Kathy, have your tried glucosomine condrotin (sp)? Though I'm older than you, I suffered joint pain from around age 55 and started taking that and it helped lots. It takes a a few weeks or maybe more, but I think helped. I don't take it anymore, but would if needed it.

You should check with your doctor first, of course before taking any OTC meds and to try to find the cause of the pain. Good luck.
Jan

No chronic aches and pains here. Back in my 20's an arthritis specialist suggested having my knees done (disenigrating cartlidge) I laughed and told him when I can't walk we'll take care of it. I'll be 54 next week.
I take an Aleve occasionally when I know I've over done it in the garden. Hope you find something to help you have a pain free night.

64 here, and hurt all over, ankles and legs the worst.

I take CosaminDS...it's a wonder drug suggested by my vet..(it saved him from having to have knee surgery)...it's really good for the joints...

Sometimes if I really hurt, I'll take some tylenol pm...there's nothing worse then not being able to sleep because your in pain..

I'd certainly visit the doc if I were you and check out your options...too many people suffer needlessly! I'm just 4 years younger then you!

I am almost 58 and have the same aches and pains, but I alleviate mine with 200mg of Ibuprofen in the form of OTC Motrin.

I take one tablet every other day, in the morning, and it takes care of all my aches and pains. Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory, which reduces swelling, which then relieves the pain.

I have prescription pain meds for this pain, but the Motrin works better and for longer, for me, without stomach distress.

Kathy, sometimes RA doesn't show up with just one test. It may take several before becoming obvious that it is RA. I guess I'm not putting that clearly. But I hope you can find the problem soon and can get relief.

I'm sorry to hear you're not feeling well, kathy.
I'm 52 and doing okay so far. Genetically the odds are in my favor. All my grandparents lived into their 90's and were very active.
Duckie, on the other hand, is 51 and seems to be falling apart the last couple years.
Hoping you find some answers as well as some relief.

Ron

I'll be 57 later this month and so far I'm doing ok. When I do ache it's my neck and shoulders. I have noticed that getting up from a sitting position isn't as easy as it once was. I tend to push up with my arm where I use to just bounce up using my legs alone. I also bend more than squat. When I do squat I need to pull myself up on something. I hate that.

I know I'm really fortunate. I can really tell when I'm out with friends. I tend to have a more "youthful" walk than even the ones who are younger than me. I have to slow down for them. But maybe thats because the rest of my family is so much taller than I am. I have learned to keep up. :-)

I'm 55 - born in 1952. My arthritis type pain is in my thumbs. It sort of comes and goes, but I've been having it steadily and very painfully for about 2 weeks again, now. I made a meatloaf, requiring mixing the ingredients with my hands recently, and just could not do it, for the pain. I had to use my fists and just kind of smoosh it together the best I could.
As for the rest of my body, I only hurt the day after I do any real work - like gardening (digging, bending to plant, etc.). Then my leg muscles will be painful the next day or two. This is because of how out of shape I am....which is why I lack stamina and energy.
Sleeping at night is another matter. I get achey, and sometimes my hip joints wake me up with the pain. But even when they don't start hurting, I wake up multiple times each night and even when I sleep, it's like I am not sleeping deeply. I wake up tired and run out of steam halfway through the day.
My eyesight it terrible. Without my glasses, I can't read even large print! My teeth are starting to look 'yellowish' to me. My hair is much thinner than it used to be. And just last week I noticed a new series of wrinkles on my face! Ugh!
On the good side though, the headaches I had so often when I was younger have disappeared.
Wanda in South Texas

Here is a link that might be useful: The Bee Hive

Will be 58 in a couple of months.

I've had a problem with my knee for many years (goes back to an injury in my early 20's). It's clicked every step I take for many years. A couple of years back, I was having more problems than usual, with my foot AND knee, so had some X-rays done. Got a multiple diagnosis--plantar fasciitis and a giant heel spur in my foot and arthritis in my knee. My GP recommended that I give glucosamine and condroitin a try. Started taking it and my knee is FINE--I can stand for hours, walk for miles, no pain, no clicking, no stiffness.

G & C doesn't work for everyone. And you have to understand, when it does work, it works by rebuilding the joint--so it's not an overnight fix. It can take 2-4 months of taking it for you to actually see the results. So if you do decide to go that route, give it a fair chance to work. But I can tell you--it's made a HUGE difference in my quality of life. Oh, and I only take half the dosage recommended on the box. Before taking G & C, though, be sure to discuss it with your dr--you're not supposed to combine it with some other meds, so you want to be careful and make sure it's the right thing for you.

