Joint pain, Arthritis, etc.

What product can I use for keeping my joints healthy, and assisting with arthritis ?


Long story, but I do not have much of my family history, health wise. And 3 weeks ago, I found out that my grandmother on my dad's side, had arthritis. My dad and his brother also have it. And now I find out my sister has it.


And with bodybuilding being very demanding on your joints, I was wondering if you had your own prefered go-to products for joint support and arthritis.

Sorry, I tried to fix the spelling mistake in the subject line, but it won't let me.

"Paint" should be "pain".

What kind of arthritis do they have? Prevention of rheumatoid arthritis varies to that of osteoarthritis. Being male you are more likely to be affected by osteoarthritis. In terms of prevention, if it is primary osteoarthritis you will be unable to prevent it. If it is secondary (to weightlifting lets say), this is actually very rare and also very difficult to prevent. The best thing to do in the case of a secondary osteoarthritis is avoid the activity all together, this is actually more detrimental in the long term than osteoarthritis is to your health.

Here's the step by step management we use in our hospital:
Early: (1) relieve pain (NSAIDS, decrease vascular congestion); (2) increase movement (Physiotherapy); (3) reduce load.
Intermediate: Before Joint replacement, clean cartilage, osteotomy of hip (Not common).
Late: Joint replacement.

Joint replacement has amazing outcomes if it ever comes to you needing one.

Have heard a few patients use Piascledine with good results for pain.

LesDoctor wrote: What kind of arthritis do they have? Prevention of rheumatoid arthritis varies to that of osteoarthritis. Being male you are more likely to be affected by osteoarthritis. In terms of prevention, if it is primary osteoarthritis you will be unable to prevent it. If it is secondary (to weightlifting lets say), this is actually very rare and also very difficult to prevent. The best thing to do in the case of a secondary osteoarthritis is avoid the activity all together, this is actually more detrimental in the long term than osteoarthritis is to your health.

Here's the step by step management we use in our hospital:
Early: (1) relieve pain (NSAIDS, decrease vascular congestion); (2) increase movement (Physiotherapy); (3) reduce load.
Intermediate: Before Joint replacement, clean cartilage, osteotomy of hip (Not common).
Late: Joint replacement.

Joint replacement has amazing outcomes if it ever comes to you needing one.

Have heard a few patients use Piascledine with good results for pain.

Got it. And thank you !


This is family history, that I am still digging up. So I am still finding out. I do not have contact with my dad's side of the familiy, and they are actually the ones I need to find out from.


What I found out in the last 3 weeks was:

My grandmother, father, uncle (his brother), and my sister have it.

And the medication they use are:

Dad and uncle: Xycam

Sister: Plaquenil


That's all I know so far.

Based on the medication, your sister has Rheumatoid Arthritis. But your dad and uncle probably have Osteoarthritis because they would be on Plaquenil also or some other sort of disease modifying agent (DMARD). So the best best is to get screened for Rheumatoid arthritis because you can prevent it's detrimental effects early on and we suggest that people with a strong family hisstory do get tested. In terms of osteoarthtitis, it comes with age so I am unsure of prevention methods.

Get a Rheumatoid factor test, its not very specific but useful in your case.

LesDoctor wrote: Based on the medication, your sister has Rheumatoid Arthritis. But your dad and uncle probably have Osteoarthritis because they would be on Plaquenil also or some other sort of disease modifying agent (DMARD). So the best best is to get screened for Rheumatoid arthritis because you can prevent it's detrimental effects early on and we suggest that people with a strong family hisstory do get tested. In terms of osteoarthtitis, it comes with age so I am unsure of prevention methods.

Get a Rheumatoid factor test, its not very specific but useful in your case.

Thank you. Is this something I can do through my GP ?

LesDoctor wrote: Based on the medication, your sister has Rheumatoid Arthritis. But your dad and uncle probably have Osteoarthritis because they would be on Plaquenil also or some other sort of disease modifying agent (DMARD). So the best best is to get screened for Rheumatoid arthritis because you can prevent it's detrimental effects early on and we suggest that people with a strong family hisstory do get tested. In terms of osteoarthtitis, it comes with age so I am unsure of prevention methods.

Get a Rheumatoid factor test, its not very specific but useful in your case.

Great advice

Colt wrote:

LesDoctor wrote: Based on the medication, your sister has Rheumatoid Arthritis. But your dad and uncle probably have Osteoarthritis because they would be on Plaquenil also or some other sort of disease modifying agent (DMARD). So the best best is to get screened for Rheumatoid arthritis because you can prevent it's detrimental effects early on and we suggest that people with a strong family hisstory do get tested. In terms of osteoarthtitis, it comes with age so I am unsure of prevention methods.

