soapdragon Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 I guess it's encroaching old age (I am 51!) but I have noticed that my finger joints are getting quite painful. Has anyone else had to cope with this and, if so, what it the best thing to take? I'm not sure if I should be glugging cod liver oil (yuk ) or whether glucosamine would be better (however you spell it!!) Oddly enough its mainly the top joints that are sore (but not stiff.) I'd feel a bit of a fraud going to the GP so any advice would be welcome (even if it ends up being 'go to the GP'!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 funny enough I went to the GP to get the results from an xray of one of my finger joints today nothing showed up on it but GP said it could be gout as I've got it in my toes starting new tablets for that tomorrow I'm finding that none of the gels or creams work on finger toes or feet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 I sometimes get a sore point at the base of my thumb on my left hand. Changing gear occasionally catches it or when undoing a tricky lid. My mum has arthritis in the same area. Hope it's not that. My Canadian cousin has obvious arthritis in her knuckles - she's only a year older than me. I do have a spoonful of malt and cod liver oil when I remember! Not sure if it does the trick. Dad had arthritis in his neck - he did feel the clo was a big help. Well at least his feathers were glossy! Could it be a bit of rheumatism? Not something you hear much about nowadays. Anyway I hope you find something that eases the pain. Fingers crossed (well virtual fingers - less achy!) for the tablets working sjp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jess1merlin Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 I have suffered with joint pain and swelling in my fingers for a few years now. The best thing I have found is iMove which is made by a company called lintbells, I've taken it for a couple of years now and find it really helps with flexibility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 I am 49 and have the same thing mainly with my index finger on my left hand and my left big toe too, no swelling so I don't think it is gout. Occasionally the finger next to it locks and is very painful but that seems to pass quickly. My dad has bad arthritis in his hands and has had for about 20 years he is 74 so I suspect with me it is the beginnings of that. My gran had it badly too. I hope that you find something to ease the pain, my dad has always been very stoical about it and finds that keeping his hands warm and gently manipulating them helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursula123 Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 Do you eat or drink a lot of citrus? I suffered for years with swollen hands in the heat and whilst in India a ayuvedic therapist asked if I ate pineapple, oranges and lemon and told me to stop eating them and within a day my hands were back to normal. My MIl suffers with arthritis in her hands and they were very swollen and painful and I suggested she give no citrus a go ( she drunk an awful lot of orange juice ) once she stopped the juice the swelling went down and has been pain free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted July 28, 2016 Author Share Posted July 28, 2016 Do you eat or drink a lot of citrus? I suffered for years with swollen hands in the heat and whilst in India a ayuvedic therapist asked if I ate pineapple, oranges and lemon and told me to stop eating them and within a day my hands were back to normal. My MIl suffers with arthritis in her hands and they were very swollen and painful and I suggested she give no citrus a go ( she drunk an awful lot of orange juice ) once she stopped the juice the swelling went down and has been pain free. That's interesting - I wonder what it is in citrus that causes it? ! However, not really applicable to me as I don't really touch citrus at all! I also have a lump on the inside of the top joint on my right forefinger which can be painful if it catches on anything. I need to get it x rayed but am having probs making a convenient appt as its now school hols so thats on the 'to do' list once things get back to normal in Sept. The other joints that are painful are not swollen but I do notice the pain when I massage in my handcream. I tried Googling it but there is such conflicting advice around I am sure it is an age thing (tho neither of my parents had anything similar) but don't feel like just accepting it! I may pop into the chemist when I am next in the village and see what the pharmacist suggests Hope your tabs help you, SJP........how soon do you think they should kick in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egzandra Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 Hi, I think it is best to get some professional advice, even if your finger pain turns out to be a transient thing, and I guess your pharmacist will advise you to see the GP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 Do you eat or drink a lot of citrus? I suffered for years with swollen hands in the heat and whilst in India a ayuvedic therapist asked if I ate pineapple, oranges and lemon and told me to stop eating them and within a day my hands were back to normal. My MIl suffers with arthritis in her hands and they were very swollen and painful and I suggested she give no citrus a go ( she drunk an awful lot of orange juice ) once she stopped the juice the swelling went down and has been pain free. That's interesting - I wonder what it is in citrus that causes it? ! However, not really applicable to me as I don't really touch citrus at all! I also have a lump on the inside of the top joint on my right