Happiness Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 I am asking you who know about artritis. A very good friend of mine has artritis and it is now becomming very dibilitating for her. She is in her early 50's, non drinker or smoker, eats very well and is generally in good health with the exception of a low thyroid condition. She has hired a personal trainer to help her with an exercise program. She does recieve a shot (i forgot to ask what it was) every week and that seems to help for a few days. She has also tried alot of anti inflamitory drugs as well. If anyone can give some advise for her I would appreciate it. Thank you in advance Happiness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spenac Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 My wifes arthritis improved when she went on a gluten free diet. Might be worth a shot for a month or two and if it helps stick with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crotchitymedic1986 Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 I dont know much about it, but a friend suggested you do a google search on the topic below and study this new class of drugs. Is she seeing a good rheumatologists ? TNF-alpha inhibitors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happiness Posted December 10, 2008 Author Share Posted December 10, 2008 We just have your plain ole docs here and they don't seem to help much. Thanks again I will be passing all of this on to her. Happiness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Laugh those who wish, but eating a few cherries each day can help. Some say only sour cherries work; I've found dried Bing cherries soaked overnight in a bit of water are effective. Cherries have strong anti-inflammatory properties, as I learned from my doc, who said he chased his arthritis away with cherries on his cereal and in preserves. After several weeks I complained that it did nothing, to which he replied that you have to stick with it for many months (and added something about my being the patient, so I'm supposed to be patient). I eventually got results, even though googling turned up refutation. Other testimonials are for apple-cider vinegar, both internal (diluted 1 tsp : 8 oz. water) and massaged full-strength locally. Raw-food diets are also used. As with all nutrition, the more organically grown and pesticide-free for any of this, the better. (I respectfully decline to debate these principles here; if you disagree, kindly just disregard or state your opposition as you wish, and please argue with someone else.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crotchitymedic1986 Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 I dont doubt you for a minute, there are many cultures that do not rely on a grocery sack full of pharmaceuticals to make it through the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happiness Posted December 10, 2008 Author Share Posted December 10, 2008 Please don't make this a debate site for any remidies. I have put this on her favorites so she can come in and see what others are suggesting. Thanks again to all Happiness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spenac Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Here are few links. Hope these help and I hope that you find a way to get relief. http://blog.healthtalk.com/chronic-pain/li...tis-connection/ http://www.glutenfree.com/ http://www.celiac.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazycanuck Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 It's likely her weekly injection is a TNF-alpha med...Humira is one of a few. There are a few other tx approved for severe (usually rheumatoid) arthritis. There are some good suggestions posted and sounds like if she's seeing a personal trainer that's a good start in keeping in motion. What about some pain management with physical therapy such as TENS, heat pads, hot tub etc.? I wish your friend well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 Your friend should be seen by a rheumatologist. If one is not available locally, I would recommend traveling to the closest qualified rheumatologist. There are different types of arthritis and various treatment regimens for each. Given the number of treatment options and new drugs available, it would be difficult for a non-specialist to keep up with these changes and a non-specialist probably does not see that many patients suffering with severe arthritis. I had psoriatic and osteo arthritis for roughly 15 years and took a variety of NSAIDs, DMARDs, gold shots, etc., so I have some background from the patient perspective. Diet, holistic medications, stress (to mention a few things) can alleviate or aggravate arthritis symptoms, but finding the right combination of things is the trick. It's not unusual for an arthritis patient to try a number of drugs/lifestyle modifications before finding lasting relief and many of these treatments take several months before any results can be determined. Try to keep use of pain meds at a minimum - they really didn't help me at all. I would also second crazycanuck's suggestion to keep active - that is VERY important. I was fortunate - my psoriatic arthritis seems to have gone into remission since 2004 and I no longer take any prescribed medications for it, so there's always hope. One critical thing is to keep a positive attitude and not dwell on the pain (sometimes easier said than done). Good luck to your friend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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