Osteoarthritis Community

Hey, I'm real sorry your having pain in so many places. Seems like, using Volteran, would get a bit expensive having to apply to so many areas. I am 57 and, I have OA in my fingers, hands, feet knees and neck. I found out that i don't just have OA, I also, have fibromyalgia and degenerative disc disease( with bulging disc). I'm on Neurontin and get Prednisolone injections about every 6 - 9 months. This helps alot of the time. Once, I was able to last for just over a year. That was great! Hasn't happened again since.
My biggest concern is that, my hands will get so mangled, that I'll be too debilitated to function normally. Is there anything outthere that stops, or slows the progression of OA? If there is, pls let me know. Hoping for the best for you. Kima 2020

yes the cream was so help full i wasnt walking my orthepidic doc gave me a sample i use it 4 times a day knees, back.neck. im 37 got 2 active boys. single mom i have been in pain for 4yrs tried it all im going to try to work in the pool. i have ra neck,hands,back,knees-heriateted disc neck/back degerate disc ,chronic pain the cream was a blessing i can walk to see my son play football

I know its been about a yr ago that you have commented on your condition...and I can relate so well especially in the hands and noe the lower back and feet. Problem is that I also have barretts esophagus that keeps me from taking any NSAIDS or aspirin, I have tried the voltaren and it works the first couple times and then no relief, same with the tylenol cream. I took anti inflamitory shot once and suffered with my tummy for 4 days! Am just beside myself. I do take muscle relaxers and something to sleep at nite and celexa. I am at a loss here and also have had to quit my job due to the above facts. Also been told I have fibro, i may be in deniel about that some and well,down here I cant get a doc to do anything but roll the eyes about the fibro anyway! Thanks for listening and be well!!!

Ruthann

Do you live close to a medical university? Keep searching for a doctor that will listen or perhaps a family physician that will refer you to a orthopedist or rheumatologist. It is really frustrating to be in pain and feeling like no one cares. I am going through the same thing and have been all over, state wise, and will keep looking till someone helps. Good Luck.

All of you people suffering incredible amounts of pain caused by DJD, DDD, fibro, and other things-and you're using Voltaren, NSAID's, aspirin, tylenol cream, pain relief patches, etc-you're trying to put out a forest fire with a garden hose.
I'm in the very advanced stages of DJD and DDD and have been getting treatment for the past 16 years. I'm 68 years old. Fortunately, I live in NYC and not in some small town where EXPERT medical help is not always available. I get my pain medical treatment done at what's probably the finest pain medical center on the East coast.
Doctors who aren't pain SPECIALISTS shouldn't be treating pain, for they don't have a clue in the world what to do about it. I was on morphine (MS Contin) for 11 years and it worked quite well until I finally built up such a tolerance that I had to switch to another type of medication. Small town doctors scream, "Morphine!, that's addictive. I refuse to prescribe it." They don't know the difference between addiction and drug dependency, and there's all the difference in the world. They simply don't have a clue.
Currently, I take Gabapentin (3600mg/day), Cymbalta (20mg/day) and METHADONE (60mg/day) for my pain and I feel fantastic.
In all honesty there are reasons I don't like the methadone, which I won't bother to explain here. I mentioned this to my psycho-pharmacologist (a specialist in pharmacology) and she suggested I switch from methadone to SUBOXONE, a very effective pain med without some of the methadone side effects. I discussed this with my pharmacist and she thought the switch to suboxone was an excellent idea.
I would also suggest googling ANATABLOC. It's a dietary supplement that's very new on the market, and it's an amazing anti-inflamatory agent. It can be purchased thru Amazon and found cheaper at GNC online (with a Gold Card).
I sincerely hope that many of you suffering from extreme pain who can't find a pain management specialist find this information useful. Talk it over with you pharmacologist. They seem to frequently know more about the treatment of pain than many 'small town' doctors who don't know a thing about the proper medications for excessive pain management.
By the way, I do use Voltaren Gel on my feet when I need to and it certainly helps get rid of that numb-tingling feeling and the napalm like burning sensation at the nerve endings on the bottom of the feet.
Good luck all.

I had my left knee totally replaced when I was 42 yrs old. Before my Dr. did the replacement I used Accupuncture. It worked for me, plus it fixed alot of other problems. I would be so bad in pain that I could barely walk, but after a treatment, I would run up & down the stairs like a little kid. (felt good to run and then do stairs.) Accupuncture may not work for everyone, but it did take 2 or 3 sessions for it totally work.
You can read my posts from about 1 yr ago. I am now 47 and doing great.. Replacements just like pain is different for everybody. Good luck to all in pain, I hope you will all be pain free someday. HUGS of caring to all! Ellen

I've been thinking of switching to the suboxone, I'm currently on Opana ER 40mg twice a day and it's been a great pain med. I also take Gabapentin 1800mg, Cymbaltra 120mg, Percoset 30mg and about 10 more scripts a day for everything from fibo to emphazema. Osteoarth is kicking my but at the moment. I've got the Voltaren and the lidaderm patch too, the gel is great and I also have to use it 4 times a day on several parts of my body.
Just wondering if you ever took Opana and what you think.