forefinger which can be painful if it catches on anything. I need to get it x rayed but am having probs making a convenient appt as its now school hols so thats on the 'to do' list once things get back to normal in Sept. The other joints that are painful are not swollen but I do notice the pain when I massage in my handcream. I tried Googling it but there is such conflicting advice around I am sure it is an age thing (tho neither of my parents had anything similar) but don't feel like just accepting it! I may pop into the chemist when I am next in the village and see what the pharmacist suggests Hope your tabs help you, SJP........how soon do you think they should kick in? I think this batch take about 10 days but Dr said I'm to let him know either way in 4 weeks so he can do the new script for the next tablets if these work as I'll have to go onto 100mg ones as I can't go from my current 50mg to the 100mg as that can bring on a gout attack I'm not sure the 50mg are still working the problem with my finger started after I bounced it of a wall December trouble was I'd got a concrete paving slab in my hands at the time at least me finger cushioned the slab from impacting on the wall the arthritis in my neck and shoulders was triggered by painting six ceilings 2 stairs hall and landings a bed room lounge kitchen and dinning room in 4 weeks coupled with about 6 slabbing jobs and laying about 7 ton of stone over the course of last year I was either looking up or down most of the time so they didn't get time to recover I've had a stiff vertebra in my neck for about 15 years that until last year never gave me any trouble just the 4 in my lower back but I know how to deal with them if they get to painful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmashazzie Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 Re Ursula's post. Citrus etc maintains the body in an acidic state and avoiding these and eating a plant based diet maintains an alkaline state which is supposed to reduce inflammatory conditions of which joint pain might be one. I have a few niggily pains,mainly knees and have been changing my diet for various reasons and actually feel amazingly better,joint pains less and I have much more energy. I wish I had done it years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing cloud Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 Hi soapdragon, I am the same age as you and also have swollen and stiff top joints on most of my fingers and suspect it is arthritis. In my case, probably cause my too much use of a keyboard. Glucosamine did nothing for me. I use a homeopathic remedy with arnica, rhus tox and ruta and I also add calc carb, and it really seems to help. Came across it when my Cleo-cat had bad arthritis and someone recommended homeopathy as better for cats than constant painkillers. I buy from here http://www.ainsworths.com/index.php?node=eShopItem&_item=combo-human They were lovely when I spoke to them about Cleo-cat's needs, and took the time to explore what her symptoms were and what medication she was on, before recommending a remedy that would suit her ailments and her character. Since it worked wonders for her, I gave it a go! I also spoke to the company again before letting my dad loose with it, just to check his meds were ok with it and he seems to be benefitting too. May be placebo, but whatever works . Might be worth a trip to the GP to have a chat and a "proper" diagnosis before choosing the best way forward for you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted July 28, 2016 Author Share Posted July 28, 2016 Thanks, Dancing Cloud! I will definately investigate the homeopathic route as I don't like taking anything generally.......I'm not sure what has 'caused' my joint pain but did used to use a keyboard a lot Probably that combined with reaching 'a certain age' Honestly, sometimes I wake up and wonder what is going to seize up, make some horrible crunching noise orjust fall off next! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 I have to say I think mine is weather related. The humidity in the UK makes my joints knees, ankles and toes hurt and I click them to release the pain. When I go to Spain or other hot countries - no problems at all. I will try the citrus - not a big citrus eater but do eat a lot of fruit. My grandad used to know when the weather was going to be wet as his knees hurt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted July 28, 2016 Author Share Posted July 28, 2016 That's a good point, Alis Girls....I admit to being a bit puzzled as to why the joints were painful now (ie; middle of summer) rather than in the winter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 I think when I am old I will be able to predict the weather with my joints, bladder etc. God what a thing to look forward too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandychick Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 I am totally sure it is diet that causes inflammation. It might sound crazy to begin with, but I had very aggressive auto immune arthritis which started when I was 40. It affected my ankles, knees, wrists, fingers, elbows, neck and jaw. The pain was immense and life was impossible, especially living on my own trying to get normal stuff done. I tried all manner of aggressive drugs from my Rheumatologist, all made me vomit all day and made my symptoms worse! Figured this was not the magic solution and then tried to sift through the info out there to separate fiction and madness from fact (be warned, there is a lot of nonsense). It's a very long story that I won't bore everyone with, but after months of diet elimination and experimentation the transformation has been amazing. I'm cycling, playing tennis, can climb up ladders and all sorts of things that I thought would never be possible again. And no drugs! It's very complicated and there is no magic diet that works for everyone. It is definitely worth eating lots of fruit and veg, bio live yogurt and minimising processed foods. Home made cakes and desserts are fine. Have a look at the ingredients in packaged food - it can be alarming compared to home made versions! Avoid antibiotics unless essential. There are a few great science based books out there on the subject if anyone wants to know more. 