I finally went to see my "AP" doctor...it took me 6 months to get an appt. Anyway, he does treat RA with antibiotics but does not subscribe to the "infection" theory. He believes in Minocin to treat RA in conjunction with a biologic. He started me on 100 mg of Minocin daily. I had a bad few days with dizziness and lightheaded. On the 5th day..I woke up pain free. My overall inflammation is decreased as well......this is good...very good.
Does anyone else take antibiotics with their biologic?? I am off everything else...just Enbril and Minocin. Let me know!
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I don't know that anyone posting here does, but yes, people do both. I think the goal is to lessen the biologic as you go, and hopefully drop it eventually. I know people on the Roadback board have reported success doing that.
I'm so glad you are feeling good! While I lean toward 'infection' in my daughter's case because that is what every doctor thought in the beginning and they treated her for, for everybody else - if it works, it works!!!! Enjoy it and don't worry about why!
Great news that you are feeling better!!!!!! Love and hugs, JuliaWell, I know Kathleen Turner does. Maybe you guys have the same doctor!My blue cross/blue shield isn't covering Mercola clinic anymore..so I had to stop my visits. I had tremendous relief from removing wheat and sugar from my diet. They presribed the Minocin for me but the doctor there was not a rheumatologist and didn't have any knowlege of the biologics....I didn't start my Minocin until I could be guided by a doctor..so I waited 6 months to get in with a referral from Roadback.
I am off Prednisone, Planquenil and Imuran...YEAH! The new rheumatologist said I have no permanent damage in my hands...YEAH! So I guess I will stay on minocin 100 mg daily and my Enbril. I'm happy and encouraged...2 years ago I thought I would be in a wheelchair. So glad I kept researching and got off that MTX..it made me so sick.
Hi Gina - In answer to your question, I am doing AP in conjunction with traditional/biologic therapy. I started AP in June of this year, but have not been able to wean down/off my Orencia and Methotrexate just yet.
I was 'officially' diagnosed with RA 5-6 years ago, but believe that I have had it for at least 10 years. I do have quite a bit of joint damage, primarily knees and feet, so I'm thinking I'm going to be one of those that takes a little longer to respond to treatment.
Like yourself, I also had the dizzy/lightheaded feeling (along with a few other side effects) initially, but once I switched to the pulsing method of M/W/F, the side effects pretty much disappeared.
Congrats to you for doing so well after only 5 days!
Great news i am glad this is working so well for you. Keep up the good work.Hey Gena -
Some AP docs don't buy into the infection connection - they think Mino is just an immune modifier. Fine by me, if you get the Mino and it works, who cares how it works, right?
If your doc is somebody you like, then stick with him. If the fit is not right, there's no problem going to find one that more fits in with your philsophy. One of the people ahead of me on the Roadback to health fired 2 of the top AP docs because they were not helping her the way she felt her body needed to be helped. She's down to an RF of 240+ from a high of 7400. That woman has been thru the ringer and most doc's treated her like they couldn't do anything for her. She said, 'no way' and found somebody who would.
AP is a 2 steps forward, one step back kind of thing. Don't be surprised if you get herxes. As you get better and better you'll probably decide to jetison the Enbril.
Hugs and good luck on your way back to health,
Pip
I wondered about herxes myself today. Was only in a parcial coma. Was not really able to move around untill 4:00 pm. I took my pain pill with two bottles of spiciey v juice to get some Potasium and vitamins, took my vitamin C and probiotic. Did all of that around 2:00 and i think i took 10 mg of pred at noon. I spent the first four hours of my short day just sitting and starying and thinking but not very well. Probiotics have been kind to my belly i must admit. Anyway after i took my bath i dryed off and noticed a bunch of dirt and sweat on my ribs. This is good. I had this same thing after i took diflucan many years ago. I am deathly allergic to diflucan by the way. But i mean the good thing is it opened up the poors on my skin. All of this gritty stuff on my ribs was junk that had been stuck in my poors and was coming out. So i waited for the water to heat up and took another bath this time with epson salt to help soak out what ever was trying to get out anyway. But other wise i was in pain bad this morning. Better now. Oh i can see great and breathing is really good got to look at the pluses. So i is a good with bad day.