Get a Rheumatoid factor test, its not very specific but useful in your case.

Thank you. Is this something I can do through my GP ?

Yes, you'll just need blood forms. Out of curiosity do joint in your fingers ever flare up? This would be an indication you have it. Over years (If you are not on a DMARD), your joints become damaged by this recurrent inflammation and this leads to the abnormal looking hands most of us may have seen on our grand parents. This is preventable and NO ONE should have these deformities anymore. Even in public they are becoming quite rare to see.

Hope you get it sorted soon

LesDoctor wrote: Based on the medication, your sister has Rheumatoid Arthritis. But your dad and uncle probably have Osteoarthritis because they would be on Plaquenil also or some other sort of disease modifying agent (DMARD). So the best best is to get screened for Rheumatoid arthritis because you can prevent it's detrimental effects early on and we suggest that people with a strong family hisstory do get tested. In terms of osteoarthtitis, it comes with age so I am unsure of prevention methods.

Get a Rheumatoid factor test, its not very specific but useful in your case.

Thank you so much. This is definitely now on the top of my list of things to do.

My next GP appointment will be to get these tests done.

Thank you.



I've been living in pain for 6 and 1/2 years now, and I can't believe now, that they never tested for this before.

Ok, I admit, I am discovering a lot of my family history only now. But doctors should know better.

LesDoctor wrote: Yes, you'll just need blood forms. Out of curiosity do joint in your fingers ever flare up? This would be an indication you have it. Over years (If you are not on a DMARD), your joints become damaged by this recurrent inflammation and this leads to the abnormal looking hands most of us may have seen on our grand parents. This is preventable and NO ONE should have these deformities anymore. Even in public they are becoming quite rare to see.

Hope you get it sorted soon

The flare up in the fingers, is something that only started this year. I have had other issues, like getting cramps in my hands, when working on the laptop too long. But in the last, 2 months, my fingers started locking up.

I don't have any visible swelling, but sometimes my hands and fingers "lock up". I will make a fist, but it will take a little extra effort, with the joints clicking when closing my hand into a fist. This is new. I didn't have this before.

This could also be the result of working more on a laptop as you said which may have resulted in a tenosynovitis or "Trigger Finger". There's no harm in checking whether you have rheumatoid arthritis though.

LesDoctor wrote: This could also be the result of working more on a laptop as you said which may have resulted in a tenosynovitis or "Trigger Finger". There's no harm in checking whether you have rheumatoid arthritis though.

I got this recently a few months ago in both ring fingers and it's only cleared up recently. Very freaky! I think mine was caused by or definitely aggravated by using HGH. It started slowly getting getter after I stopped take it. Mornings after days that I'd taken MK677 it was quite a bit worse as well.

LesDoctor wrote: "Trigger Finger".

Thank you, a new term for me to research. It kind of describes how it feels. Very weird.

I started to get involentary twitches in my right index finger. I also had this numbness in my right arm. So I couldn't figure it out. And it is easy to go into panic mode, and start thinking you have something like Joost had.

During lockdown, it actually improved / got better. But in March, before the lockdown, I also ended up in hospital for 2 days, and since then I've been on blood thinning meds, and cholesterol meds.

I had a T.I.A. in March, and collapsed in my living room.

LesDoctor wrote: Yes, you'll just need blood forms. Out of curiosity do joint in your fingers ever flare up? This would be an indication you have it. Over years (If you are not on a DMARD), your joints become damaged by this recurrent inflammation and this leads to the abnormal looking hands most of us may have seen on our grand parents. This is preventable and NO ONE should have these deformities anymore. Even in public they are becoming quite rare to see.

Hope you get it sorted soon

Good news. I saw my GP today, specifically for this. He is testing for my arthritis markers, and a few other things. One I can't remember, but it has to do with my lungs, as I feel like I have asthma, but I don't.


And I also asked him to test my Uric Acid levels, as it is also a common issue in our family.

I should have the results by Monday.

Colt wrote:

LesDoctor wrote: "Trigger Finger".

Thank you, a new term for me to research. It kind of describes how it feels. Very weird.

I started to get involentary twitches in my right index finger. I also had this numbness in my right arm. So I couldn't figure it out. And it is easy to go into panic mode, and start thinking you have something like Joost had.