I really think you should discuss the fact that your joints hurt all night with your dr. and follow his/her advice. There are some conditions that OTC stuff can actually make worse, so it's best to let a professional help you find the right diagnosis and treatment. Good luck.

I'm 58, and I went to the ortho guy last week because my knee hurts so bad all the time. He looked at the xrays and said" you need a knee replacement". Bone spurs on both sides of the joint ,as well as a joint full of osteoarthritis.
(Since I have kidney disease, there is only a few meds I can take safely.)
Having said all that, I have been taking G&C for the past 4 years. I never have felt any real difference, always had "sore knees".
I always thought this was supposed to be the time of our life! LOL! Kathy

I was born smack dab in the middle of the 40's...Today everything hurts..but I don't feel good today.

I have some days that are a lot better than others. But when I have a really good day I over due then feel it the next day.

And I'm good most days until late afternoon....I seem to get heavier and it's harder to move at night.

What I hate is...I usually never have colds, I've never had the flu...This year this is the second time I've had this cough that about blows the top of your head off.

I hate getting old.

patti

Born in 1949. This has been a year of pain. But, I must say, when I was working I had very little pain. I think I have become to inactive and anytime I try to do something out of the ordinary I end up in pain.

Right now I'm struggling with that horrible pain in my left side which is thought to be the spleen. I'm still under going tests. With Pancreatic Cancer on my mind, it is really scary.

Gayle

I showed up at the end of the 50's, spring of '59. Funny you should ask this question - last night I woke up because my right knee was screaming at me, didn't do anything different yesterday that would have caused it, didn't even go up a ladder which usually causes problems. This morning at 8:22 it's still sore on the inside left of the knee, still hard to walk on and bend, I think I'll just go get my saws-all and start hacking off these things as they quit working...
sorry for your agony, hun, I think we all can sympathize.
Suzan J

I'm 1959, too and have been dealing with chronic pain for about three years now. Mine is backaches and various and sundry other problems like plantar fasciitis (finally healed) and joint pain.

The back pain comes and goes and sometimes, it's well nigh disabling.

Rose

I'm 70 and thankful I have very little aches and pains. Several years ago I couldn't turn over in bed without my back and hip giving me sharp pains and I started taking the Glucosamine and chondroitin and like Azzalea only take half the dose recommended on the bottle. Haven't had those aches and pains now for 3 or 4 years.

My DH has osteoarthritis and started taking the G&C and it has helped him.

Born Dec. 1951 so am 56 now. I have all kinds of joint aches and pains. Recently I had a bone scan and it showed arthritis in all the joints. I also have Osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease) in my back.

I have been taking one tablet (suppose to take 2) of Kirland Glucosamine HCI 1500mg Chondroitin Sulfate 1200mg (Costco) each day for the last year and it seems to have helped alot. Occasionally I will take a Nuprin if it is really bothering me, but my DR told me NOT to take Nuprin (or others like that) on a regualr basis.
Clare

Am 61, born in 1947. I get aches and pains at night, take an OTC PM pain releiver. 2 of my fingers are showing signs of arthritis. Otherwise I'm okay. My DH, who had polio as a child, limps some, has COPD, atrial fibrilation (sp? racing heart) and arthritis, he hurts a lot of the time, he's 60. We are both overweight which just adds to the problem.

I'm 55. Getting out of bed is a major effort. Back hurts, knees hurt, ankles hurt, feet hurt. Yowch!

Born in 1953. When I was around 47, I suddenly had all kinds of really bad joint pain. I could barely walk...feet, legs....got frozen shoulder, too. Health care folks thought osteoarthritis, but the bone scan was fine. Then, they thought fibromyalgia. I started gaining weight because I couldn't move very well and had no energy.

Fast forward...I started taking potassium supplements when I tried the Atkins diet for a few months. The pain went away.

Rewind...up until about that time, my GYN had me on aldactone, a potassium-sparing diuretic, to help with PMS. I had stopped taking it when I had to switch providers. So, I guess my body was missing the potassium.

Back to the future...3 years ago, I caught a respiratory virus that sent me to the ER. My heart went wacko on me. I was born with mitral valve prolapse w/regurgitation. It hadn't really bothered me until I caught that virus. The virus lasted almost 5 months! I was put on atenolol, a beta blocker and promptly gained a lot more weight, was out of breath, no energy, etc. from that experience.

