Feeling c**p and it will soon be dark at 4pm

[Two_Sheds]

Nothing to add by way of pain-relief tips, except this: with chronic (long-term) pain, at some point you have to accept it, and stop battling it.
Your doctors probably won't tell you that, they'll just keep trying you on a million different tablets, and each failure will depress you more and more.

I've had awful pain in my neck, back and left arm for 13 years following an operation at age 25.
I've been on every kind of pill, treatment, you name it (please don't!). I now just have to accept this level of daily pain, and work my life around it. It's difficult, it's depressing, I don't sleep much, and it's damn well not fair, but what else can you do?

* Two-Sheds gives a virtual hug at this point *

[SlugLobber]

Just be aware that Glucosamine Sulphate is very much reduced in effectiveness. Glucosamine HCl is much more bio-available i.e. the body can actually break it down and use it. Cheaper supplements use the former.

I feed Devil's Claw tablets (2200mg) to my arthritic pony, to reduce inflammation. In only 3 days, he's aready showing improvement and I haven't even started the apple cider vinegar or MSM yet. ACD (the unrefined stuff) prevents accumulation of deposits at the joints, while MSM is a building block of connective tissues. Devil's Claw is anti-inflammatory. They're all for human use as well as equine.

Hope you manage to reduce the pain. My Mum used to suffer terribly (started in her 30s) and what she found helped was changing jobs to a more active one, although her problem was in the knees, not the toes, which makes it trickier.
Hugs ((())).

[jackie j]

My hands cant do certain things anymore and I thought it was arthritis but the doctor says its not. I have had an operation for carpel tunnel on my right hand also a frozen shoulder that I had manipulated now I have trigger finger all my right side, my left hand I have had carpel tunnel syndrome for a few years on and off some days its worse than others my hand also is stiff sometimes especially when I make a fist for long periods ( dont realise i'm doing it sometimes ) I am generally stiff and if I sit in one position for too long I struggle to move. I accept it as being old age lol at 53. My sister once said quote ' I thought old age was just numbers and didnt realise you feel b####y c##p most of the time, however apart from my mum who died at 92 yrs we have outlived a lot of our family in age as my dads side all died young my dad was 51, my sister 56 and uncles aunts and cousins in their 40's to 50's I am thankfull that at the moment I am well.

[Catrina]

Hi Sluglobber very interested in what you say about Glucosamine Sulphate as I have just bought what I thought was a good quality G & C Complex by Natures Aid at £8.99 reduced from £17.99 But it has Glucosamine Sulphate in it. So not happy with that one.

What is Glucosamine HCl and I am interested in the Apple Cider Vinegar and MSM but have never heard of ACD can you shed some light on quantity of the above please.

I am very active with the plot, walking and mountain biking but it is still painful on my feet when we come back as we did yesterday from a long walk and today my feet are giving me alot of pain.

I also need to lower my cholesterole and I thought I had heard or read somewhere that apple cider vinegar is supposed to do that.

[SlugLobber]

Sorry, should have read ACV as in Apple Cider Vinegar! Many companies sell it in either tablet form or refined liquid, but this stuff has half the goodness taken out. It still helped my oldie (pony) last year, but I learnt later that the unrefined stuff is much better so need to look for that this year.

HCl is Hydrochloride. It releases the glucosamine easier, making it more useful to the body. G-Sulphate still works, just not to the same extent. It's much cheaper to manufacture due to its stability, hence more common. Also, for your supplements, go to Quality vitamins, minerals & nutritional supplements - Simply Supplements as everything is Buy one, get one free!! They also do MSM, which I'm planning to buy for the neddie cloppers.

I couldn't tell you quantities of ACV. It's vinegar, so not the nicest thing to drink (hence why they produce tablets, no doubt, lol!). I wonder if you can get capsules of it, like Cod liver oil? I just slosh it into horse feed, so no dosing problems, there!

p.s. Cholesterol is a vital component of the plasma membrane in every cell of your body! It regulates fluidity of the membrane, so we'd be stuffed without it! Always make me laugh when they talk about things like this as though one molecule will kill you. They're back-tracking on fats, now, as the general public are now becoming more aware of hydrogenated fats in low fat spreads (these fats are metabolised in the same way as saturated fats, so you may as well eat proper butter and enjoy it!!).

Sorry, rattled on a bit!

[piskieinboots]

....so you may as well eat proper butter and enjoy it!!)....

oh I so do and thanks for the above, you are a useful information source

[Catrina]

LOL SlugLobber I am so thick not realising you had shortened to initials Apple Cider Vinegar.

UPDATE I got my ACV out of the cupboard and read that I can take one dessert spoonful each day in water, well it is awful so I take it in juice still uck but this morning I have no pain in my wrist It does give me heartburn but that is a small price to pay. Not worked on my feet yet, I have been on the websites trying to find what quantities you can take and one website says two teaspoons before each meal. So I will be upping my dosage.

This time last week I could not bend my left wrist and could not put any weight on it so I am a really happy bunny that there is no pain now.

My doctor's rang me today to say that I needed a blood test for cholesterole I had been avoiding it since beginning of September so I am now being really good. Porrige, apple cider vinegar is supposed to help, no sausages, bacon eggs as I am back there in three weeks time, somehow I dont thing it will change what is going to happen and I think I will have to go on statins. I exercise regularly and am fairly fit, I also have a very energetic job, my plot and a grandchild so what more I can do I dont know)

[rustylady]

I've hurt my left wrist, I dont know what I have done but it is really painful.

Over the last few years I started with arthritis in my left foot big toe and this year it has moved to my right foot big toe. It is really painful to walk some days and I am worried about what I will be like in 10 years time. (I am only 55 now)

I feel like I have lost momentum on my plot because of this and I have only been to check my polytunnel twice this week because I feel so crap even though I still have some yellow courgettes and to make it worse it will soon be dark at 4pm.

Sorry for the moan but sometimes thing dont seem so bad if you share the problem.

Sorry rant over now I will make myself a cup of tea and get on with things. Wheres the Nurofen.

Hi Catrina, hope you're feeling a bit better now. I too have a hurt wrist (fell over grandson a few weeks ago) and it's taking forever to get better. I normally heal really quickly but at 58 years old everything seems to be slowing down all of a sudden. Like you I don't seem to have the energy at the moment to get to the lottie as often as I should, and I'm dreading the real winter (I hate short days and long dark nights). I'm now going to have a glass of wine, curl up on the sofa and early bed. Looking forward to Spring.

[Catrina]

Hello Rusty Lady Sorry to hear you have injured your wrist. I hope you are feeling better soon. <<<hug>>> . I normally dont mind winter because I like walking during the day but this year I think I am quite run down, last year I was diagnosed with Fybromyalgia and although it is not too bad at the moment there are times when it is really bad and I feel awful all day. I think someone on the web site said that when you have chronic pain all the time you have eventually have to accept it and live with it and get on with your life. Well I do that every day with Fybro and it is only when it goes into my legs that I have to get more treatment with a Bowen Technician and he helps for several weeks and sometimes months. Look after yourself.

[grasser]

i i suffer with arthritus in my feet and knees ,could any one tell me more aboout tens and were i could get it from no idea wat it is but ill try anything if it helps with the pain it causes thanks john