What do you take for joint pain relief?

terrij152

I've been taking prescription Naprosyn but lately it hasn't been helping my joint pain. Not sure what else to try

blainejennifer

Frankly, prescription extended release narcotics. Every morning and evening. Most of the time, it does the job completely, and I never feel loopy or sedated. I have no idea how I would handle this disease without it.

susan_02143

For me, Advil has worked extremely well for joint pain. Simple solution, but it worked really well for me.

*susan*

Tina2

I take Etodoldac (an NSAID) in the morning and Duloxotine (generic for Cymbalta) in the evening. They help.

Tina

HLB

Meriva by Thorne works very well. It's a bioavailable form of curcumin.

suems

Tamoxifen started the destruction of my knees and Arimidex finished them off. I now take Fish oils, Glucosamine and Turmeric.

The pain has pretty much subsided (no hormones since February), but my knees still crack and crackle, and are very stiff. I dread stairs and hills and avoid them all I can.

My Onc knows about the supplements I take, and is quite happy that it won't affect teh chemo that I'm on. When it was at its worst, I was on codeine and a walking stick.

Bestbird

I am sorry to hear you are dealing with joint pain, and you've received excellent input. Below from my MBC Guide is a list of possible therapies.You (and others) are welcome to request a complimentary copy of the 120 page booklet by visiting the top of this page:https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/8/topics/831507?page=2#idx_32

Up to half of women on Aromatase Inhibitor (AI) therapy experience joint pain.Several specific therapies other than drugs for pain resulting from taking AIs (which is referred to as "arthralgia") include:

• Acupuncture and Electroacupuncture

• Celebrex
• Curcumin
• Cymbalta
• Exercise
• Glucosamine HCI 1500 mg with Chondroitin Sulfate 1200 before bedtime
• Infrared Heating Pad
• Massage
• Reiki
• "Stop Pain Spray"
• Switching to the "Brand Name" of the Drug or Another Generic Manufacturer
• Walgreens Extra Strength Muscle Rub

• Acupuncture and Electroacupuncture may often helpful in relieving pain of varying origination. Acupuncture involves inserting thin sterile needles into different points on the body by a skilled practitioner.Acupuncture has been used for centuries for pain relief and other purposes.An international research team pooled the results of 29 studies involving nearly 18,000 participants. Some had acupuncture, some had "sham" acupuncture, and some didn't have acupuncture at all.Overall, acupuncture relieved pain by about 50%.Electroacupuncture, a form of acupuncture in which a small electric current is passed between pairs of acupuncture needles, appears to relieve symptoms associated with AIs in breast cancer patients.In study participants with AI-associated joint pain, electroacupuncture produced significant and "clinically relevant improvements" compared with usual care.From: http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/acupuncture-is-worth-a-try-for-chronic-pain-201304016042 and http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/832348

• Celebrex: One person reported pain relief with a daily dose of 200 mg of Celebrex, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to treat pain or inflammation
• Curcumin/Turmeric: Curcumin, which has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, is the most active constituent of turmeric.Some studies show that turmeric may help fight infections and some cancers.Since inflammation may be associated with joint pain, adding turmeric (mixed with freshly ground black pepper and olive oil for bioavailability) to foods or taking supplements may help relieve symptoms. From: http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/turmeric Warning: Patients undergoing Doxorubicin (Adriamycin) or Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) chemotherapy should refrain from taking curcumin while on this therapy, since it can interfere with the effectiveness of these drugs.From: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12097302
• Cymbalta: Several patients who experienced joint pain from AIs reported a significant decrease within days after beginning to take a prescription antidepressant drug called Cymbalta (Duloxetine), even on a reduced dose as low as 20mg.
• Exercise may help relieve AI-related pain, according to research published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.Exercise consisted of 150 minutes per week of aerobic exercise, and twice-weekly supervised strength training. The researchers found that, at 12 months, the worst joint pain scores decreased by 29% in the exercise group.From:http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-12-eases-arthralgia-aromatase-inhibitors.html
• Glucosamine HCI 1500 mg with Chondroitin Sulfate 1200 mg taken in a single capsule before bedtime may provide relief. Some people swear that over-the-counter dietary supplements called glucosamine and chondroitin ease arthritis pain, reduce stiffness, and protect joints from further damage, although others say they didn't help as much as they'd hoped.

