arthritis & penicillin

[dlt58]

Can Penicillin VK (500mg) treat arthritis pain? Before you say, "no,"
please read further:

I had a back molar crack/fracture.  This tooth had a previous root canal
so, while there was little pain directly from the tooth, an apparent
infection set up.  The dentist prescribed Penn VK (500mg) to treat it
for five days prior to pulling it and another course of five days after
the extraction.  By the third day of the first course of Penn VK, my
previous rather painful arthritis (diagnosed as "osteoarthritis") in hands, neck, lower back, and hip all but disappeared. Even the redness in my swollen knuckles was reduced.  By the fifth day, I totally stopped all NSAIDS and required no Trammadol even though I stepped up my daily walking regimen.  However, within a few days of finishing the second course of Penn VK, the pain in all the areas came roaring back.  It is now worse than it has ever been.  Was the respite from arthritis pain during the Penn VK treatment a coincidence or did it actually treat the cause of the arthritis pain?
Age:  62
Current meds:  
Boniva 150mg/1 per month
Aleve as needed
Tylanol Arthritis as needed
Trammadol as needed
Lipitor 40 mg.

                  

[GeoHerK]

I have recently had a similar experience. I am a 74 yo male who has had reoccuring Cellulitis on my ankle(s). My physician started treating me two months ago with Penicilin, 500mg, 2x per day. Would not go away....then she ramped it up four weeks ago to 4x a day and ....what a surprise: my serious osteoarthritis in my right knee, of which I had already scheduled replacement surgery (after 10 years of treatment & advised to use surgery by two orthopedic surgeons) became almost entirely pain free! The doctor has asked me to reduce the Penicillin to 2x a day and I am anxious to see if the pain returns. The pain was so bad it kept me awake at night, throbing and I had it catching when I sat up and that is gone also. I have posponed the operation and I now am able to do normal activity. I am astonished as is my doctor.

[gorbybelle]

though your comments on penicillin helping with arthritic pain may sound odd ! I actually had the same experience  I was given penicillin for a chest infection and after a couple of days my 'normally' constant neck pain improved so much I almost felt 'normal' again!!   I am considering Lyme as I was bitten by a tick prior to neck pain -  penicilin is a treatmenrt for LYME!!!