The gel injection did nothing for my knee. Is it OK to use ibuprofen gel every day for years instead?

Promised an update on the gel injection experiment in the other thread. Verdict after three months: nothing. I gave it the four weeks, then eight, then twelve. Knee no better, no worse. Glad I tried it as an experiment with a review date rather than pinning everything on it.

What HAS helped is boring. More physio exercises, the bike as always, and ibuprofen gel rubbed in on bad days before work. Bad days have become most days lately, which is the question. Is it safe to use an anti-inflammatory gel more or less daily for months, years even? I've avoided the tablets because of my stomach. The tube says don't use for long periods without advice and I'm not sure who I'm supposed to ask.

Ask the pharmacist. Genuinely. I went in with the same question and got ten minutes of proper attention, which is more than I'd had from anyone in a while. She asked about my other tablets, my blood pressure and my stomach and gave me a straight answer for me specifically.

My GP actually suggested the gel before tablets for my knee, said it's what the guidelines recommend trying first for a knee. Didn't say anything about how long for though, so I'm following this.

Years of the gel here. I still use it on the bad days. Only thing I'd say from experience is that it never did much for me when I used it every day out of habit, and much more when I kept it for the days that needed it. Might just be me.

Same advice as Pete, and add your GP if you find you need it every single day. That's useful information for them too. It was for me.

Done both. Pharmacist went through my medicines and said for me, with nothing else going on, regular use of the gel on the knee was reasonable but to tell the GP that I'm needing it most days, so I did. GP has referred me back to physio and wants to see me again in three months to talk options. Feels like a plan rather than drifting.

And I've stopped using it as a reflex in the morning. Keeping it for the days after long shifts, like Maureen. Using a lot less.