Flexiseq - New Joint Cream

[Ann]

Anyone tried the new pain relief cream which is showing good results for joint pain/osteoarthritis sufferers? Quite expensive at £18 ish for small tube from Lloyds Pharmacy or Amazon so wondered whether anyone can tell me if it works please?

[Ann]

I didn't spot there has been another posting on this - but has anyone tried it yet?
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Body-and-Soul/Health-and-Fitness/Question1313042.html

[beegeebee]

If we get the "right doctor" we get Phorpaine on prescription which is excellent but, if I have to pay I use Traxam, this is not quite as powerful but it does ease the pain.

[boxtops]

I haven't, but see if your GP will prescribe it (it depends if it's on the approved prescribing list for your CCG area).

[pixie373]

I'm never convinced any cream is effective- unless it is to treat the skin, itself.

[shaneystar2]

I'm not convinced that these things do anything at all to relieve arthritic pain .
They might help pro tem for mild arthritis and joint pain but at 18 quid a throw for a small tube I would need to take out another mortgage for it to do my hips ,knees,back,elbows,hands ,feet and neck any good at all .
Traxam is the only thing I've found to be any good or Feldene which is on prescription .But they only ease it a bit .

[slaney]

It's fairly new so not a great deal of research yet..
http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/news/general-news/2013/april/drug-free-treatment-may-ease-osteoarthritis-pain.aspx
From the Lloyds Pharmacy web site...
"Is Flexiseq available on prescription?
No. Flexiseq is classed as a medical device and is not included in the relevant section of the Drug Tariff. Therefore cannot be prescribed on NHS prescriptions"

[kloofnek]

Me too Shaney...!!!

[Robinia]

And me too shaney...I've been told by a doctor that creams may only help with pain very near the surface, anything deep seated and you're wasting your money.

[woofgang]

I would be amazed (and a little worried) if any kind of potion applied to the skin could not only make its way into the blood stream, but also through the muscles and connective tissue, then through the joint capsule and actually into the joint. Skin and the hands that apply the stuff won't be sterile and I don't want bacteria and so on in my joint. Also how does it know where to go?

if you google, apart from one link which expresses disbelief, all of the other links are advertising material from the manufacturing company. I am a little surprised that Arthritis research Uk are selling it.

[pixie373]

I agree, woof, and why do they bother injecting into muscles if you could just rub it in.

[woofgang]

I really would like to hang draw and quarter people who prey on the sick and disabled.

[pixie373]

Unfortunately, i think you'd have quite a job on your hands.

[jamesnan]

My daughter ordered some in her chemist for her knee, which has a bit of osteo-arthritis - she swears by it now, said it has taken the pain away, which a lot of other creams etc have not. Her job entails standing a lot of the day and using this has made it a lot more comfortable and pain free for her. She has been using it for about 3 months and feels that it is definitely worth the money.

[slaney]

Woofgang "I would be amazed (and a little worried) if any kind of potion applied to the skin could not only make its way into the blood stream, but also through the muscles and connective tissue, then through the joint"

Locally acting non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDS) gels and creams can do just that, they penetrate to a limited degree into the skin and joints (without taking bacteria with them). Depending on the formulation reasonable levels of the drug can be found in the joints, and much lower levels in the bloodstream. They are only of use when the joint is near the surface - knee or wrist for example - and would not be of use where there is generalised osteoarthritis.
The most recent Cochrane database analysis 34 studies 7,688 patients, suggest for osteoarthritis of the hand or knee they are effective.
http://summaries.cochrane.org/CD007400/topical-non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory-drugs-for-chronic-musculoskeletal-pain-in-adults

To get back to Flexiseq, it does not contain a drug but uses much the same delivery system to penetrate the skin, so again would only be useful for joints such as knee and hand. In trials it seems to go under the name of TDT 064 so is hard to find on Google
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24164189

Arthritis UK is generally a very good site, it gives details of the trial, and suggests it is early days yet for Flexiseq. There is as yet only one major trial, so I agree perhaps a little early to be selling it.

[paddywak]

Fortunately I've never needed to use anything like this but a friend of mine swears by it.

[woofgang]

thank you slaney, it looks like I will have to suspend (!) my disbelief

[pixie373]

I still don't, I'm afraid. Having applied various creams on a daily basis for 20 years, i have yet to see any make any noticeable difference- except those for the actual skin (like hydrocortisone). A bit of massage on a joint may be a little comforting itself, but i haven't seen any convincing results.

[237SJ]

Well, my Flannex cream certainly helped my shoulder pain so some creams certainly do penetrate the skin and have some effect

[Dollie]

Hi. Havnt been on for ages so just seen this question. I can't praise Flexiseq highly enough. Both my partner and I came across this when my daughter (a pharmacist at Sainsburys) told us it was flying off the shelves at £18 a pop. Both of us struggle with arthritic pain and in one application we noticed a massive difference in pain levels within 15 minutes. Lasted through the night too.
Interestingly, when I bought some the other day, the woman in front of me was buying two tubes at once saying it had been a miracle cream for her. She hadn't gardened for years and now was able. Hope this helps.