Linda From Maine wrote:
Addressing your problem, use "watched topics," not "My topics." There will be a note in green that indicates how many "new" replies there are. Click the => to the right of that green note.
The only time this feature won't pick up who you've not responded to is if they respond while you're replying to several other people in the same moment.
Not a satisfactory solution. "Watched Topics" includes everything I've been to, and "My Topics" only includes ones I started -- a much more restricted list.