★★★★★
https://greatlakesgelatin.com/collections/collagen
Comes in smaller cardboard cylinders, too. Easily mixed with beverages.
★★★★☆
Please see the latest report from OCA regarding collagen. Great Lakes contains heavy metals, along with a few other ones that were surprising:
https://www.organicconsumers.org/blog/consumer-beware-these-popular-collagen-supplements-contain-heavy-metals
Collagen Feedback
Hi, Roger!
I'm hoping that you see similar results as my friend did! Please come back after some time and let us know how it works for your knees and pain as this will be useful for many here on EC! I noticed in the Amazon reviews of this product, users reported improvements in their knees as well as other joints and the back, which seems to make sense as certain forms of collagen are found throughout the body.
Pain is always an issue for many, so having things on hand that can be useful is a good thing. I may have an idea or two for you, but I have to check with EC first to find out if this is the appropriate thread to put it in since this post is specifically about collagen and torn tendons and ligaments. Another consideration is that taking another new product at the same time as testing this collagen supplement may not allow you to know which one is working or which one is working better. I will get back to you after I check with EC about where to post back to you and they give me an answer.
I know from experience that when you have significant pain, as it sounds like you do, any relief is welcome and I may have a couple of ideas that may be helpful and can be used while you are testing collagen without affecting the outcome of your test, so I will get back to you soon!
Art
Collagen Feedback
ART,,,,,,,,, ever once in a while a feller come along that has something good to talk about. I think you are one of those fellas. At 83, my skin is tissue thin. It tears with the least brush against something. I just ordered the product that you recommended. Not a deal, as we knew we would have old age problems and have the cash to do what is needed. I also like your approach to solving a problem. I have used that logic my entire life and it works. I have a Ch E degree from Ga Tech, but my logic come from being an Eagle Scout. My Scout Master did not care if you got above a Tenderfoot, but if you were in his troop, then you could live in the woods with ease. You bonded with nature. Thank you for your contributions to EC. We just different kind of folks from the norm.
====ORH====
Collagen Feedback
ORH,
It has been a while! I really don't have experience with collagen for thinning skin, but that is one of the primary uses that it is often recommended for. I don't think the topical collagen creams can do that much because it is such a large molecule that I am doubtful that even DMSO would be able to pull it in.
Vitamin C will also increase collagen production, so it will likely work well with the collagen, and C is anti-inflammatory and a good antioxidant. Application of a saturated solution of MSM, which you probably already have on hand, can be useful for the outside of the skin, followed by some vitamin e oil applied on top of the MSM, which may also be useful. MSM seems to penetrate the skin fairly quickly, and it also increases collagen production. It may allow the vitamin e to penetrate a little better while the sulfur content is reparative. Topically applied melatonin liquid may be even better than vitamin E since it is a more potent antioxidant as well as a more potent anti-inflammatory. I have not attempted to work on thinning skin previously, but these seem likely to help improve the overall condition of the skin and protecting what you have. When taken orally in the evening, the melatonin also upregulates the gene expression of the body's potent antioxidants such as Catalase, Glutathione Peroxidase, and Superoxide Dismutase. In contrast, melatonin itself is a very potent radical scavenger of multiple species. Applying melatonin liquid topically will get in your system and affect the antioxidant system accordingly because it readily enters tissues throughout the body.
Let us know how it works out, ORH as this is a fairly common problem.
Art
Collagen Feedback
Thanks Art, please do let me know your ideas. I appreciate any suggestions.
Collagen Feedback
Roger,
I get a little turned around in this thread, but I did give another answer about possible pain relief. You'll have to look for the reply in this thread.
