Anti inflammatory help?

[cintinative]

It's a long story but because of taking too much ibuprofen before when I had an injury, it caused a lot of GERD and I am trying to avoid ibuprofen.

That said, lately I have had a lot of muscle and joint aches. I am currently taking a multivitamin, 5000 ius of Vitamin D (this is for nerve health also. Another long story.), calcium, glucosamine-chondroitin and tart cherry extract. I take the calcium separately from the others because of absorption issues. 

What else can you suggest? Sometimes I am just so sore. I would just like to get some relief. 

[HomeAgain]

Maybe add in some turmeric? 

[prairiewindmomma]

Magnesium—smooth muscle relaxant

Curcumin with the c95 complex (you need it ultra concentrated to be effective as it isnt very bioavailable naturally; this does have a hepatoprotective effect if you messed your liver up also with ibuprofen).

Krill oil

Those are the three things my rheumatologist recommends.

I would also recommend at least 15 minutes of stretching and 30 minutes of walking daily. Motion is lotion. I walk even when I hobble. You have got to keep moving. If that level of exercise is easy for you always, add some light weights with lots of reps. You need strong muscles to hold joints in place.

[cintinative]

12 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Magnesium—smooth muscle relaxant

Curcumin with the c95 complex (you need it ultra concentrated to be effective as it isnt very bioavailable naturally; this does have a hepatoprotective effect if you messed your liver up also with ibuprofen).

Krill oil

Those are the three things my rheumatologist recommends.

I would also recommend at least 15 minutes of stretching and 30 minutes of walking daily. Motion is lotion. I walk even when I hobble. You have got to keep moving. If that level of exercise is easy for you always, add some light weights with lots of reps. You need strong muscles to hold joints in place.

Thank you! I am stretching and walking every day plus my normal exercise.  I think, but cannot prove, that due to hormonal changes sometimes my joints have more give and I have more joint pain.  I have a ton of muscle tightness (hamstring) right now that I can't seem to resolve with stretching. I need to do some research on alternate methods to stretch. The two or three methods I know aren't enough.

I don't think my liver was messed up. I was only on the ibuprofen for three weeks, but it was enough to send my body from silent refluxing to active refluxing. I didn't know I had reflux before that. 

Edited April 13 by cintinative

[prairiewindmomma]

4 minutes ago, cintinative said:

Thank you! I am stretching and walking every day plus my normal exercise.  I think, but cannot prove, that due to hormonal changes sometimes my joints have more give and I have more joint pain.  I have a ton of muscle tightness (hamstring) right now that I can't seem to resolve with stretching. I need to do some research on alternate methods to stretch. The two or three methods I know aren't enough.

I don't think my liver was messed up. I was only on the ibuprofen for three weeks, but it was enough to send my body from silent refluxing to active refluxing. I didn't know I had reflux before that. 

My joint laxity and muscle issues absolutely follow my menstrual cycle. They’ve done studies on hormonal influence of hypermobility and tendon rupture both. Perimenopause has been rough.

[Harriet Vane]

8 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Magnesium—smooth muscle relaxant

Curcumin with the c95 complex (you need it ultra concentrated to be effective as it isnt very bioavailable naturally; this does have a hepatoprotective effect if you messed your liver up also with ibuprofen).

Krill oil

Those are the three things my rheumatologist recommends.

I would also recommend at least 15 minutes of stretching and 30 minutes of walking daily. Motion is lotion. I walk even when I hobble. You have got to keep moving. If that level of exercise is easy for you always, add some light weights with lots of reps. You need strong muscles to hold joints in place.

This, especially the magnesium.

I would also suggest accepting that you need a massage somewhat regularly for a little while. I do not tolerate medications well, especially NSAIDS. When I was at my peak pain + weakness I found that a massage would help a ton. For a while I got a massage once a month, and I yearned to be able to do it twice a month. When I have a bad flareup, I'll do a couple (2-3) over two weeks to break it up. 

A regular doctor would also suggest taking muscle relaxer pills. I find that magnesium is almost as effective. 

Another option is electric stimulation. I have a small stim machine that was prescribed for me, but I think you can buy them on the internet fairly easily.

 

 

Re your joints having a ton of "give"--that is the case for me as well, and I have a formal hypermobility diagnosis. The laxity in connective tissue means that there are times I can stretch and the join will move but the muscle will stay tight. If that's happening, then the stretching will not help. Consider instead breaking up the muscle knots with pressure points (someone pushing hard on a knot), with massage using a roller or a ball or a rolling pin, and with creams will you sleep (Biofreeze or liniment, etc.).

Also when the joints have a lot of laxity, it's essential to focus on strength training. The muscles knot and harden to try to compensate for what the connective tissue is not doing. The stronger the muscles, the better they can work to hold the joints in place. Also you will find that the joint laxity does improve over time with strength training combined with gentle movement like biking or water exercises.

