I’m doing well on Gabapentin supplemented with Tylenol x-strength. Tried lots of other OTC and Rx meds. Sombra OTC works great. Voltaren on rough days. Careful…Voltaren has ibuprofen.

It has all been very good advice. For major flare or misery a burst and taper of prednisone may help.

Voltaren is diclofenac. It has nothing to do with ibuprofen (other than they both belong to the broad class of NSAIDs) and does not "contain" any either

Actually, half has been lousy advice, 40% mediocre, 5% fairly good and 5% very good

Advice
 

You tell 'em, Doc.......just think of all the time, effort and money, and (blood, sweat and tears), you could have saved when all you needed was a Google search button.......
LOL

I have extensive osteoarthritis in my back. The back is different than knee, fingers, etc. so maybe none of this is helpful.

1) prednisone works great for me, but it's a steroid and I've used it very very sparingly (those times when the pain is just beyond me).
2) I have a "bed of nails" mat, much like a yoga mat with plastic nails. Surprisingly, it does work for me and I use it daily. Relief is usually temporary.
3) Nsaids, creams, supplement (Devil's Claw and turmeric) give some relief.
4) I've read about PEMF (Pulse Electro Magnetic Frequency) and while it may be snake oil, maybe it works. I'd like to try it since it's non-invasive, non-meds, etc but it's a bit pricey.
5) Yoga, meditation, etc. all helps a bit.

Best wishes and if you find any success, pass it along.

Update on the Bigeloil:

I've applied the liniment a few times so far now since the bottle arrived from Amazon I think this past Monday (might've been Saturday).

I tried combining with my usual lineup of OTC ibuprophen/acetaminophen, and without, and with just one or the other.

I also sometimes just have bad days and good "hours" with my hip. Some days will be great, except a few hours which are horrible. The rest of the time it's pretty bad if I don't take my pain relievers.

So - it SEEMS as though the Bigeloil really does help. There's no measured dosage, it's a non-oily alcohol-based liquid. You tip the bottle to get a spoonful or two into the palm of your hand and rub it onto the affected area a few times a day (or as needed).

It SEEMS as though the pain relief will last a few hours. And it also SEEMS as though, when combined with my usual meds, that the pain relief is more significant than when I don't use it.

By "relief" I mean very specifically - that I am able to walk without limping and contorting myself to shift the grinding of bone against bone, and I can wash the dishes without needing to stop because of the pain, and I am able to bend to pick up the cat dish and put food in it.

It contains aspirin, so if you bruise easily or are on strong blood thinners, probably not a good idea. Check with your doctor on that, if so.

The #1 active ingredient is menthol.

My money is on the Naproxen...

Opioids only mask the pain. They don't fix the root cause...

I recommend that to my patients, as well. It masks the pain, by causing a more pleasant sensation. Much like rubbing your elbow after whacking your funny bone...

Gabapentin is typically used for nerve pain (neuropathy), not osteoarthritic pain...

The OP, and in fact the entire thread, is about BOTH osteo and rheumatoid arthritis. Gabapentin is sometimes used to treat the pain caused by joint inflammation in RA.

I would recommend Dr Catherine Sullivan. I know her from NY and she is a very caring Dr. who takes her time with patients.

Thanks to all for the information and discussion.

Moderator, you can close this thread, thank you.

Thanks, but I'll stick to MY medical training...

Oh, btw, the Google machine says this: "Gabapentin is a drug treatment rarely tried in the rheumatoid arthritis community. It has been reported as tried by 4% of the members with mixed effectiveness ..."

Stuff That Works

Dr. Catherine Sullivan
Restored my life

Ostio and Rheumatoid arthritis
 

I have injected Enbrel for about five years, now and am very happy with how it has diminished the pain and stiffness in my hands due to Rheumatoid. I also take Celebrex daily. I go to Dr. Sullivan in The Villages Specialty Health. I wish your wife the best.

Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis
 

Antibiotics for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis - PMC - NCBIhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › articles › PMC3883615
by M Ogrendik · 2014 · Cited by 46 — Later, tetracyclines were successfully used for the treatment of RA. In double-blind and randomized studies, levofloxacin and macrolide ...
‎Abstract · ‎Introduction · ‎Tetracyclines · ‎Macrolide antibiotics

MINOCYCLINE CURES RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIShttps://www.drmirkin.com › joints
An exciting study from the University of Nebraska shows that the antibiotic, minocycline, helps to prevent joint damage in people with rheumatoid arthritis.

Morning, my daughter has EDS and MS she uses the TENS therapy. It works great on her pain. The TENS she can use on the part of the body that is have a flair up. You can order one from your dr or Amazon. They cost between $50-$100. I would definitely try this for her.
The other thing we do is belong to support groups on social media, have found them very helpful.
Healing vibes sent to your wife.