I am waiting to hear if I can start the gold shots I am hoping they work for everything else failed me or I am allgeric to it. So have any of you tried them some people say it has help them alot so what do you think if thats all you have left to try. On 30mg.Predisone for so long don't even help anymore . I have so much pain I never get any relief. Tried to be weaned off of the predisone and was unable to. As soon as they droped a few mg. I could not even lift my arms up.I have alot of muscle pain all the time I don't know what is causing that. Some times it is so hard to deal with all the pain
Gold therapy is kind of out of fashion but the centre where I get
treated still has a gold clinic. My RD is really "into" gold therapy.
It always seems kind of weird to me.
Anyway, good luck with that---I know it can really help some people.
Joan, I have not had gold shots, so have nothing to say except you have alot of people in here pulling for you. You will find a level that's right for you. The trouble is getting it all lined up! Take care ~~ Cathy
Welcome Angel!!!
For me methotrexate didn't work and salazopyrin worked but only for 3 years and imuran made me sick. Gold worked on its own for 8 years then started wearing off so added Arava which gave me bowel problems. I then tried Humira which didn't work so went back on gold and half dose of Arava. Have now been on gold for 13 years. It worked better for me than anything else and I have no side effects. We can't get Remicade, Embrel or Rituxan here.
Hi Angel and Coral - and welcome!
Have either of you tried antibiotics?
Pip
Hi and welcome Joan. I've never been on the gold shots so I'm no help there. I hope they find something that will work for you!
Celena, Joan, and Coral....welcome to the board...I hope you find wonderful support and rich friendship here!
I am pretty new about three months, but I am sure someone will be able to help. I have not done the gold, but also have not found any mixture to really work as of late, so let us know.
Anti biotics aren't approved for R A in New Zealand unfortunately. However don't knock gold just because its old. It put me into remission and kept the disease pretty much under control for 8 yrs on its own. I have particularly aggressive R A. My ESR was 135 and within 1 month of starting gold it was 20. Before that I was on plaquenil and 25mgs of methotrexate and they didn't do a thing.
Not knocking Gold. I wouldn't knock anything that works. But I've read that gold has antimicrobial properties.
And there are Kiwi's on AP; I've seen their posts so they must be getting it somewhere.
Hugs,
Pip
Do you know someone in NZ on AP. I'd be interested to know how they get it. My rheumatologist says it isn't approved here.Do you guys have the equivalent of the "American College of Rheumatology" there. For us, it's listed as a DMARD but most often we still have to fight for it. First, I'd look at the equvalent medical groups web page and just double check. Sorry, I'm not too happy with rheumies in general. :-)
A quicker route would be www.roadback.org. You could post asking if there are MD's in New Zealand. Also, Rosemary is the rep for Australia (hey, at least it's the same area of the world) and she might have a line on somebody.
But yes, I've seen the posts so I know they exist.
Hugs,
Pip
P.S. Don't leave AI if you do either the gold or AP. We're decidely American-centric. We need 'new blood'. LOL
Angel, my RD told me that he still has one patient who comes in for gold shots. They have worked well for her over the years and she doesn't want to make the change. I hope that is encouraging to you. Please let us know how it works outI have a friend in NZ with my diagnosis (PRA) who is healing herself naturally and with herbs and supplements and diet. I'll send her an email and ask her some questions. She's not doing AP but she keeps up with the whole holistic side and many of her supps are antiviral or antibacterial in nature. I remember she posted about how some essential mineral missing in your soil and that's why some of the AI diseases are so prevalent. If I remember correctly it was a science study.
Pip
I've had gold shots!!!!! When I first got RA I could not get up by myself, cook, hold my babies or anything! I started taking gold shots and kept getting better - took them for 26 years - I never had any problems. My husband gave me the shots for years. So good luck!!!Take care
Thank you all for the infro. I am hoping when I go tommorow to the doctor he will say we can start them. I am so sick of all this pain. Thanks again to all. Joan