During lockdown, it actually improved / got better. But in March, before the lockdown, I also ended up in hospital for 2 days, and since then I've been on blood thinning meds, and cholesterol meds.

I had a T.I.A. in March, and collapsed in my living room.

Wow, that must've been scary. Had a 20 year old with a TIA last week because he had AML leading to polycythaemia and thus hyper-coaguability.

The numbness in the right arm and involuntary twitches could be residual impact from the TIA. Where was the clot, I'm assuming in the left anterior cerebral artery but that's just a guess from your complaints?

Colt wrote:

LesDoctor wrote: Yes, you'll just need blood forms. Out of curiosity do joint in your fingers ever flare up? This would be an indication you have it. Over years (If you are not on a DMARD), your joints become damaged by this recurrent inflammation and this leads to the abnormal looking hands most of us may have seen on our grand parents. This is preventable and NO ONE should have these deformities anymore. Even in public they are becoming quite rare to see.

Hope you get it sorted soon

Good news. I saw my GP today, specifically for this. He is testing for my arthritis markers, and a few other things. One I can't remember, but it has to do with my lungs, as I feel like I have asthma, but I don't.


And I also asked him to test my Uric Acid levels, as it is also a common issue in our family.

I should have the results by Monday.

I'm so glad. As they say, health is wealth. It's good to know everything about your body. Gouty Arthritis is a possibility although you're a bit young and you would most likely have had pain in the first metatarsal and not your fingers as well as a history of flare ups. But its good to prevent things before they happen anyway. Hope everything is sorted soon.

LesDoctor wrote:

Colt wrote:

LesDoctor wrote: "Trigger Finger".

Thank you, a new term for me to research. It kind of describes how it feels. Very weird.

I started to get involentary twitches in my right index finger. I also had this numbness in my right arm. So I couldn't figure it out. And it is easy to go into panic mode, and start thinking you have something like Joost had.

During lockdown, it actually improved / got better. But in March, before the lockdown, I also ended up in hospital for 2 days, and since then I've been on blood thinning meds, and cholesterol meds.

I had a T.I.A. in March, and collapsed in my living room.

Wow, that must've been scary. Had a 20 year old with a TIA last week because he had AML leading to polycythaemia and thus hyper-coaguability.

The numbness in the right arm and involuntary twitches could be residual impact from the TIA. Where was the clot, I'm assuming in the left anterior cerebral artery but that's just a guess from your complaints?

I don't know the right terms, but the neurologist says the right neck artery, under my right ear.

Sorry, I don't know the arteries and all their names.

The numbness started just under my right ear, then went into my right shoulder, until I couldn't move my right arm ... and then I passed out and collapsed.

Colt wrote:

LesDoctor wrote:

Colt wrote:

LesDoctor wrote: "Trigger Finger".

Thank you, a new term for me to research. It kind of describes how it feels. Very weird.

I started to get involentary twitches in my right index finger. I also had this numbness in my right arm. So I couldn't figure it out. And it is easy to go into panic mode, and start thinking you have something like Joost had.

During lockdown, it actually improved / got better. But in March, before the lockdown, I also ended up in hospital for 2 days, and since then I've been on blood thinning meds, and cholesterol meds.

I had a T.I.A. in March, and collapsed in my living room.

Wow, that must've been scary. Had a 20 year old with a TIA last week because he had AML leading to polycythaemia and thus hyper-coaguability.

The numbness in the right arm and involuntary twitches could be residual impact from the TIA. Where was the clot, I'm assuming in the left anterior cerebral artery but that's just a guess from your complaints?

I don't know the right terms, but the neurologist says the right neck artery, under my right ear.

Sorry, I don't know the arteries and all their names.

The numbness started just under my right ear, then went into my right shoulder, until I couldn't move my right arm ... and then I passed out and collapsed.

Oh I see, was probably a right internal carotid artery stenosis.

LesDoctor wrote:

Colt wrote:

LesDoctor wrote:

Colt wrote:

LesDoctor wrote: "Trigger Finger".

Thank you, a new term for me to research. It kind of describes how it feels. Very weird.

I started to get involentary twitches in my right index finger. I also had this numbness in my right arm. So I couldn't figure it out. And it is easy to go into panic mode, and start thinking you have something like Joost had.

During lockdown, it actually improved / got better. But in March, before the lockdown, I also ended up in hospital for 2 days, and since then I've been on blood thinning meds, and cholesterol meds.

I had a T.I.A. in March, and collapsed in my living room.

