Finger Joint Pain Flares

[GF Lover]

Usually my finger joint pain is manageable but occasionally severely flares up.  Typically I take an anti-inflammatory, a pain medication and use Voltarin gel (a topical pain ointment).  

 

I'm wondering if others may have tips or tricks they use to relieve the pain of flare ups.

 

Thanks all.

 

Colleen 

[bartfull]

I've had arthritis in my spine for years now. When I lived in Connecticut where it was humid, I could never sleep more than two hours in a row because the pain would wake me and I'd have to get up and walk. After moving to this dry climate, that stopped and the back pain has almost disappeared.

 

This summer though, it has been unusually humid here and not only has my back started hurting again, but my fingers have hurt so bad upon waking that I couldn't bend them. I thought it was JUST the humidity, until I ran out of potatoes. After a couple of days of not eating them, my fingers were fine and my back was somewhat better. So I stopped with the nightshades.

 

I had just bought three bags of Kettle Brand chips, and after a few days decided to try some. I did OK, so the next evening I had some more. Big mistake. The pain came back. So now I know I can maybe eat a handful of chips once a week, but that's my limit.

 

Have you tried giving up nightshades for a few days to see if it helps?

[GF Lover]

Hmm...  I've assumed that my flares somewhat correspond with the weather, we had a front come thru last night, and like clockwork my hands became useless.  So I'm sitting here thinking...is it always with a weather change?  Maybe not!

 

I had potato chips and dip last night...first time in a while, was a treat.

 

Barty, it wasn't the weather with you?  I'm in Ohio, weather changes constantly.  But joint pain doesn't always follow the pattern.  (insert head spinning here).

 

Ok, will compile list of nightshades and see if we have an answer.

 

Thanks Barty.

 

Colleen 

[bartfull]

The back pain gets worse with humidity, but the finger pain was just nightshades. Off the nightshades, even my back isn't too bad, and when the humidity finally goes down, I know my back will be OK too.

 

I hope it works for you. Potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. I never was a big fan of tomatoes, and dislike peppers. I like eggplant but they don't even know what that IS out here - I have never even seen one in the grocery stores. So it's just potatoes that I haveto give up. I LOVE potatoes, but I think I can have one occasionally. I mentioned it on a different thread last week and some of the folks who have trouble with nightshades said it seemed cumulative.

[BelleVie]

Have you tried taking Omega 3/ Fish oil supplements? My boyfriend's mother has really bad joint pain that is hormonal, I think, but she says that the omega supplements really do wonders. 

[GF Lover]

Definately going to lay off the nightshades for a month and see what happens.  Should be a long enough span in time to see what happens.  

 

Bellvie, Have taken omega-3's since before they became in fashion and believe they can be a good supplement.  I'm glad they help your boyfriend's mom.  Thanks for the suggestion. 

 

Colleen 

[BelleVie]

Absolutely. I hope you feel better soon. 

[bartfull]

Some other things that are said to help - cherry juice, and especially CELERY SEED. I tried using just the celery seed you buy in the spice section, but it was awful. But at the health food store you can get concentrated capsules. My friend Dale swears by it. He has suffered for years, but after a few weeks with the celery seed capsules, he has been TOTALLY pain-free for almost a year now.

[GF Lover]

Love cherry juice.  Will contemplate the seeds if laying off the nightshades doesn't help.  

 

Thanks Barty.

 

Colleen