Pain Relief Meds for Arthritis ?????????

Hello Everyone

It has been quite some time since I have been on these boards but I must say it does feel good to be home.

I have a question for all you grads out there.  Over the past year I have been experiencing extreme pain in both hips to the point that when I get up from a sitting position it takes me awhile to loosen up.  Besides taking Tylenol products everyday is there anything that can be prescribed for us?  I just want to get some relief.  I have seen my GP and he said Tylenol.  I know that some of you must have the same experience I am going through and who better to ask than my WLS family.

Please respond to this ASAP so I can pursue this further with my MD.

Thanks a bunch!

My husband has it in his wrists and he started drinking cherry juice which has helped him alot.

I understand your pain. I have arthritis in my knees and ankles. The right knee needs to be replaced outright and the left ankle is so bad, even surgery won't help.

I generally get by with Tylenol and the ocassional vicodin. 

What I do regularly is attend an arthritis swim class at my local Y - they have a warm water pool with walk in entry.  I started the program back when I was over 400 lbs and needed a cane to walk any distance. It is the main reason I can still walk and get around at all.  Now that I'm down 200 lbs, I almost never need a cane any more, but I still attend regularly to keep myself going and I also swim laps to get some aerobic exercise in.

Exercising in the water helps you move your joints w/o impact injury. The density of the water gives you something to work against, so you build up muscle, too. Not like a workout in the gym, mind you, but enough to keep you moving and give you blessed relief from the pain! The Y also has many ways to help keep the cost down, and some insurers, like Blue Cross have reimbursement programs for good attendence. If you don't have a Y, look for a facility that does hydo PT and ask your doctor to Rx it for you. Copays may be an issue, but believe me, it *really* helps.

Oh, BTW, try changing your shoes. I discovered by accident that those "rocker" exercise shoes being sold these days give me surprising relief. If I get trapped standing for awhile and the pain starts, I can rock forward or back to change the load, and it gives me relief. Nothing miraculous, mind you, but it real. And they are really funky to learn to walk in, but they do help me. You might experiment with rocking, too, to exercise your hips as you sit.  Do you have a hard wood rocker you can bring in and try out? Cushion your butt, of course.

Meds help, but MOTION is what really works for me.

I too have experienced excruciating hip pain for the last two years. I have tried everything. I have bought two new mattresses, tried Tylenol to the point my liver enzymes became elevated, was put on celebrex, had that discontinued as it no longer worked, Tramadol, Flexeril, Advil, Aleve, and Zipsor. No relief. I have been checked for arthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus,and fibromyalgia. Not sure what this is. I have an appt in October with a specialist.I hope to get relief soon. My pain comes and goes though. The only relief I get is with steroids.