Sorry for passing this on? Genetic Osteoarthritis? but trying to get to relevant 'audience'?

[Adlon57]

A condition passed through my mother's side of the family, my mother had it in her hands, she was an excellent sculptor, painter, etc, it affected her hands, very sore, I was living at home with my parents, the last of five children, unfortunately I have epilepsy [disabled all my life] I was on Topamax, which slowed down my reactions, memory considerably. Start of the century, she was in considerable pain, with her hands, but me DOH! not aware of it [Topamax-nicknamed the 40 minute pill, take 40 minutes to answer a question to me], always feel very guilty about it now, she died of a stroke, from the pain! That was in 2002, I did not get off those f#####g things until 2004! This particular condition, my Uncle, my mother's brother, my Brother have had knee replacements, I have early throes of it myself, ! I have three sisters, two are okay🤞 My other sister has now got the start of it in her hands, I can see it in her face she is perfectly aware what lies in front of her, she has not driven for four months! She had Thyroid cancer in 2007, still getting checked 🤞She is seeing medical help, any suggestions, she is the nearest to me, and I feel so helpless? I don't remember much about what happened to my Mother in 2002, but it is obviously happening again with my sister! Surely there must be some better treatment since 2002?

I am using magnesium oil joint spray on my knees, but I am aware of what lies before me, going down stairs🥴😤 [knee replacements] I have not seen before as genetic line, male-knees, back, female-hands?

[Actually my hands are not too classic either, but that is just me, probably due to side effects of my many other colourful medical record?🙄]

[Mugs19]

I’m not able to sort this for you but to tell you that your best hope of improvement is with your thyroid treatment. Come on you knowledgeable guys on here.! I just want to warn you not to put too much faith in the rheumatologists. My experience with them has been that unless you are rheumatoid you get sent away with painkillers. If you have osteoarthritis you are dismissed as ‘just osteo’ . For years I had recurrent severe pain such as tennis elbow, housemaid,s knee, foot problems none of which showed signs of arthritis for years till one day there was arthritis. My paternal granny had diabetes and thyroid. My dad was rheumatoid. Two of my aunts had diabetes and two had thyroid. My dad noticed how rapidly after being diagnosed with Graves two of them became arthritic. One of my maternal aunts had an overactive thyroid and became arthritic soon after. I had symptoms of under active but though told it was sluggish my blood test was in range.There are too many patients with osteo for them to cope with so they discharge us. There was one exception who knew that this was a kind of inflammatory response. He diagnosed Sjogren’s. He got the sack as a reward -diagnosing too many people with auto immune conditions. Another consultant was appointed to get rid if us all. When I saw him I had just had an operation on my foot and had a boot and crutches. He spent time telling me he had read my notes and was fully aware of my condition, then asked me if I had broken my leg. I have no faith in them. Plod on with trying to get your thyroid sorted.

[Adlon57 in reply to Mugs19]

So many terms for these conditions, just a couple of the family do stick that it is genetic? My sister is at the moment the worse for wear at present, her osteoarthritis is REALLY hurting! I have been all my life the "one off" with the weirdest medical history so I usually leave myself out of family conditions! My osteoporosis is NOT connected to my osteoarthritis🤔 My family and my sister remembered my reaction to my mother's plight in 2002, a bit wary of me then, but that was the particular epilepsy medication then, although I'm slightly affected even now by my present medication and they are a bit wary of me now, quite understandble! I have been looking for medication, creams, etc, which might relieve her pain now, [although she has a endocrinologist now], mostly very stopgap? My prospective kneecaps are coming over the hills, ever closer, creams, sprays, injections but like my sister, stopgap! [a lot overlap] I was horrified when I saw my brother with his new kneecaps, very crude, he had been relieved of his pain, we both knew I was next, it made me more determined to find alternatives🙄 I have HPT so pain killers are useless on me, whilst in A&E's, hospitals, I would later pass them on to friends and relatives🤫