1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Arthritis

Cartilage problem?

Posted , 3 users are following.

nicola80752
nicola80752

Well it complicated so bare with me 😊 I'm 41 female, I'm over weight and have sleep disorder which is Narcolepsy with cataplexy which I manage with help of medication. I also have IBS and inflamed stomach lining in the past with I also take medication for.

I have had ongoing problems over the years with painful joints. I have slipped discs in lower back and have curved upper spine, but both have been fine for a while. I have always have joint pain in feet, ankles and knees. And a

have had spoke to GP in past about all issues, and have been offered pain medication. Over the last 6months my knees have got worst and have been wearing a support for work ( work full time carer), but last week was away city break and did a lot of walking. Kept up with family all the way but suffered from terrible pain, especially in left knee. To the point where it become swollen, with pockets of fluid. Went to GP when I returned home and was given stronger pain killers and sent for X-ray. GP said she thought it would be cartilage and would a operation. Swelling has gone down a bit but had to come off Naploxin (improfen based medication) as my stomach was really sore and upset. So back to square one as far as pain is concerned. My question is, with cartilage is it painful all the time? Even when u are resting? I  was under the impression that it only hurts when moving or putting weight on it. Anyone have any advice, or anyone had similar problems? I just feel that there is more to it than that!

oh and BTW I have also felt feverish at times and generally unwell, but not all of the time, any advice would be great thanks

1 like, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • carole57474
    carole57474 nicola80752

    Posted

    I am sorry to hear that you feel so unwell at your age.  My daughter is only in her mid 40s and has sponylolesthesis and osteo arthritis and is on medication to help her through the night.  The medication is  called Amytriptylene,  She thinks it is marvellous. She also has an inflammatory bowel condition which I think may have been brought on by years of taking high dose anti-inflammatory drugs which she now avoids. I have osteo arthritis in my knee and pain wakes me up sometimes. After unpleasant stomach pain I avoid anti inflammatory pain killers.
    • nicola80752
      nicola80752 carole57474

      Posted

      Thanks Carole for response, I'm at GP tomorrow so hopefully l'll get answers x

  • nicola80752
    nicola80752

    Posted

    Well got results today, I have osteoarthritis in knees. Nothing can be done just manage it. Stomachs is really upset well anti inflammatory tablets they gave me as I also have gastritis(inflammatory of stomach lining) so doubled my omprezole. Well at least I know now I'm not going mad!

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga nicola80752

      Posted

      Omeprazole comes with its own lovely set of side effects.  Why not try ranitidine for a while and see if it helps, it may with fewer side effects.  I find eating plain yoghurt when I have to take anti inflammatory type drugs is very helpful, too.  

      Have you tried taking glucosamine for osteoarthritis?  I was first diagnosed with OA about thirty years ago, and I have been taking 2X1000 mg twice a day.  There has been surprisingly little progression of the disease over the years.  It doesn't work instantly, you won't get pain relief right away, but it might slow down progression of the disease and in the long run be helpful to you.  

      Also I read very early on that aspirin was bad for arthritis and I have never taken pain killers for OA.  

    • nicola80752
      nicola80752 Anhaga

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply. I have had stomach problems for a few year know. I take other meds for sleep disorder. After a couple of years on lansprozole my doctor tested me for H ployi bug. I had it, was treat the tried Rantidine, but didnt agree with me. So gp put me on omeprozole. I have been ok for about a 2 year now until i was put on them anti inflammatory Naproxen for my knee.

      I have thought about taking something else for knee, do u just take capules? Apologies for spelling😂

    • carole57474
      carole57474 Anhaga

      Posted

      I agree. Try Ranitidine for a while, also, a bowl of porridge puts a coating on the stomach. I heard that omerprazole can contribute to poor bone density
    • Anhaga
      Anhaga nicola80752

      Posted

      I don't take anything for OA except glucosamine.  This is also available with something called chondroitin, but because it's is derived from animal bones I've avoided it.  The problem with NSAIDs is they negatively affect cartilage.

    • nicola80752
      nicola80752 Anhaga

      Posted

      Thanks, the glucosamine, are they just capules? Do u just get them from chemist?
    • carole57474
      carole57474 nicola80752

      Posted

      My sister in law swears by glucosamine for her hip problem.. Her doctor recomended them. I never found them  useful for my knee problem.  I took large tablets, like horse pills, from the chemist.  It's all trial and error.  I think anti inflammatories caused my daughter's inflammatory bowel disorder.

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga nicola80752

      Posted

      Yes, they are just capsules.  They also may come as caplets, but I found them hard to swallow, so I get the kind which is a powder in a sort of plasticky casing, whatever that is.  I used to be able to get 1000 mg capsules, but they don't seem to be available anymore, so I take two 500 mg twice a day, breakfast and supper.  As I think I said, you likely won't notice anything different for a while, but over time this substance should help maintain the health of cartilage and slow progression of OA.

    • carole57474
      carole57474 Anhaga

      Posted

      I'll give them another go ! Pain in knees was bad last night.

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.