Knee pain

[Spanishnan]

Hi everyone, I was diagnosed PBC negative, early stage, and have been taking Urso for 5 weeks now. For the past 2 weeks I have had a lot of pain in my knees and difficulty climbing up stairs. Is it OK to take pain killers? And does anyone take milk thistle, vitamins or turmeric? Not sure if any of these affect the liver. Grateful for any information from people who have had this condition for a while.

[ninjagirlwebb]

I took ibuprofen sparingly when I had sports injuries. My hep was okay with that but it was not long term & I did not take a lot. Best to just ask the doctor who is treating you for pbc.

[iagra]

It's OK to to use ibuprofen or Aleve (naproxen) for a short term. If longer treatment is needed, it's better to use Celebrex. Better yet, instead of taking pills, use topical anti-inflammatory medication that you can apply (a small amount directly to your knees), such as 1% Diclofenac Sodium (brandname Voltaren), or 2% Pennsaid pump. All topical meds are by prescription in the US. Pennsaid is very expensive, but, very effective. Sometimes, you can get Pennsaid manufacturer's coupon that make it a lot cheaper to purchase the pump. If you are in the US, a good pharmacy to enquire about coupons is in CA: [e-mail] 1-866-393-8116. I was referred to this pharmacy by the orthopedist.

Good luck!

[Ohio82 in reply to iagra]

Ask your Dr. Mine would not give me the same advice

[iagra in reply to Ohio82]

One should always consult with their doctor prior to taking any meds.

[butterflyEi]

There does not seem to be any good research on Turmeric and Milk Thistle relative to PBC however it is known that many of us need vitamins A D E and K. There is a useful video on You Tube where a doctor talks about the vitamins not being stored. Here is the link look at about 20 minutes plus into the recording for the relevant piece.

youtube.com/watch?v=m7TyrhQ...(Not working as expected?)

I take a multi vitamin manufactured by Higher Nature and a vitamin D+K spray by Better You both of which the specialist knows about.

It is now recognised that PBC comes with bone and joint pain however everything that happens to us is not necessarily PBC related it may be best to check this with the doctor. As the others have said short term pain relief may be varied as the only pain relief my specialist suggested was half the normal dose of paracetamol however I have been prescribed co-codamol short term for another condition and do not seem to have suffered any ill effects.

Come back and let us know how you get on.

PS If there is a problem with the link I have shared let me know and I will PM it to you.

[Jessica1975]

A dietician put me on Milk Thistle and boy, my liver lab numbers improved dramatically. I do feel a lot better, too, but best check with your doc because of possible interactions. Also, your doc has to weigh the pros and cons specific to you and the results could cause the doctor to gain the wrong impression about your current medications and overall liver health. In my situation, it looked like my liver was improving due to the ursodiol when it was actually improving due to the Milk Thistle.

[Hidden]

My only thought is that turmeric is not something you'd be well to take. Many supplements are made up as low dosages which may do no harm to a 'healthy' person. but I understand that turmeric is not liver friendly and some people are taking it in huge quantities. I followed butterflyE1's D and K vitamin and feel better and my bones are pain-free now.