't know you needed one in UK to get it when I purchased it as I've bought capsules with capsacium in before described as a 'Health supplement'.
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I'll have to look into that thanks. Always on the lookout for alternative pain relief that doesn't contain Ibuprofen!
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