toys for tarts: SheaFlex70

This post is part product review and part public service announcement. Toys for Tarts does not have a vested (affiliate) interest in this product.

I am a 46-year-old woman with a history of fibromyalgia, depression, and insulin resistance. While my health issues are under control (at times, I believe, tenuously so), I still experience joint pain -- especially when I (over) indulge in the activities I like the most: rowdy sex, taekwondo, hiking, etc.

While in the throes of the worst of my pain-obesity-insomnia-depression cycle, I abused NSAIDs. I would put eight 200mg ibuprofen on my nightstand, pop them when the alarm rang in the morning, then hit the snooze for 20 minutes until they enabled me to get out of bed through the pain. Throughout the day, depending on how many times I would have to lift my children, I'd take up to another dozen tablets. I was afraid to carry my son up or down the stairs for fear that my knees would buckle and I'd drop him. Given that I was lugging around an extra 100# on my own frame, another 20-30 in toddler really made a difference. I took enough NSAIDs over a period of 3-4 years to experience "rebound" inflammation, which makes the pain even worse.

I'm rambling. Sorry. My point is that, due to my history/experience, I'm hesitant to take any drugs these days. I have to HURT before I'll resort to a single tablet. I feel the twinges of despair every time I have an ache that lasts longer than a few hours because I know what chronic pain does to my physical and emotional well-being.

So, when my knees and shoulder started bothering me, I tried the common supplement glucosamine chondroitin. Many people swear by it, but it did nothing for me. I chanced upon a new product while searching online for shea butter products -- skin emollients (another of my fetishes).

This product is a supplement for joint health called SheaFlex70. It is only available via the Walgreen's drugstore chain and online order. It is not cheap. But I was just desperate enough to give it a try. With a $10 off coupon**, I got a month's supply for $30.

Can I just say WOW? I noticed an improvement in the general achey-ness after just 3 days of per-label use. Within a month, the stiffness was GONE. I've since cut back to 1/3 of the dose for maintenance, so the $30 bottle now lasts me 90 days. If I have a particularly strenuous workout, I may re-up the dose for a couple days to keep the inflammation at bay.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT FOR JOINT PAIN SUFFERERS!

Here's what the website says...

SheaFlex70’s patented active ingredient, shea triterpenes, is found within the pit of the fruit of the shea tree, Africa’s “Tree of Life.” SheaFlex70 is the only product available with shea triterpenes, considered nature’s most powerful inflammation fighter.* Shea triterpenes have been proven not only to reduce joint-specific inflammation but also to support Type II collagen, the primary element of the 70% of cartilage that provides structure and smoothness to your joints.*
SheaFlex70 dramatically helps relieve joint discomfort and joint-specific inflammation.* When you reduce pain and swelling in the joints, you lay the foundation for getting your body back into balance.
SheaFlex70 helps safely reduce the breakdown of the joints’ most abundant collagen, Type II collagen.* Collagen makes up 70% of joint cartilage, which keeps the bones in a joint from rubbing together.