Although all of these drugs relieve symptoms, there's increasing evidence that they accelerate the deterioration of cartilage and actually make the underlying condition worse. Nightshade sensitivity is not the same as allergy, and is not detectable by any laboratory tests in current use. The only way to figure out whether nightshade vegetables bother you is to totally eliminate tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant from your diet, along with tobacco exposure in any form. Even if you're nightshade sensitive and totally eliminate all of these, it can still take three to four months for symptoms to recede. For a complete guide to a nightshade free program, check your natural food store for books by Professor Norman Childers.
Food allergies cause symptoms in another small minority of individuals with degenerative arthritis.
If you've had allergies in the past, have them now, or if a member of your family has allergies, this is a definite possibility. Researchers have found so many supplemental items useful in improving degenerative arthritis that I haven't found it necessary to suggest them all. What you'll read next are the items I usually recommend that are almost always sufficient to do the job. At the end, I'll make sure to list all the others in case you want to research them further. Niacinamide, one of two forms of vitamin B3, is almost always a major help in relieving the pain and swelling of degenerative arthritis.