Osteoarthritis in DD1 - Artrosilium - any advice welcome!

That sounds very hard for her and I can understand that you are wanting to find something that helps.
BUT Oh goodness me if it sounds like a fraudulent scam it is probably a fraudulent scam... goes off to google....

On arthritis research it says:

"I know of no scientific studies evaluating the effects of atrosilium and can't therefore recommend it."

Silica and a few herbs. Probably not harmful, unless you are allergic to the herbs but at £30 a tube is it extremely expensive (which certainly does not mean it is any use - there are many expensive and useless products of this kind) and very unlikely to help such a bad case. Mild cases of many diseases can seem to improve due to placebo effect and natural fluctuations.

Gagets to help her cope sound like a better use of money.

I agree that if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is.. I have multiple joint Osteo-Arthritis with so far one hip replacement. I've tried lots of things to help with my O/A , Glucosamine and Choindritin, Rose Hip tablets, tens machine, Acupuncture and in my case nothing really helped. Anti-Inflammatories from my GP made a big difference to my pain and regular swimming and walking. For wrists and hand O/A splints worn when the affected joint is being used can be good but only should be worn for short periods I have one with metal splints in that straps with velcro round my wrist and thumb area but I try not to use it too often as I don't want the muscles to weaken.
I hope your daughter finds as I do that a bad day is usually followed by a good couple of days and I manage to live with it without it impacting too much on my quality of life.

I agree with tanith - I have tried lots of things, and the strong prescription anti inflammatories are the only things that do the trick - with the very occasional co codamol. I have some Pernaton gel, which is a bit like Deep Heat only kinder, but the effects are only temporary. A hot wheat bag helps when it's bad.

As tanith says, you can get a couple of good days - I call the my "strange mystery cure" days, and you learn to make the most of them. Knee replacement in a few weeks, then a hip..

But this hit me mid sixties, and your daughter is so young to have it!

A cortisone injection would almost certainly help with the pain and inflammation. She should ask her GP about these. My shoulder is done by a very good GP, but a wrist might have to be injected in out-patients.

I've just spoken to my father, who is 87, and he says he has it too (which I knew, but what I didn't know was that it first started for him in his twenties. So there is clearly a family history. What is encouraging is that it hasn't stopped him being active - he even went ski-ing in his 70s for a few years, and still goes to the gym every week.

I will pass on everyone's tips to my DD - thank you all

Good luck with your surgery Ariadne.

Ariadne - hope your surgery goes well You have a lot coming up! And thank you for your advice

Rowantree when I was first diagnosed I thought 'that's it knackers yard' next stop. Thankfully I was able to continue fairly normally for a good few years before my hip gave out but it was a big shock at first.

I have been attending a pain clinic and have received cortisone injections into affected joints. They have worked brilliantly and changed my life so much. However it took fifteen years for a gp to refer me to this clinic so my advice is to demand a referral and take things from there.

The pain clinic in my area has no medical input! - they are all psychologists, physios etc. I need someone who can actually prescribe something and get me out of pain!

That's a shame Rowantree my OA started when I was mid thirties and my history is much the same as tanith's. it also seems worse when the weather is wet so tell her to look forward to the summer. I did find that it went sort of into remission for a while (maybe when I set my mind to other things) but returned with full a vengeance about five year's ago. Sadly it is no respecter of age. I hope she copes well, and am sure she will.

Best wishes for your forthcoming surgery Ariadne you will be a new woman. My daughter told her then 8 year old son that I had a bionic he. He was quite disappointed when he got to see me.

Bionic HIP

Commiserations rowantree I sympathise especially as my DD3 was diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis when she was 29 (3 years ago). It is a particularly aggressive and destructive form of arthritis and I was devasted. She has it in her hips, knees and wrists/hands BUT about a year ago was accepted on a monoclonal antibody-type drug trial at Barts. It means no babies for 5 years and a 4 month wash out period before they can think of starting a family but it is a joy to see her free from constant pain and able to walk without limping. There are significant potential side effects but so far touch wood she has had few problems other than a reduced immune system. Good luck to your DD but don't be fooled by "miracle cures".