[cintinative]

Just now, prairiewindmomma said:

My joint laxity and muscle issues absolutely follow my menstrual cycle. They’ve done studies on hormonal influence of hypermobility and tendon rupture both. Perimenopause has been rough.

YES.

[prairiewindmomma]

For me, I use a hot tub therapeutically. I dont know if you can join a gym or a pool that has one, but I need to be neck deep in hot water for pain management. I can only very rarely take ibuprofen due to the toxic load I have from other meds, so that and cognitive coping are my mainstays of pain management.

[cintinative]

@prairiewindmommacan you link the Curcumin with the c95 complex that you take?  And how do I know what magnesium dosage to take? 

[Harriet Vane]

1 minute ago, prairiewindmomma said:

For me, I use a hot tub therapeutically. I dont know if you can join a gym or a pool that has one, but I need to be neck deep in hot water for pain management. I can only very rarely take ibuprofen due to the toxic load I have from other meds, so that and cognitive coping are my mainstays of pain management.

YES. I, too, find a ton of relief from a warm soak. Even better when I can get access to a friend's tub with amazing seats with multiple jets--she's a 15-hour drive away, though, so her tub is a once or twice a year luxury.

[cintinative]

3 minutes ago, Harriet Vane said:

 

Also when the joints have a lot of laxity, it's essential to focus on strength training. The muscles knot and harden to try to compensate for what the connective tissue is not doing. The stronger the muscles, the better they can work to hold the joints in place. Also you will find that the joint laxity does improve over time with strength training combined with gentle movement like biking or water exercises.

I still do strength training for my legs every week because I know I have a patellar tracking issue. 😃

I will try the foam rolling you mentioned. I like a rolling pin for my calves and quads, but I am thinking I will not do well trying that for my hamstrings.  LOL. 

[Clarita]

Have you tried transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)? I've found it really good at relieving pain. 

[prairiewindmomma]

So, curcumin is where I make a budgetary tradeoff in my supplements list. I buy it when it falls under $20/bottle. It is right now from this seller: https://www.amazon.com/Jarrow-Formulas-Curcumin-500-Count/dp/B000HKZ85A/ref=sr_1_7?crid=1ZJI2F7E2NA7F&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.m5gZ2KqRdcZxbv5t0ru8TWXU6icPXjgIPOgrv7RJ_LLoeV3nd_kURPL9bVJMuzmHuGxKxoZZ9-O-aCCFLE4eZjAMfk-ZIsE0t_VwbiEzKPhjJd1f_Pj_KPemOei9nDObMk3dpQsUfymPtKopgEV7INtlXJ_b1JnIFQl_9m-PNYIKXSWrqcERiu-DLncx6HXTVPP4AsCV2mqb_XEgph_yG9eue2tJAgVO4Lq17P_IfDneswt7nWxva9y1YpcD21UTddke0z1iZJGe2fC3lWzv02FpHkDhC7AeUvRzVpmAqCY.VGsFqtVL9CUCftFMj7-titrF5l0FpfZB-NjGjODakLo&dib_tag=se&keywords=jarrow+curcumin&qid=1713037436&rdc=1&sprefix=jarrow+curcumin%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-7

Note that you should price it carefully. There are a number of sellers on amazon, and you can usually find the same product at 3-4 different prices.  Ideally, curcumin should be taken with bioperine to make it more bioavailable, but I personally don't find a different in my body, so I choose to save $20/bottle and pay $18-22 for it rather than $45-55. I take two capsules of it--1000mg.

My body needs a heck of a lot more magnesium than most people's.  You can dose it to tolerance (aka, until diarrhea hits) up to 2000mg a day, theoretically. I take magnesium glycinate lysine as it is very bioavailable and doesn't cause any gut issues for me.  This is the brand I usually get: https://www.amazon.com/Doctors-Best-Absorption-Magnesium-Glycinate/dp/B000BD0RT0/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1ZEMNYFYL5YQ1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.1w4E7W-dWRPk8OcZv1JsGdpdeEH5oNEc_dfpQCr5OEEym9-cINqqPFAsmfi4APdZTNESKUomd6TAU1CT7nLGx1e-tsn-aabl1DwyCmCeba-Cpu2S5fl5Op3G1_x7mQiicoC-ZP9e6gF3AJzOwbLT2r3-zS6OufvkjPh83J50iU-JjfpPH7Krc8wvFbpeHcyTVaQfGHz30WNpIC6k_rOCA8__8AnHTIBWvR_tEROvqt33QkjHwNfe2z3eMlJMSMGWjelMgY1touVWXi-Qgxs6Ef5ZvEfiwYPsI6ILV-la48w._1M3SE89nSNUJlp1L7hhAA6IGpi_-Kru3SQ9PrScZts&dib_tag=se&keywords=magnesium&qid=1713037588&rdc=1&sprefix=magnesium%2Caps%2C194&sr=8-5

When I first started with magnesium 2015ish, I took 1000mg a day, which is the most my dr would let me (see above personal toxic load of other meds and trying not to overwhelm my kidneys), and it took several months to kind of claw out of a terrible place with my pain. I'm at about 400mg of this now, but I will still do an epsom salt soak or other skin topical thing if I flare up on top of what I get dietarily and my supplement regime. If you have kidney issues or if you start to get diarrhea, ramp up slowly. 

