Alternative medicine for PMR

[Scarter]

Has anyone used or currently is using Boswellia to relieve inflammation and joint pain ?

[Nightingales]

Hi Scarter, not me but my husband, for sciatica. It has worked really well and he is encouraging me to try but I read that it interacts with calcium channel blockers, which I am on for hypertension. I can’t find out what the interaction is so I am glad you have asked the question. Incidentally, it has turned our dog from a stiff old fellow to a bouncing puppy.

[Scarter in reply to Nightingales]

Thanks for the reply. I hope you find the reason for interaction and can take it to test its ability

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Nightingales]

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/166...

Maybe competes for the same receptors?

I can't see it mentioned here - everything else is!!! But it is obvious that Boswellia isn't just Boswellia ....

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[fmkkm in reply to Nightingales]

Nightingales, I also read that it can interfere with calcium channel blockers, also blood thinners. I could not find anything about interacting with prednisone.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Good summary here:

verywellhealth.com/the-heal...

[fmkkm in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks PMRpro, that was a good summary.

It does say;

“large scale independent trials are needed “.So, lots of small studies show it works well for the type of inflammatory pain that a NSAID would help.

So, my take away, yes it may help your pain, but no it is not an alternative to prednisone.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to fmkkm]

In PMR I doubt there is anything that is a 100% replacement for pred. The jury is still out even on tocilizumab and other biologics are being considered as long term medications alongside pred as steroid-sparers.

[Nightingales in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you. That’s the one that I found that reported calcium channel blockers but that’s the only one so far, a lot of sources say no interactions. I would like to know more because I think that Ayurvedic medicine has a lot to offer.

[Scarter]

Have read this data.

[piglette]

Like any supplements it has not been through the checks of a medication. For some people, boswellia can cause severe anxiety and increased heart rate. There are some provisos too. PMRPro has mentioned some in the attachment.

[Seacat30]

I would ask my GP and rheumatologist what they think as the situation seems unclear.