Thanks to all - and DebnCreme, I will tell her about possible summer remission! My father, now in his late 80s, told me recently that his osteoarthritis started when he was in his 20s and was troublesome for a while in one place, then eased for a while, only to appear in another place later. It's not stopped him being active - in his 70s he was going skiing and he still goes to the gym every week, so I am trying to be positive for DD1.
Soutra,it must be wonderful to know your daughter is pain-free and she has plenty of time to start a family. Sadly for my DD1, she's been single for over a year as her previous partner, though a lovely person, didn't want children and they agreed to part so she could have a chance to meet someone who did. I am hoping she will find someone special as she's such a lovely person, but there are no guarantees I hope all goes well for your daughter and I'd love to know how the drug trial progresses.

|I have psoriatic arthritis (like Soutra's daughter). Mine started in my md 20's, wasn't diagnosed till early 40's. Rowan - I have various splints, including working wrist splints (they're the ones with velcro) and resting wrist splints made by the OT. They are a real boon when I have a flare up. Currently, it's pretty well controlled by medication, thankfully. Has your daughter been referred to a Reumatologist Rowantree? The unit i'm monitored/treated by includes Occupational Therapy and Physio. The OT's were brilliant, did a home visit and gave me excellent advice about protecting my wrists/hands etc. EG, gradually replace the large kettle with a small one, replace pans with lighter cook wear with handles either side, to distribute/minimise the weight I lift. Special veg peelers, lid taker offers and so on. Places like Dunhelm Mill have a good range of inexpensive aids for the kitchen. Hope things improve for your daughter

Thanks, Iam64 - that is very useful. I don't know whether she's been referred to a rheumatologist - presumably not if it's osteoarthritis as she has been told. Her OT has recommended various aids, some of which we were able to buy for her when we were up in Norwich a couple of weeks ago. I was horrified how much things cost and so was she - she doesn't earn much and every penny counts. She was very reluctant to let us pay for her, but otherwise it would have made a big hole in her savings. And I am sure she will need other things at some stage. I don't know how people on low incomes manage costwise! I'll pass on the suggestions about smaller kettle and lighter pans - she will probably find some of those in charity shops. Will check out Dunelm Mill - thank you

Rowan my rheumatologist always asks a few patients to go along and have their hands examined by her medical students. There are always a couple of people who have osteo, not rheumatoid - whether they were referred to have the underlying cause of early onset oa, I don't know. The process of diagnosis can take a long time. I had my first set of blood tests in my mid 30's, which were negative for RA. 10 years later, still negative for RA, but I finally got a diagnosis of PSA a couple of years later.

Osteoarthritis is a different thing entirely. It's basically wear and tear on the joints. The cartilage goes away, and the joint become stiff or painful. Physical therapy, exercise, heat, and OTC painkillers would be the mainstay of treatment. Obviously in severe cases, where it's bone-on-bone and painkillers are no longer effective, joint replacement surgical treatment is now very common, especially hips and knees which tend to be severely affected.

I think we know the difference but accurate diagnosis is not always that easy. DD's P A was attributed (by GP) to "tennis elbow" " housemaid's knee" both it was assumed down to sanding the floor in their house when they bought it. It took a year for a full diagnosis and then only after referral to her local hospital's rheumatology department.

DD does not have arthritis, but had a road accident that left her with a weak and mildly disabled right arm. Her approach has been to get every bit of minor equipment she can to limit the strain on her arm so she can use it for the things she really enjoys.

So Rowantree make sure your DD has an electric tin opener and electric jar and bottle opener. DD now also buys her onions frozen and ready chopped. She also now drives an automatic car (I know your DD doesn't own a care now, but if and when she can afford one, an automatic is much easier to drive when you have a painful or weak wrist).

Go online to find the range of simple gadgets, many of them not necessarily aimed at the disabled. DD got a lot of stuff from companies like Bettawear and Kleenezee.

My SiL has a different problem, but one of the gadgets that is a godsend for her is a kettle that sits in a 'cradle', so she doesn't have to take the weight of lifting it, you just have to tilt it on its cradle to pour it out. You still have to fill it, of course, but this can be done by filling a small jug a few times. This sounds as though it may be a big help to your DD.

Gadgets are provided by occupational therapists. It might be worth her applying for PIP