 

 

[Pawz4me]

I'm perhaps an oddity, but Tylenol Arthritis (which is acetaminophen, not a NSAID) seems to help both my RA and OA more than ibuprofen does.

[cintinative]

Update: foam rolling has helped a lot. I probably need to do this more often. 

[Katy]

You can get cheap turmeric, ginger, ceylon cinnamon, and garlic either supplements or dried powdered spices and put into capsules yourself. They’re strong anti-inflammatories that are even stronger together. But one concern is they can be high in lead. 

[Lori D.]

Here are some myofascial release self-techniques -- some use a foam roller, others use a ball, and some do not require any device. I have seen a tennis ball used in yoga classes that emphasize "yin yoga". That might also be something to consider, is a once-a-week yin yoga class (online or in person).

I get very tight shoulder muscles and use a vintage 1.5" hard rubber super-bounce ball and press it between my shoulder muscles and the wall, which allows me to press as hard as works for me -- no hands needed, just pressing my back/shoulder against the ball which is against the wall. plus the ball can be rolled around to work on different spots by releasing pressure and moving my shoulders a bit.

[GoVanGogh]

I have an assortment of autoimmune issues and Parkinson’s. 
I went whole food, plant based three years ago and it has helped me so much. Dairy, in particular, is awful on my body. My labs (inflammation markers, liver enzymes, etc) have all improved considerably since changing my diet. 
I do infrared heated yoga several times a week. Prior to starting, I could have checked every box on the list of “people who should not do hot yoga.” Turns out, my body loves it. I can really tell a difference when I miss more than a few days in a row. 
Massage is also essential.
I have to keep moving to keep my body from freezing up. 
I am glad hot tub was mentioned, as I keep thinking I need to use the one at the gym. 
I have to keep my vitamin D levels up, as I can really feel a difference when it starts to dip down. My absorption is awful, so I have to consistently work on keeping it up.
Probiotics. I think most people with health issues have poor gut health? Not sure on research, but the people I know with chronic health issues also have gut issues.  

[kbutton]

I have learned that I need magnesium all the time, not just sometimes. I take glycinate. Ditto on working up to it if you’re worried about GI issues.

I can’t believe how different my muscles and joints feel while taking it, and my migraines have calmed back down.

I think I was waiting too long to take it when I took it intermittently.

 

[Carol in Cal.]

Epsom salts in a long hot bath are one of the main ways I supplement my Mg, avoid cramping, and relieve muscle aches.

I also steep raw fresh ginger in water from my hot tea kettle for about 15 minutes until it cools to lukewarm, and then drink it.  This is extremely helpful in curing my tendencies to reflux as well as being a bit anti inflammatory.  

I used to pop ibuprofen in large quantities but as my reflux has gotten worse over the years I had to stop using it.  I very occasionally take enteric coated aspirin, which is less reflux causing than regular aspirin or ibuprofen, but I can’t take it as a regimen or I do get bad reflux from it.  

[Garga]

Regarding the curcumin—if you take it mixed with bioperin (pepper), it can also cause GERD. Long story short, but I had to sprinkle the contents of my turmeric/curcumin capusule in some applesauce and it’s spicy hot! I hadn’t known that that was the root cause of my GERD until that moment.

So, be sure to get curcumin without any pepper (bioperin is often what they mix in with it) if you already have GERD issues. 

I stopped the curcumin a few weeks ago. I take collagen supplements for my hair and I read that collagen also helps with inflammation and maybe it does, because even though I stopped the curcumin, I don’t have joint pain like I did before the curcumin, so maybe the collage is helping. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NF3LQ9M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[happypamama]

My doctor recommended vitamin E capsules for overall inflammation.

[BeachGal]

24 minutes ago, happypamama said:

My doctor recommended vitamin E capsules for overall inflammation.

The majority of people in the US are deficient.
 

Avoid the synthetic vitamin E, dL alpha-tocopherol. If you see the letter “L” after “d”, don’t buy.

[Spryte]

Our functional med doc suggested Zyflamend to DH for pain, and he really notices when we run out and he stops taking it.

https://www.newchapter.com/herbals/zyflamend/

We don’t take a lot of ibuprofen or Tylenol here, but this has helped.