This is a great post. But I'm unclear if you have no high blood pressure or weight problems but you still have some arrhythmia, CAD and stroke risks and are 80 how risky is taking Omega 3 in addition to eating salmon etc. Thank you for all your helpful advice over the last many months.
Hi Robin, as always I suggest talking w your doc bc fish oil can be helpful for joints but is a blood thinner and can carry other risks unique to you. :)
Thank you ! I take turmeric with pepper. But recently I started on Celebrex and my pain is gone! Neck, knees, especially back and hips. I can’t get over it! However, I’ve heard concerns about stroke, and maybe GI issues. To me, it’s worth it.
FWIW, I have arthritis only at the base of my left thumb. I’m taking low dose naltrexone, which takes the edge off. Much better than walking around with a brace! I’m not experiencing any side effects. I get it from a compounding pharmacy, so it’s not covered by insurance, but it’s not terribly expensive.
What are your thoughts regarding long term use of omeprazole? I sometimes supplement it with famotidine at night and have been having nausea and diarrhea at night only. Thank you!
I have osteoarthritis in my knuckles, and, at 71, my knees don’t like weeding my garden very much. I am going to try the Diclofenac gel and see if my knuckles, knees, and garden, benefit. Thank you!
Hi Dr. McBride, I have found that the brand Osteo Bi-Flex (condroitin and other components) has reduced my OA pain for years. Is it a "real" effect or placebo effect? My problem areas at 75 are mostly my hands, with occasional issues in the feet, neck, and back. I had two very successful knee replacements in my late 60s.
Here are some non-pharmacetical treatments that worked for my wife and I, thanks to Dr. Greger at nutritionfacts.org. And they all have good side effects:
In a famous 13-month-long randomized controlled trial of plant-based diets for rheumatoid arthritis, patients were put on a vegan diet for three and a half months, and then switched to an egg-free lactovegetarian diet for the remainder of the study. Compared to the control group, who didn’t change their diet at all, the plant-based group had a significant improvement in morning stiffness within the first month, cutting the number of hours they suffered from joint stiffness in half. Pain dropped from five out of ten down to less than three out of ten. The plant-based group subjects also reported subjectively feeling better and experiencing significant improvement in their grip strength, fewer tender joints, less tenderness per joint, and less swelling, with the added benefit of losing about 13 pounds and keeping most of that weight off throughout the year. They also had a drop in inflammatory markers in their blood. The question is why. What does diet have to do with inflammatory joint disease? One way plant-based diets may help rheumatoid arthritis is by decreasing exposure to an inflammatory compound found in animal products.
Not only may plant-based diets improve or even eliminate arthritis symptoms, but specific plant foods may provide some relief. For example, açai berries showed modest benefit for osteoarthritis sufferers. Tart cherries appear to be so anti-inflammatory that they can be used to treat a painful type of arthritis called gout. Delicious dietary treatments are much welcomed, as some gout drugs can cost $2,000 a dose, carry no clear-cut distinction between nontoxic, toxic, and lethal doses, or can cause a rare life-threatening side effect in which your skin detaches from your body.
Curcumin, the pigment in turmeric that gives it that bright yellow color, has been shown to effectively treat rheumatoid arthritis better than the leading drug of choice.
So very timely as I had my balky right knee X-rayed last week and lo and behold, OS (it’s basically bone on bone, medial patella). Awaiting a gel injection but have also found Voltaren to be helpful. I’m a regular user of glucosamine/chondroitin and fish oil, among others. I believe those helped, along with regular exercise, until they couldn’t. Some things are just inevitable, I guess!
Thank you for this! I've been taking fish oil supplements for some time but I am not sure I am taking a good brand. When I go online there is so much conflicting information I can't figure it out. I'm taking Nordic Naturals ProEPA 425 EPA/AEP 100 DHA/ADH. I don't know if this supplement contains what it says and only that. Or if there are better ones on the market. Where can I go for accurate information? Thank you. Ellen Nakhnikian
Great content for our aging bodies!
So glad!
Lovely note and I do believe motion is lotion too. The is an lead issue with turmeric as lead chromate is used with some brands, so my usual caveat. https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2024/09/23/nx-s1-5011028/detectives-mystery-lead-poisoning-new-york-bangladesh
This is a great post. But I'm unclear if you have no high blood pressure or weight problems but you still have some arrhythmia, CAD and stroke risks and are 80 how risky is taking Omega 3 in addition to eating salmon etc. Thank you for all your helpful advice over the last many months.