• Infrared Heating Pad, which uses infrared technology that can penetrate several inches deep into the body for pain relief and relaxation.
• Massage: Clinical studies show that massage can alleviate symptoms such as pain, stress/anxiety, nausea, insomnia, fatigue, and depression.From:http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/herb/massage-therapy

• Reiki: Reiki is based on the belief that spiritual energy can be channeled through a Reiki practitioner to heal the patient's spirit. This is thought to help release the body's natural healing powers. Reiki is most often given as a hands-on treatment. There are many individual reports about Reiki's power to increase feelings of well-being and refresh the spirit. One small controlled pilot study found that Reiki was linked with reduced pain in patients with advanced cancer.From: http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/complementaryandalternativemedicine/manualhealingandphysicaltouch/reiki

• "Stop Pain Spray:" One person wrote that she uses this spray on her lumbar region and achy joint areas, and it took about 30 minutes to work.
• Switching to the "Brand Name" of the Drug: Interestingly, generic forms of a specific drug (i.e. Letrozole) may have some different ingredients - called "fillers" - than the name brand of the drug (i.e. Femara). So switching to the name brand name drug or to another generic form of it may sometimes help (one lady indicated that switched from Anastrozole to brand-name Arimidex and experienced profound relief). If switching to the brand-name drug is not possible due to insurance related issues, then trying a different manufacturer of the generic drug may help.
• Walgreens Extra Strength Muscle Rub: One person wrote that when the pain in her hands gets very bad, she applies Walgreens Extra Strength Muscle Rub and wears a cotton glove over it (this would also work wellon the feet, when covered with cotton socks).

JFL

I take Cymbalta and it works pretty well.

Lovelife49

I'll second what HLB said and say that Meriva-SF, which is a curcumin formulation, has worked really well for me. I didn't even realize this until a month or so ago, but the formulation I was originally using was Meriva-SR, and that apparently contains soy (what doesn't, it seems!). Now they have this new form without soy, Meriva-SF, so I ordered that this time, and it seems to work just as effectively. I won't say I have NO joint pain, but if I miss a pill, I hurt like crazy, so it must be doing something.

terrij152

Where do you buy the Meriva?

Artista928

Found it here https://www.luckyvitamin.com/p-1282293-thorne-rese...

Same price as Amazon but free shipping.

Artista928

Same price as Amazon but free shipping here https://www.luckyvitamin.com/p-1282293-thorne-research-meriva-sf-120-vegetarian-capsules

Lovelife49

I buy mine from Amazon, but I think Vitacost.com carries it, too.

terrij152

Thank you ladies!!

pwilmarth

Tylenol, Advil, sometimes Aleve, baby aspirin. Vicodin at night, but find I don't need much - 1/2 tab is enough. Topical capsaicin in the patches.

I have neuropathy and have used gabapentin, but it left me stumbling around like a drunk. They prescribe Alpha Lipoic Acid in Germany and I've been trying that - it works as well as gabapentin and none of the side effects. But it takes about three weeks to build up a sufficient level and I'm only on week two.

steelrose

Terri,

I've been following your thread as I'm a wreck with neuropathy/joint pain right now! I'm taking Tylenol and Gabapentin but it's not enough. I'm thinking about Vicodin, and will ask onc. at my next visit.

Hope you find relief!

Rose.

Cafelovr

Ive been lucky that Aleve works pretty well if I can keep on top of it. For breakthrough pain, I use Tramadol.

GG27

I take one tylenol & one ibuprofen, this combo my MO suggested, seems to work really well, but when it doesn't, I too take a tramadol for break out pain.

stagefree

Hi,

I totally agree with Jen! Anne, please don't die. You keep us updated & you are needed for this mission F O R E V E R! )

I suggest you consult with ypur pain management team as well as your MO. They know better. MOs main deal is killing the c buggers.. Pain docs do wonders when needed. I started out with Tramadol 50 then 100 mg. Well I still take it at times but now have a special codein based mixture pills, low dose Jurnista and Fentanyl patches at hand. Mostly one Jurnista does the job but as it's extended dosed, I take a regular painkiller along to make it run faster in my system. Btw kaffein is a painkilling trigger so if you drink a cup of it after taking the painkiller it works better. I learned this from a very yummy painkilling doc. )

Hugs

Ebru

Heidihill

Love that prescription, stagefree!

Last winter my joint pains got so bad I was limping around and using my hiking poles as a cane. I got a prescription for Celebrex (celecoxib) and the pain was gone in two days! I stopped taking the Celebrex and re-started when the pain got bad again. This time I took it for a bit longer. So everyone's mileage may vary. It is an expensive drug. Even though insurance paid I am only using it on as really needed basis.

terrij152

I have Celebrex but haven't needed it in a long time. I'll give it a try. Thanks ladies!!!