So...DH insisted that I retire from my job (June 2006) to take care of myself. Everytime I turned around, I had something to follow-up...suspicious mammos, biopsies, etc. He told me my job was now "to get healthy". Bless him.

For the last few years, I've been trying to figure out how to make myself healthy. Last year, I was able to slowly wean myself off of atenolol. A pulse over 100 was normal and I have low blood pressure. Tired person! I also started taking kelp, which cleared up my sinusitus and tinnitus within the first few days of taking it. Don't ask me why I needed it. I was just researching my multitude of problems and decided it wouldn't hurt to try it.

As soon as I retired, I made myself exercise and get outside as much as possible. I tried all kinds of diets. My weight stayed locked on the same number no matter how little I ate or how much I exercised. My body temp was usually around 97.1, but I'd have bouts where it would drop down in the 96 range and I'd get chilled. Thyroid tests showed 3.0, so my doc won't treat that.

On January 9, 2008, I tried something new. Trader Joe's came to town, so we started purchasing 100% of our food from them and have almost completely stopped eating out at restaurants.

I was already in an exercise routine, but I just mixed it up to add frequent bursts of intensity among steady exercise...stationary bike, Bowflex weights, crunches, yoga, walking the dog, etc. I have an outdoor bike, a kayak and a swimming pool, so I'm also accustomed to doing those when the weather permits. I just spent 3 hours this morning in my garden, moving shrubs around.

I started keeping a daily dairy (spreadsheet) of EVERYTHING that I eat to try to stay between 1200-1300 calories per day and also low fat. I rarely go above 45 grams of fat for an entire day. When I bring home the groceries, I enter every item's nutritional content into that spreadsheet to help me easily track what I eat. I use measuring cups and spoons to make sure that I've got my portions matched to the nutritional portions.

I stopped drinking "brand name" diet sodas. I drink TJ's diet soda with no preservatives, no sodium. I no longer crave sweets at all. I don't get hungry at all. It is so easy to eat the right portions. DH is experiencing the same thing, although he gets larger portions and more calories.

I take TJ's high potency vitamins for women -- you take 5 pills a day instead of one pill -- spread out over the day. I take potassium due to my particular problems. I get vitamin D because I do get sunshine, even in winter. Our house is passive solar, so even on a cold sunny day, I can sit out on our front porch and toast.

The results? I've lost 12 lbs, but I stalled at 6 lbs for several weeks and have stalled again at 12 lbs. I tend to increase my exercise, so I'm hoping these stalls are due to muscle weighing more. Anyway, I still need to lose 10-20 lbs. I have lost 4 inches in my waist!

To get out of the first stall, I started drinking green tea 4 times a day. That helped to boost my metabolism up to a temp of 98.3.

My husband has also started drinking the green tea, too. He is also losing weight, btw.

What we've BOTH noticed...our skin and hair looks and feels so much younger. We both have a lot of energy. We feel great with no aches and pains. We feel like our circulation is better.

My bp is around 88/60 and my pulse is down to 65-70 beats per minute. This sounds strange, but my body feels "quiet" now that my pulse is under control. I feel "light" inside my body like my organs have more room.

Could it be the lack of artificial stuff and preservatives in the food? Could it be that restaurants (we don't do fast food) are really surving food so full of calories and fat even in small portions?

Anyway, I'll see how the weight loss goes over the next year.

I got interested in the green tea from going to the Real Age website and catching Dr. Oz on TV.

Hope this helps someone else.

IMPORTANT: I got my physical in January before starting all of this. So, my doctor knows what I'm doing, what I'm eating and the supplements that I'm taking.

Except for one month - I was born as early in the 1950's as you could get - February, 1950.

Hardly ever any aches and pains. Occasionlly my ankle (with all the hardware in it) hurts and sometimes my right knee, but nothing that a couple of Ibuprofen won't take care of.

I take one pill a day (Lexapro). Twinkie calls it my "squirrel pill". (That's so I won't act anymore like a squirrel than I do...) That's all I take on a regular basis.

I was 58 last month. I mainly just need to get my big butt off the couch and walk and I'd be fine.

I'm 70 today and next week when i go for my physical will be talking to my Dr about my knee surgery.I've put it off for several years telling him that i'd hold out til the pain was too much,and that time has come.The cartilage in my right knee is totally gone and the left isn't far behind.I can't take ibuprofen,and i did the glucosamine/chondroiten thing for years,and i didn't see a difference except in my wallet.
Kathi

I'm 52 and so far, no aches or pains. I'm thinking that maybe we age faster once our estrogen levels drop, but it's only a guess since I'm not in menopause yet.