'Missing microbes' by Martin Blaser & '10% Human' by Alanna Collen are a couple of good ones. Pain and inflammation shouldn't be considered 'normal' as we get older.....it really isn't. Sorry to witter on but it might help someone!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmashazzie Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 I do agree Sandychick. Deliciously Ella also had some auto immune disease. I started using her cookbook without reading intro and did not realise it was vegan. I thought it was vegetarian. It is gluten,dairy, refined sugar and processed food free. I have been using it for a few months for several meals a week . I then read the intro and am trying to follow it as much as I can and I have never felt better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 OH has had this for the last few months in fingers, elbows, shoulders and knees. He is 48. On his first visit to the GP he was told 'You don't need any tests, I can tell you now you have arthritis'. But he had a blood test anyway, and the results showed no markers for arthritis (!) but suggested he'd recently had an 'inflammatory infection'. He was told to manage the pain using over he counter drugs and to come back if it hadn't gone in a month. Because of this, I've done a LOT of research into things that may help. There is no good evidence that glucosamine will do any good. There is SOME evidence that fish oil (this is not the same as cod liver oil) MAY help, but only at a dose of something like 3x the high dose pills and that would probably upset your stomach. There is SOME evidence that tart cherries may help, but it needs more research. There is no evidence that homeopathic remedies work for anything. As far as OH is concerned, it's been over 3 weeks and it's not really better, so we may be going back to the doctors. I'll keep you posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandychick Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Mullethunter, I can sympathise having had a battle with my GP in the early stages and then a long waiting list for a Rheumatologist. I would really push for a referral to a specialist now as waiting lists are often long. I wouldn't take too much notice of the blood tests either. They seem quite erratic from the ones I've had. I've been hobbling in with really swollen joints and the tests came back as low inflamation. The worst test result I got was on a really good day! If joints are swollen and hurt, there is something wrong! Have you looked at the new research going on into gut microbes and the link with chronic diseases? It is interesting stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Thanks Sandychick that's really helpful. No, I haven't seen stuff about gut microbes, but will definitely look into as OH also has IBS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 the trouble with GP's at the moment is their watching the bottom line to much I've had one of my meds changed purely down to cost GP admitted this only this week which is what I'd guessed anyway I'd also been told off by a Pharmacist for saying the same thing last time it was changed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandychick Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Don't get me started! The NHS are excellent at broken bones, emergency surgery, intensive care etc. For emergency stuff the NHS is first class and have saved my life a couple of times. The problem is, it's just not set up to deal with or diagnose a lot of things. If you turn up to your GP with 5 intolerable symptoms, they will pick 1 and send you to a specialist. There is no mechanism to join up the dots and find the common cause for all 5. This results in taking different medication to treat each symptom, then more medication to counteract the side effects and the vicious circle continues - and the cause is still not known. This is such an expensive way of dealing with chronic conditions, I'm not surprised they have to cut costs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmashazzie Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Totally agree Sandychick,there is very little holistic approach. My daughter has two conditions both serious and sees a consultant for one. She now has complications due I think to the other condition and is being treated with more drugs by the consultant looking after her transplant. In my very very small amount of knowledge they should be tackling blood disorder. When she was a child the blood specialist was so tunnel visioned re blood problem he didn't pick up liver disease. I would love her to go on a healthy diet and send her Plenish drinks in the hope I may convert her but to date my advice has fallen on deaf ears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Another one in agreement Sandychick. When my mum came off her horse and broke all sorts in March the NHS were amazing. I don't believe she could have bought better or more advanced or quicker treatment or care for any money. Chronic and non straight forward, non obvious, non emergency conditions involving a GP - different matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