Wow, that must've been scary. Had a 20 year old with a TIA last week because he had AML leading to polycythaemia and thus hyper-coaguability.

The numbness in the right arm and involuntary twitches could be residual impact from the TIA. Where was the clot, I'm assuming in the left anterior cerebral artery but that's just a guess from your complaints?

I don't know the right terms, but the neurologist says the right neck artery, under my right ear.

Sorry, I don't know the arteries and all their names.

The numbness started just under my right ear, then went into my right shoulder, until I couldn't move my right arm ... and then I passed out and collapsed.

Oh I see, was probably a right internal carotid artery stenosis.

Thank you.

Adding this to my knowledge base.

Nice advice Les!

My ex (daughters mom) has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis last year. She also suffered for years and none of the doctors ever got it until last year.
Apparently the pain also becomes very unbearable. In her case she claims it’s the reason she became and alcoholic, apparently a bottle of wine everyday was the only thing that numbed the pain. Then of course the drinking became a problem to me as it had a direct effect on my daughter. Her family also started having an issue with it. Eventually drove her into depression. I’ve the route of alcoholism and depression is not unheard of in people with rheumatoid arthritis?

Thank goodness she managed to get sorted at rehab and is now also taking better care of her mental health. I feel for anyone who has to go through this.

Hoosain wrote: Nice advice Les!

My ex (daughters mom) has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis last year. She also suffered for years and none of the doctors ever got it until last year.
Apparently the pain also becomes very unbearable. In her case she claims it’s the reason she became and alcoholic, apparently a bottle of wine everyday was the only thing that numbed the pain. Then of course the drinking became a problem to me as it had a direct effect on my daughter. Her family also started having an issue with it. Eventually drove her into depression. I’ve the route of alcoholism and depression is not unheard of in people with rheumatoid arthritis?

Thank goodness she managed to get sorted at rehab and is now also taking better care of her mental health. I feel for anyone who has to go through this.

I can sympathise. I live with pain 24 x 7. I am just so happy that my arthritis markers are finally being tested. I will get my results next week.

I just can't believe, that in the last 7 years of in and out of the hospital, that they never even tested for it.


Most days you "cope". And then you get those days when life just throws Everything at you at once. And the pain beats you. I've spent many weekends in bed, cause the pain was just too much.

Then people come with, "maybe you should go see a councelor". That totally freaks me out.


Today, I also sit with many old sports injuries:

- broken toe, right foot
- broken toe, left foot
- snapped ligaments, right ankle
- torn cartilage, right knee
- torn glutes, but they heal at least
- fracture, left elbow
- broken right clavical (steel in shoulder)
- 3 fused vertebra, neck (steel in neck)

I might have forgotten / left out one or two, the list is long.

Yeah sounds very familiar, weekends in bed and unable to move. There were times where I took my daughter to her for the weekend and she wouldn’t answer calls or open up. When she eventually did call back she mentioned sleeping meds and pain.

Hoosain wrote: Yeah sounds very familiar, weekends in bed and unable to move. There were times where I took my daughter to her for the weekend and she wouldn’t answer calls or open up. When she eventually did call back she mentioned sleeping meds and pain.

So sad. I fully understand.

I am so happy that she finally found some answers. Wow.

How is her pain levels now ?

Colt wrote:

Hoosain wrote: Yeah sounds very familiar, weekends in bed and unable to move. There were times where I took my daughter to her for the weekend and she wouldn’t answer calls or open up. When she eventually did call back she mentioned sleeping meds and pain.

So sad. I fully understand.

I am so happy that she finally found some answers. Wow.

How is her pain levels now ?

So she still has the pain, she says that she copes better now that she’s on the right meds.
I do however think it’s a lot to do with her mind set as well. Finally knowing exact what it is and having the depression and anxiety behind her probably had a lot to do with it.

Hoosain wrote:

Colt wrote:

Hoosain wrote: Yeah sounds very familiar, weekends in bed and unable to move. There were times where I took my daughter to her for the weekend and she wouldn’t answer calls or open up. When she eventually did call back she mentioned sleeping meds and pain.

So sad. I fully understand.

I am so happy that she finally found some answers. Wow.

How is her pain levels now ?

So she still has the pain, she says that she copes better now that she’s on the right meds.
I do however think it’s a lot to do with her mind set as well. Finally knowing exact what it is and having the depression and anxiety behind her probably had a lot to do with it.

Is it possible for her to do Any kind of exercise ... even if she just goes for short walks ?

Baby steps