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I am very newly diagnosed with RA. Dr. want me to take Plackquinal but I cannot come to terms with taking such strong drugs. I am taking supplements and herbs and getting some relief. i want to discuss antibiotic therapy with the doctor. has any one of you in tis discussion group tried it? on it? benifits? short comings? regrets? I feel very alone with this and would love to hear from you. I am also very willing to share info on any suppliments that I am taking. thanks, sharon
Hi Sharon, I was unfamiliar with using antibiotics to treat RA and my first reaction was very skeptical. I am wary of antibiotics in general because of all the news stories about overuse and superbugs. So I did a quick search online to learn more because none of my rheumatologists have never mentioned it to me. But that may be because I've had RA for so many years. I have, however, taken Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine) off and on since the mid 1980's and I have never had any side effects. I first took it when I was around 10 years old. (Now I take Humira and Mobic).
Anyway, I started with Health Central, the Arthritis Foundation and the American College of Rheumatology and a google search. Most hits listed as a treatment for infections and septic arthritis. It's not on the list of the Arthritis Foundation's recommended treatments for RA as far as I can see. I also saw reports of a study published in 2006 that found that low dose antibitiocs was able to slow the progression of osteoarthritis, but didn't relieve joint pain.
The American College of Rheumatology website lists minocycline (in the tetracycline family)in the DMARD category of drugs to treat RA along with plaquenil and methotrexate. It says, "There is evidence that minocycline may slow the progression of joint damage in arthritis and prevent disability like other drugs in the class known as DMARDS."
There are different side effects for each. The ACR lists the following for monocycline; GI problems, dizziness, skin rash, change in skin color, yeast infections,sunlight sensitivity, kidney and liver damage and drug interactions. For plaquenil, it says, "Hydroxychloroquine typically is very well tolerated and serious side effects are rare. The most common side effects are nausea and diarrhea, which often improve with time or by taking the medication with food. Less common side effects include skin rashes or hair changes (bleaching or thinning of hair), and weakness. In rare cases, hydroxychloroquine has caused visual changes or loss of vision, but such vision problems are more likely to occur in individuals taking high doses for many years, or in persons 60 years or older or with significant kidney disease. The dose used today is lower than the one originally used to treat arthritis or malaria. At the current recommended dose, development of visual problems while taking this medication is extremely unusual."
Anyway, I hope this is helpful and gives you some more information to discuss with your doctor. Christine
christine thanks, but i am very concerned about the drugs. please google ANTIBIOTICS AND RA and see what comes up. the antibiotics do have side effects but the are given every other day in low doses and according to what ive read will put the symtoms into remission in about a year and with a newly diagnosed case within 6 months. i really do want to speak to people who have tried it. can you help. i am also willing to try fasting and supplements and herbs. i have only seen the rhuematologist once and will see him again this week. i am taking supplements and eating no grains or milk or nigtshades. at present i seem to have the swelling and pain under control. the ra has effected my hands, shoulders and elbows. one tendon in each wrist stays swollen but is lessened. the initioal attack occurred before thansgiving and i couldn't raise my arms or use my fingers very much. i was in a lot of pain. i used herbs to detox, am eationg mostly raw veggies and taking supplements. my mom has ra that is in remission. she never took any chemo drugs, she was taking steroids many years ago and i remember how hateful she became - all edgy and nasty. and she took anti antiimflamitory meds. i am intending to rid myself of ra. my friend has lyme disease and after 2 yrs of eating raw foods and herbs and fasting she no longer tests positive for lyme disease. i am not political but we now live in time when the plan is to have every person taking some drug or another. the diseases which never get cured but can be maniged with drugs are big business for drug companys. the antibiotic therapy that i am reading about is cheap ad gets remissions. i am scared, i am facing this alone, no one wants to hear about my aches and pains. i think about the deformaties that ra can cause and i cry. for mysef and for all the people struggling day to day. thanks for listening sharon
It sounds like you are already be familiar with good nutrition, homeopathy and other non-traditional medical forms of nutrition and treatment. Since you are very concerned about using any drugs at all, then definitely talk to your doctor about going this route to begin with. I have read about the benefits of eating a vegetarian diet to help control inflammation. Some studies have shown that animal fats can affect inflammation.
Ultimately, you need to do what you're most comfortable with. And it sounds like you really want to try options that don't involve medication first. I'm not trying to sway you to use any one of these medications over the other, I only tried to point out that different treatments have different levels of effectiveness for everyone. Most people try a variety of things over time. I was trying to lessen your fears about plaquenil and point out that antibiotics are drugs too with their own sets of side effects and concerns. I did google it and found other websites promoting antibiotic treatment for RA, but having had RA for 30 years, I tend to rely on information from the more recognized sources, like the Arthritis Foundation and ACR. I also come from a medical background in my family of doctors, nurses and I was an occupational therapist, so I tend to have that natural bias toward western medicine.
I understand that you're very concerned about using drugs at all, I was only trying to provide a little basic info on all three types of drugs. The antibiotics, plaquenil and methotrexate are all in the same class of drugs that seem to achieve the same results. All three have been used for RA for decades. Plaquenil was used as an anti-malarial drug for a long time prior to that. Methotrexate began as a chemo drug, and it can affect liver function in some people, so there are more frequent blood tests involved with it. I took that for a year when I was 12 (in 1987) in combination with plaquenil and trilisate and it did what the plaquenil and trilisate didn't do alone. It put me in a 5 year remission where I was able to go off all medication.
I hope things go well at the doctor this week. I offer my best wishes for your treatment, hopefully you will have relief soon. Christine
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