Art
Healed Bad Knees and Hips
Thomas Lewis, Thank you for the testimonial on chicken sternum! Chicken sternum is type II collagen, which is one of the five types of collagen found in the supplement I mentioned that worked well for my friend. The most abundant collagen form found in humans is type I, which is also contained in the supplement that he used along with three other forms of collagen plus Bioperine, which acts to improve absorption of the collagen supplement. I feel that the use of five types of collagen plus the Bioperine may offer more in terms of what the body can utilize and how well the body will be able to use this supplement. The other supplement he tried also contained the type II chicken sternum based collagen, but was ineffective for him, so this is the reason for naming a specific product that worked for this particular case involving torn tendons and ligaments. The amount of each collagen type in the noted supplement is not given in any of the supplements I looked at on Amazon, just that they contain five different types of collagen. But type I collagen is the most abundant type in humans, so it is likely to be important for the maintenance of tendons and ligaments. None of the cases you mentioned involved torn tendons or ligaments as my friend had as confirmed by a dye contrast MRI, so they are not exactly comparable to his situation and what worked for him. Not to say that your recommendation does not work for what you stated, just that this is not the same supplement or tendon issues that my friend used successfully for his torn tendons and ligaments. This can be a significant issue for people on statins and or Ciprofloxacin. As stated in the original post, he had multiple regimens of Ciprofloxacin before his MRI. Not quite the same, as his situation with the prior Ciprofloxacin use, which has shown that it can seriously damage tendons as outlined in this link. https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a688016.html Art
Healed Bad Knees and Hips
Thomas Lewis, I agree with the HA as I used it for degenerative disc disease (DDD), as explained to us by Ted, many years ago. He had created a formulation that we could make and would last close to a week per mix in the refrigerator. It was adequate for that purpose until I found borax, which resolved my problems for over a decade. I think you are also correct about HA acting as a lubricant, and I believe it also acts as a cushion. For your shoulders, magnesium chloride spray oil or mag oil (MO) may help ease some of the pain if you haven't already tried it as it is prevalent on this forum. Here is a link to a typical product. Read some of the reviews to get an idea of the many uses that people have found for MO. https://www.amazon.com/Magnesium-Oil-Spray-STRENGTH-Essential/dp/B01N0KQ9QJ/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=mag+oil&qid=1590084926&sr=8-6 People think it is good to take borax until the pain goes away and then take a break from it. Still, I believe in following Ted's advice of continuous use with weekends off because borax does much more than put arthritis into remission. To get those other benefits, ongoing use may be a way to go. It helps to protect the skeletal structure and helps to ameliorate osteoporosis, and its boron content is useful with vitamin D and vitamin D cofactors in helping to get and keep calcium where it is most beneficial. Art
Healed Bad Knees and Hips
Hello Roger, I too have had all those issues and tried all those therapies. But now at 70 yrs, I feel I have found the highlight of my 45+ yrs of research! I found a 20 YR OLD Stem Cell Technology Research Company that just received another 20 yr Patent last week making that now about 100 Int'l patents. It just activates the Stem Cells in your own body using Photobiomodulation/Photo Therapy. This is regenerative, Age Reversing and Ground Breaking technology! (See product for NIRVANA TOO!) Check out the video here: https://lifewaveX39.com/turnonstemcells God Bless You in your regeneration! Sharon
Healed Bad Knees and Hips
Hi again, Roger! I'm back as I said I would be. First, it may be helpful to add vitamin C with the collagen as vitamin C will help by increasing collagen production itself, but the combo is likely to be better than collagen by itself. I will be updating this thread on that point as my friend has added vitamin C to his regimen a little ways back and said he will give me feedback on whether he feels it is helpful very soon. Here are three things you can try if you haven't already tried them. You should be able to use these alongside the collagen supplement without changing the outcome from the collagen and possibly getting some pain relief until the collagen starts taking effect. One product is magnesium oil spray (MO). MO can relieve pain, relax tense muscles, quickly relieve muscle spasms and cramps, reduce inflammation and swelling such as a twisted ankle and also add to your total magnesium intake. It is not the most potent topical pain reliever, but it may help with the pain. Here is a link below and please read some of the reviews to see what all people use MO for. The first item is the simplest, Ibuprofen or Naproxen in soft gel version, whichever you prefer and generic is fine. Put a few squirts of any hand and body lotion of your choice into a shot glass or other small container. Take one softgel and puncture it with a toothpick. Squeeze the oil out of the softgel into the shot glass with the lotion. Use the toothpick or a straw to stir the two ingredients together well. When thoroughly mixed apply to both knees. This will confine the Naproxen or Ibuprofen to the area where pain relief is needed without having a negative impact on the digestive system and will allow you to reach local tissue concentrations that are as high or higher than the max dosage for either product taken orally. Wash your hands well when done. https://www.amazon.com/Magnesium-Oil-Spray-STRENGTH-Essential/dp/B01N0KQ9QJ/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=mag+oil&qid=1590084926&sr=8-6 https://www.swansonvitamins.com/natrabio-the-arnica-rub-4-fl-oz-cream Lastly you can try making a saturated solution of MSM in water and applying topically as needed. If you decide to try any of these, I would start with the Naproxen or Ibuprofen. MO would be next unless you already have it in which case I would try it first, because even if it is not helpful enough for the pain, you will probably find it useful for other issues. The second product is a homeopathic blend and to me, has slightly better pain relieving quality than MO, but is not as versatile as MO. The third item, MSM is kind of hit and miss and some people find it very pain relieving and others such as myself, get little if any pain relief from MSM. If you have any questions, just post them and I will get back to you. Art
