Any advice on a good pain reliever for R.A. (arthritis)?

Yes. I was just reading on this, but it is herbal medication - that you make on your own. Are you up for it?

Make an herbal infusion using nettle. Here is a you tube link that will walk you through it. But if you have been using modern medicine for this long, maybe it's time you try something ancient and herbal?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ezLZzg2Vgw

Ginger, Lemon Grass (a good one!), and Comfrey Leaf are other herbs that help with you condition. And I think rhubarb, willow bark, and cinnamon bark I think are some more?

Email me if you are interested!

Dasquin is bloody expensive. Go online and find a website for Glucosamine Chondroitin & MSM. I have a Shih Tzu mix that is now 4 years old. When he was a year, he started limping on his front right leg. X-rays showed a very tiny piece of bone missing. I started him on GC&MSM. He does not limp anymore and the bone is still missing. My 13 year old Lab (now passed) had bad arthritis and I used the GC&MSM with him for last 5 years of his life. It made a big difference. My American Pit Bull Terrier has poor knee and elbow joints. The supplement has made great improvement in her. Life style changes? You don't want her climbing trees or jumping over fences......an easy trot, walking...... Start the supplements now and there is a good possibility this will not get worse until old age.

The first poster has a lot of great ideas. I second the cut out gluten one. If you google "Rheumatoid arthritis gluten", you'll find a lot of info about it.

Try some alternatives for arthritis:

1.Proceed with caution, as not all the information you read is reliable or written with the reader's best interests in mind, in the case of Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis, but there is a wealth of information on the internet to be gathered.

2.Use common sense logic when surfing the internet, and use your gut instinct to decide what is right for you, and what is questionable. Without doubt, diet and lifestyle play a large role in reversing the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

3.Type in and search "Rheumatoid Arthritis Diet" and/or "Rheumatoid Arthritis" and to see what you find as a starting point. Also consider the following search terms when searching for solutions for RA -"Rheumatoid Arthritis herbs;" "Rheumatoid Arthritis Leaky Gut Syndrome;" "Rheumatoid Arthritis Cetyl-Myristoleate;" "Rheumatoid Arthritis Serrapeptase;" "Rheumatoid Arthritis Antibiotics".

4.Eliminate all processed foods from the diet, eating foods such as fresh vegetables and salads, basmati rice, grain alternatives like buckwheat (a nutrient dense food which you can buy as pasta spirals and tastes delicious), amaranth, millet, quinoa, and seeds. Stop eating bread and any foods containing wheat or rye etc, and gluten. Most packaged foods in supermarkets contain some sort of wheat product and other chemicals which are harmful to your health. Cut out table salt and replace with Celtic Sea Salt, which is moist and gray in colour - it contains important minerals.

5.Eliminate as much fat as possible, consuming a little macadamia oil or rice bran oil in with your meals. If possible stop eating all sugar as it places enormous stress on the body and is anti-nutritive. Replace with a little fruit.

6.Reduce red meat consumption and if possible replace with fish (cold-water, wild-catch, not farm raised fish). Organic meats are best.

7.Stop drinking cured teas and coffee and replace with "green" tea, or better still, decaffeinated green tea.

8.Stop eating dairy products including milk and cheese. Low fat cottage cheese may be okay. Free range eggs are okay also, but if unsure, eliminate them for a time and then determine if they have any effect on you when consumed again - you can do this with other foods too. An allergic reaction can be immediate or delayed and may not be noticed for a couple of days or more.

9.Correct digestive problems by using probiotics (see Leaky Gut Above). Boulardii strain of probiotic may be useful for Leaky Gut so experiment with different products and find out what is best for you.

10.Use fish oils as they are helpful to fight inflammation. The better kind is "concentrated" and more pure as other ingredients are less; so choose the oil highest in Omega3 per 1000 mg; these are available at any good drugstore. You may wish to get a good brand from a naturopath.

11.Try shilajit which is a natural mineral product with powerful anti-inflammatory properties. It is inexpensive and works.

12.Take serrapeptase which is a natural enzyme that "eats" up inflammation in the body and greatly reduces pain.

13.Support the body to heal itself using mangosteen juice -- a fruit with anti-inflammatory properties.

14.Apply natural therapies such as EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) that can help one overcome any emotional barriers to getting well.

Good luck!

Orudis helps me.