Don’t use drugs to solve a problem like this. You’ll just build a tolerance and solve nothing.
Look into strength training as others suggested. Start with bodyweight exercises before moving on to weights. It’ll take a while though as you’ll need to experiment to find what works, and ofc exercise isn’t an overnight thing.
Maybe also consult a physical therapist.
And if all of that is too much, running isn’t the only effective cardio exercise. Cycling, swimming and less obvious/weird ones like slideboard mountain climbers, which should all be easier on the knees
olafurp@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Running is in most cases good for knee health in the long term. It could be that you just need to take it slower to build up the knee strength.
Important: If you feel pain, stop and wait for it to recover.