I've had everything you mention, except surgery---and since I'm only 52, they're telling me I really should hold off on the knee replacements as long as possible. (I've already held off seven years longer than I'd have thought possible, pre-op.)

Tramadol doesn't really seem to help much, either, strangely. I don't tolerate it well---enough to kill the pain makes me foolish in the head. (*grin*) Cortisone doesn't help for long, either, but I have had good experience with hyaluronic acid---it's what's allowed me---well, that an losing weight---to keep my knees this long.

I've been taking daily NSAIDs for, oh, 30 year now. Tylenol won't even help me with a headache.

Do you personally suffer from OA? I do, and like GDEL, I get zero relief from Tylenol. For many of us, giving up NSAIDs is a bad, bad thing.

Hi there,

I have been searching the net and articles on food allergies and RA.  It is overwhelming to say the least.  The inflammation is awful.  I am willing to try anything at this point, eleminating triggers.  Every joint in my body is effected right now.  Yikes.....I am stubborn with my coffee though.  I put my protein powder and hot chocolate in it and I have a Mocha coffee and it is so good.  I will give my coffee up last....  lol

GDEL:

I think this is simply a case of miscommunication... note that I did not say anything about your treatment... my message was directed towards the general quesion of treatment of OA in a a WLS patient.  Clearly your arthritis does not respond to Tylenol.  Everyone is different.  Some people do not respond to Tylenol.  However, it is incorrect to transpose your experience onto everyone else and say if it didn't work for you, it won't work for anyone.

Tylenol is regarded as the first drug of choice to treat OA for the reasons I mentioned above.  Many patients do get significant relief from it, and it is so safe... that is why we use it.

Tylenol very rarely causes any liver problems, by the way.  (The only times I've seen it happen was from purposeful overdose, and the medical literature shows it happening in people taking too much Tylenol, or from drinking too much alcohol and taking Tylenol).  It is actually much safer than NSAIDs from which we doctors see side effects all the time such as bleeding ulcers, elevated blood pressure, kidney dysfunction (the list goes on and on).  I see it every day in my practice... yet I have never had a patient get any significant side effects from Tylenol when used correctly.  The only folks who run into problems are alcoholics and people taking too much Tylenol inadvertantly (usually due to being "hidden" in their pain meds) and hence the reasons for public announcements regarding being careful with Tylenol.

On a public forum such as this, it is very important that appropriate guidelines and options be given to people based upon what medical studies show over all and what is medically appropriate... they should not just be based upon one's own experience. ...  for you Tylenol will not work... but for many others, it absolutely can potentially work.  If it doesn't work after 1 week of usage... then it is time to try something different.

In medicine we say that the first law of medicine is "first do no harm"... Tylenol causes markedly less harm than any other systemic arthritis medicine.  If it doesn't work... then therapy is stepped up in a particular patient.

I hope you do well!

As a person with osteo arthritis literally from head to toe,  I can say from experience and  the advice given by my rheumatologist, neuro-surgeon,   and numerous orthopedics and sports medicine specialists , drugs like acetominophen have had almost no effect on arthritis pain and stiffness.    It was explained to me long ago that taking drugs which were not anit-inflammatory could possibly mask pain, as in narcotic drugs, but would do nothing for the stiffness and the resulting pain of severe arthritis.  I am not talking about occasional pain.  I am referring to pain resulting from cervical and lumbar spinal stenosis,  bone on bone both knees, and spondylolesthesis.    Taking Tylenol on a reg basis in large doses would just destroy my liver without any significant pain relief.    Anyone with severe arthritis knows this and has tried just about everything.  Each person knows what works for them, and what allows them to function at a minimal level.  When I have to go to acetomenohen for a week or two prior to surgery my life becomes almost unbearable, but I do it because there is no choice.  Period..  Even an occasional narcotic pain killer does not improve the situation the way even ibuprofen does.  It is a big issue is deciding which surgery to have for weight loss.  Orthopedic says he cannot see a time when I will not need some type of n-said, even with both knees replaced, and back surgery for the stenosis.  Weight loss will definitely help and may lessen the need for any pills, but i have to get to that point first.