Non-prescription Joint Pain Preparations

Health & Body
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In the mail today, personally addressed to the oldest member of the family, was information on 5X Joint Renew - a combination of 5 pain relievers, with amazing claims. There was a letter from the Scientific Director, a Health News publication featuring reviews of the product, order form and other testimonials. 5X Joint Renew www.green-dose.com.au The 5 ingredients - Astaxanthin, MSM, Glucosamine, Hyaluronan, Chondroitin.

Reading the fine print (it is the smallest in the whole package!) it is not a medicine, it is a Food Supplement. While the literature condemns doctors for not being able to help pain sufferers, the fine print says consult your doctor. It also claims there are No issues reported taking it with other medications or medical conditions. What? no side effects? None?

The claims are over the top combined with guilt. Claims that joint pain is the result of toxin build-up that 5X Joint Renew will clean out, re-grow cartilage, reverse osteoarthritis and arthritis, remove pain and the need to take any other pain medication. Completely pain free within weeks; from housebound crippled with pain to dancing, working etc within 3 weeks.

The guilt - you’ll be a burden on your family, thrown into a wheelchair, depressing nursing home, addictive pills. Doctors can’t help, they will only take you down a dangerous path of ineffective pill popping. Take control before it is too late!

The testimonials are amazing - mostly from European countries with just a first name - but the “first customer in Australia Margaret Thurnhill of Charleville” intrigued me as I had lived and worked there and not heard that name before. A quick search of White Pages - there are no Thurnhills in Charleville or anywhere in Australia. The picture background isn’t typical Charleville either.

None of us have joint pain so we can’t try it to check its effectiveness, but what I object to, is a Food Supplement being presented as a medicine with big claims, but apart from some testimonials, no studies to back it up apart from a “survey” of 500 people, 97% saw “incredible improvement”.

I have given this a broad title, for other “remedies” to be discussed too. Are there any effective?

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An article regarding concerns regarding persons with osteoarthritis taking glucosamine.

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It seems there should be an existing topic and there are a few although not as focused as your topic, so combining them might make this one too wide so I just merged one above that seems relevant and include some links below.

Anecdotally some help some people but not all people. I found quality krill got me off a cane and able to play tennis for example. For many krill was reported as a waste of their money. Glucosamine, glucosamine and chondroitin, and tumeric also have proponents.

This site should not be taken as authoritative, but seems to have a decent overview of a range of supplements claimed by some to help arthritis. Curiously krill is not included.

I expect others will add resources from medical research through to more anecdotal personal experiences and opinions.

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My brother swears by turmeric in his coffee
 I havent tried it but maybe I should. My joints are becoming very lumpy and painful, and I dont ever do much about it except soluble panadol when the pain becomes intolerable. For my hands, those arthritis gloves are decent but not a full solution.

Wow. can you say what is “quality” krill? I’ve been using a cane when out and about and more recently acquired a wheely walker because of stability issues.

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This older post has been superseded by changes but may be a decent primer.

Swisse has a different process or differing source these days and more recently I have come to appreciate Caruso, especially their ‘Concentrate’. Unfortunately Chemwarehouse stopped stocking this particular one so it is a bit dear and I am back to Swisse or the ‘standard’ Caruso. Each time I have tried others I have to take higher doses or the knee starts hurting again after a few days. One might say although the ‘quality’ may be less, using a higher dose makes up for it, maybe?

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In regard to the advertising of 5X Joint Renew, I believe I have enough grounds to lodge a complaint with the TGA. It looks very much like a therapeutic good according to their legislation as it is oral, in capsules in a medicine bottle, claims to replace prescription medicines and makes certain disease relief and cure claims. Yet it is marketed as a Food Supplement. I did the Self Assessment tool and looked at S.7 of the Act and read what I could.

@BrendanMays is there someone in Choice who could help me with this?

Meanwhile here’s 10 things you should look out for in advertisements for medicines

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www.green-dose.com.au displays a simple ad and redirects to www.haciendaverde.eu after a few seconds. It displays prices in euros and AUD so we are definitely in their target market.