Hi Robin, as always I suggest talking w your doc bc fish oil can be helpful for joints but is a blood thinner and can carry other risks unique to you. :)
Thank you ! I take turmeric with pepper. But recently I started on Celebrex and my pain is gone! Neck, knees, especially back and hips. I can’t get over it! However, I’ve heard concerns about stroke, and maybe GI issues. To me, it’s worth it.
Celebrex is a great prescription med for the right person ... so glad it helps you!
FWIW, I have arthritis only at the base of my left thumb. I’m taking low dose naltrexone, which takes the edge off. Much better than walking around with a brace! I’m not experiencing any side effects. I get it from a compounding pharmacy, so it’s not covered by insurance, but it’s not terribly expensive.
What are your thoughts regarding long term use of omeprazole? I sometimes supplement it with famotidine at night and have been having nausea and diarrhea at night only. Thank you!
I wrote about that very question in my Q&A here:
https://lucymcbride.substack.com/i/150378310/question-anti-reflux-medication
I have osteoarthritis in my knuckles, and, at 71, my knees don’t like weeding my garden very much. I am going to try the Diclofenac gel and see if my knuckles, knees, and garden, benefit. Thank you!
Hi Dr. McBride, I have found that the brand Osteo Bi-Flex (condroitin and other components) has reduced my OA pain for years. Is it a "real" effect or placebo effect? My problem areas at 75 are mostly my hands, with occasional issues in the feet, neck, and back. I had two very successful knee replacements in my late 60s.
Some data suggests chondroitin really helps!
Here are some non-pharmacetical treatments that worked for my wife and I, thanks to Dr. Greger at nutritionfacts.org. And they all have good side effects:
In a famous 13-month-long randomized controlled trial of plant-based diets for rheumatoid arthritis, patients were put on a vegan diet for three and a half months, and then switched to an egg-free lactovegetarian diet for the remainder of the study. Compared to the control group, who didn’t change their diet at all, the plant-based group had a significant improvement in morning stiffness within the first month, cutting the number of hours they suffered from joint stiffness in half. Pain dropped from five out of ten down to less than three out of ten. The plant-based group subjects also reported subjectively feeling better and experiencing significant improvement in their grip strength, fewer tender joints, less tenderness per joint, and less swelling, with the added benefit of losing about 13 pounds and keeping most of that weight off throughout the year. They also had a drop in inflammatory markers in their blood. The question is why. What does diet have to do with inflammatory joint disease? One way plant-based diets may help rheumatoid arthritis is by decreasing exposure to an inflammatory compound found in animal products.
Not only may plant-based diets improve or even eliminate arthritis symptoms, but specific plant foods may provide some relief. For example, açai berries showed modest benefit for osteoarthritis sufferers. Tart cherries appear to be so anti-inflammatory that they can be used to treat a painful type of arthritis called gout. Delicious dietary treatments are much welcomed, as some gout drugs can cost $2,000 a dose, carry no clear-cut distinction between nontoxic, toxic, and lethal doses, or can cause a rare life-threatening side effect in which your skin detaches from your body.
Curcumin, the pigment in turmeric that gives it that bright yellow color, has been shown to effectively treat rheumatoid arthritis better than the leading drug of choice.
So very timely as I had my balky right knee X-rayed last week and lo and behold, OS (it’s basically bone on bone, medial patella). Awaiting a gel injection but have also found Voltaren to be helpful. I’m a regular user of glucosamine/chondroitin and fish oil, among others. I believe those helped, along with regular exercise, until they couldn’t. Some things are just inevitable, I guess!
I'm curious about studies evaluating anti-inflammatory foods in the diet and joint pain. And also reducing carbs/sugars to reduce inflammation.
Thank you for this! I've been taking fish oil supplements for some time but I am not sure I am taking a good brand. When I go online there is so much conflicting information I can't figure it out. I'm taking Nordic Naturals ProEPA 425 EPA/AEP 100 DHA/ADH. I don't know if this supplement contains what it says and only that. Or if there are better ones on the market. Where can I go for accurate information? Thank you. Ellen Nakhnikian
Can you post your link to your Q and A?