For whoever takes a supplement for inflammation

Posted by cindiwass @cindiwass, Jan 19, 2023

My big problem now, after having had hip surgery, is that my knee is inflammed on the side. I GUESS I'll have to see a surgeon although I don't want an operation. This has been going on for many years because of a high school basketball injury AND the doctor at that time took out some or all (not sure) of the cartilage. So far most of the doctors I've seen rushed a visit with me, but simply said, "You need to have the knee replaced." I don't want to go through an operation like that now, I'm 79 and I am just getting over a hip replacement. Painful, but better than it was before, less pain. Thoughts, anyone? Thank you.

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Sounds similar to the reason why I had my right knee replaced. I injured my right knee playing softball and thought I had just twisted it a little. I played the rest of the afternoon and then the next morning when I woke up and took a step I fell flat on my face. A trip to the hospital and surgery to remove a small piece of torn cartilage in the knee. That was in my late 40s and the rehab went well. Fast forward to my 60s and 70s, the knee became a problem due to the missing cartilage and degenerative arthritis. I had a couple of cortizone shots which helped for awhile but it got worse and worse until I finally got a TKR in my mid 70s. I saw in your previous post you were asking about glucosamine and how long it takes to help with inflammation. I'm no medical expert but I really don't think it does anything when you have a knee issue with missing cartilage and an issue with the knee joint.

I was 76 when I had my right knee replaced and it was a good decision for me. One thing that really helped was faithfully doing pre-surgery and post-surgery knee and leg exercises to build the leg strength and help with the recovery. I haven't had a hip replacement yet so I'm guessing that recovery may be more difficult than a knee replacement. Hopefully others can share their thoughts also.

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I have degenerative arthritis also and try to manage the pain the best I can. I've had cortisone shots and the hyraulonic shot which did help temporarily. I use Aleve sometimes and topical ointments like CBD oil and Volteren. My knee does best when I exercise it at the gym with laying down squats and quad lifts. It strengthens the muscles around the aching joint. My doctor says I will know when the pain is too much and opt for the surgery. In the meantime, keep moving! Good Luck!

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I take Anabolic Laboratories Pro Enz twice a day. I have degenerative, inflammatory, osteoarthritis that is not associated with an auto immune disease, and it helps immensely, especially with my finger joints. My mom had great success with it as well and we both noticed the difference after only one week of taking it. It has turmeric, bromelein and other anti-inflammatory enzymes.

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Hi @cindiwass, I severed two ligaments in my left knee and also tore all the cartilage, which the doctor told me was removed. It was a long recovery, but now, 45 years later, my knee is pretty good. I find ice to be a great anti-inflammatory. I also use an infrared heating pad or lamp. The supplement I've had the most success with for alleviating my knee pain is keratin, from Tibetan wool, 50 mg 2x a day, from Swanson Vitamins. When I stop taking it, my knees get sore and feel like they need to be oiled.
Have you seen a physical therapist about your knee pain? Just wondering if you were using certain muscles in your knee to compensate before the hip surgery and now that you've had it, your alignment's changed. It might be worth checking out. Good luck!

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@kirstenlheld

I take Anabolic Laboratories Pro Enz twice a day. I have degenerative, inflammatory, osteoarthritis that is not associated with an auto immune disease, and it helps immensely, especially with my finger joints. My mom had great success with it as well and we both noticed the difference after only one week of taking it. It has turmeric, bromelein and other anti-inflammatory enzymes.

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I’m curious. Have you been diagnosed as having Erosive, Degenerative Osteoarthritis in your hands? It is its own subset? Thanks.

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@ljbrindle

I’m curious. Have you been diagnosed as having Erosive, Degenerative Osteoarthritis in your hands? It is its own subset? Thanks.

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Yes. It's in my body in general. My Mom and the other women in her side of the family on her father's side had it as well and ended up with horribly deformed hands as well as loss of use, so I knew decades ago that it was coming my way. It started with one thumb in my thirties and it tends to settle in for a year or so causing pain and inflammation, which causes deformity in the bone and then moves on to another finger joint. And most often, it's bilateral, which means the same finger on both hands gets it at the same time often with one not being as bad as the other. It's also in my neck but supposedly not yet in my hips according to X-rays done last summer.

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Erosive, degenerative osteoarthritis in hands has been its own subset for about 12 years now. When my Rheumatologist gave me my diagnosis she said “It’s rare, but it’s the bad one”. It supposedly only strikes 3% of the population. It started in my right hand first & then went for the left. It’s in all 10 digits now. When I was sent to OT, I was fitted with compression gloves, braces and splints. I just finished giving away all my holiday baking & candy making supplies and tools. Too much pain. The right thumb is the worst. CBD & Arnica cream helps somewhat. Can’t take NSAIDS but do take Tylenol.

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@kirstenlheld

I take Anabolic Laboratories Pro Enz twice a day. I have degenerative, inflammatory, osteoarthritis that is not associated with an auto immune disease, and it helps immensely, especially with my finger joints. My mom had great success with it as well and we both noticed the difference after only one week of taking it. It has turmeric, bromelein and other anti-inflammatory enzymes.

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I have taken bromeliad for a long time. I am 77 and have thin skin, turns out bromekain doesn't help old skin so stopped that but continue boswelia , dr, suggested this, it helps some.

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@laurapix

I have taken bromeliad for a long time. I am 77 and have thin skin, turns out bromekain doesn't help old skin so stopped that but continue boswelia , dr, suggested this, it helps some.

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I took Boswelia Serrata (Frankinsense) for a while as well but didn't feel that it added much to what I was already doing. These supplements can be helpful but I spend a serious amount of money on this stuff, so when I try something new, I take it for a couple of months at least and then stop taking it for a week or so to determine if it's really helping. That's how I determined that the Glucosamine/Chondroitin I was taking was really helping, i.e. I stopped taking it for a while and could tell after a week how much of a difference it was making.

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