The product image looks like a supplement, not a medicine.

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Be sure to secure your real mail solicitation as evidence, but if the web experience is an indicator they may be outside the TGA’s territory, although in a best case if TGA uphold the false advertising they can stop product at the border (if they can identify a shipment) and issue a fine (if they could collect), or more likely issue a warning.

Does the solicitation have an Australian address, ABN, contact and ordering details, etc?

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Address in Seaford Victoria on the literature and the envelopes and testimonials from Charleville Qld and Darwin.
Wondered if a personally addressed package of material is considered “advertising”?

I will scan (with personal details covered) and see if I can attach in the next post. I googled “5X Joint Renew” reviews, but only found ads. I wouldn’t be surprised if the photo of the Charleville lady is a stock image. I don’t know how they got his name & address, probably from another health provider (hearing test?) who flagged him as in the age bracket.

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You will notice the literature has a European flavour - eg the " ", the 11,99. The TGA site says some things they consider Therapeutic Goods are Food Supplements in Europe - which I suspect is where this literature originated with a few tweaks to make it “Australian”. I suspect the reference to “ABC News touts it as “a key to the fountain of youth”” is either a reference to the American BC or to make it “Australian”. They operate in Australia, selling to Australians Sorry, they’re sideways, with the last first.

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Turmeric [with pepper] has been brilliant for my back pain. Ginger, honey and lemon is good for a cough or feel cold.
I use coconut oil for: pain in my joints, circulation in my feet, health of my hair [possibly reducing hair fall], a mouthwash instead of using whatever brand, and while applying for all those purposes it is moisturising my hands.
Lots of herbal remedies are based on the fact that they work, and have worked for years, but no one has done the peer-reviewed research that gets it to a higher status, and patented, regulated and reproduced chemically, thereby doing local producers out of an income.
Others are based on someone wanting to get money out of us.

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Mention of krill has brought up a memory from 10 years ago - I had an allergic reaction to a US brand of krill preparation. It was in liquid form, and I can’t remember the name. I can’t remember the details of my reaction either, but it was bad enough to make me swear off krill.
NB: It was severe facial skin reaction! Like blistering. I got no joy when I complained either.

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I have taken Glucosamine (Caruso Exit Pain) daily for several years; it’s the only brand that has ‘no taste’. Recently increased to 3000mg fish oil daily and noticed a difference - less joint pain generally. Pana Osteo, of course! But less than the Doc suggests. And a herbal mix from a naturopath. I have rheumatoid arthritis, and am working through an auto immune program to find a practical balance of prescription meds.

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I have found Glucosamine Chondroitin effective.

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I decided to buy the 5 X joint renew from the same mail information. It took a long time to arrive. However came in good condition. I have just finished the first bottle and so far I am feeling some benefit with my severe ankle pain. I cannot dance and jump yet but it is good for me as I can still walk at the end of the working day. I can walk longer and don’t have the swelling and stiffness that I had. Also have stopped taking my prescribed anti inflammatory tablets. I hope this helps.

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When we visited my wife’s sister the other day, her husband showed me a spray bottle of Zen Herbal Liniment Spray which he said he has been using on his bad back for the past couple of years with fantastic results.

I did not see it at Chemist Warehouse but I bought Zen Sports Spray which I have used on my bad back and sore knees when I get up in the morning and after my shower in the afternoon for the past 3 days.

So far the results seem fantastic.

As I have always been sceptical of alternative medicines, I would have never tried in the absence of a reliable recommendation.

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Whilst the Zen Sports Spray is great, I bought a bottle of the Zen Herbal Spray when our local Chemist Warehouse had it in stock.

It works even better, and I assume the Sports Spray is more for muscle and tissue problems, whilst the Herbal Spray in more for joint problems


I have just started on my third bottle of the Herbal Spray.

Before Xmas, I saw my physiotherapist whilst shopping and mentioned the Zen spray to him, to which he replied that he was using it himself and a number of his other patients had mentioned to him that they were getting good results with it.

If you are suffering from bad joints, what have you got to lose by trying it for around $20.