RA and Urinary Tract Infections | Arthritis Information

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This is very interesting reading, I mean the whole document. Will post the link to the Adobe Acrobat link later.
Can anyone remember incidences of urinary tract infections before RA struck? And do any of you use cranberry juice to good effect?
 
Cheers.....Lyn
 
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease triggered by Proteus

urinary tract infection

ALAN EBRINGER & TAHA RASHID

School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Kings College London, London, UK

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic and disabling polyarthritic disease, which affects mainly women in middle and old age.

Extensive evidence based on the results of various microbial, immunological and molecular studies from different parts of

the world, shows that a strong link exists between Proteus mirabilis microbes and RA. We propose that sub-clinical Proteus

urinary tract infections are the main triggering factors and that the presence of molecular mimicry and cross-reactivity

between these bacteria and RA-targeted tissue antigens assists in the perpetuation of the disease process through production of

cytopathic auto-antibodies.

Patients with RA especially during the early stages of the disease could benefit from Proteus anti-bacterial measures involving

the use of antibiotics, vegetarian diets and high intake of water and fruit juices such as cranberry juice in addition to the

currently employed treatments.

Keywords: Humoral autoimmunity, Proteus mirabilis, rheumatoid arthritis, urinary tract infection

To quantify my interest in this subject I need to say that I have, for the past 9 years ever since my hysterectomy, have urinary frequency usually at night. Some nights I get up 3 or 4 times. Last year or so, it happens during day that I feel I need to go and when I do, I dont know why I bothered!! lolol. I remember talking to my GP a few years ago and she said that after a Hysto the bladder can be damaged slightly. So I took that as being what my prob was/is. Now Im going to ask for a complete urinalysis to be done.
Your experiences if any??
 
Cheers...Lyn   
 
HTML link above.

Hey Lyndee -

Interesting find.  I've seen some of this but most often I've seen mycobacteria implicated.  Mostly m. homminis? (spelling).  LOL  You'd think I'd get that by now.
 
Hugs,
 
Pip
He's saying the same thing the APer's say - molecular mimicry and cell wall deficient bacteria.
 
Although, the current medical treatments,
especially those involving anti-tumour necrosis factor
therapies (Haraoui 2005), have a promising beneficial
effect particularly in easing or even halting the disease
progress, they are expensive (Merkesdal et al. 2004)
and cause side-effects. In order, to achieve a
prolonged clinical remission, continuous immuno-
suppression with these drugs is required because this
kind of treatment could not eradicate the causative
microbial agents.
 
This is the first time I've seen a researcher actually come out and say that. 
 
Pip
 
Edited to remove a tripple post of the quote - aaargh!
Pip!2008-06-05 06:59:58Interesting. I suffer with UTI's all the time. Had two UTI's in my lifetime. Both after I was diagnosed with RA. Though to be fair, I love cranberry juice and have drank it all my life.

I have suffered from awful UTI's in the past.  I also have had bouts with interstitial cystitis, which is also autoimmune.  So it's hard to say.  So many theories!

I've been plagued with UTIs all my adult life.  I have to keep a supply of cephalexen (500 mg. antibiotic) on hand and whenever I feel that familiar pain, I take one.  I even keep one pill with me in my purse at all times as an emergency measure.  So, are they saying that the same bug that causes UTIs may also cause other autoimmune diseases? 

 

Yep, exactly what he's saying.  And because it's not being treated properly is why you are running around with emergency measures in your purse.  The antibiotics you take for the UTI only take out one life form of the creature.  When the become cell wall deficient is when we get the flavor of the month - RA or Lupus or whatever.
 
Pip
 
Edited because I 'fat fingered' multiple times in this post.  Duh!
Pip!2008-06-05 10:55:40I have had UTIs since I was a child, I had about 6 a year as a child and they got more frequent as an adult. 

This sounds like it is  more than a coincidence. How many others can comment?

Thanks!!....Lyn   That is the point really, if you have ever had them.

 
Cheers...Lyn  :)
I've had 2 UTI's in my life.  First one was honeymoon cystitis  that developed into infection and the second was a month after I began Humira.  My RD said that I might be more suseptible to UTI's because of the whole auto immune suppresion thing.   Usually have a urinalysis every 6 months or so because the last one was caught on a routine UA that I had with my yearly physical.  LindySeven years ago... I had the world's worst UTI.. it took three rounds of antibiotics to kick it.. I was in horrible pain... they sent me in for Xrays and CatScans and MRIs because they thought i may have had something infected in the kidneys or a blockage..   Everything came back okay except they found out I have adenomas on my adrenals and cysts on my kidneys.. all quietly existing and causing no harm..
But the infection.. was horrible.. I was so sick.. I lost a TON of weight... and shortly after that I began my frequent visits to my PCP for pain.. joints.. UGH.
does that make sense or what??
 
so now what?
[QUOTE=LyndeeNZ]Ahhh Mrs A_Again...but you have had them right??   That is the point really, if you have ever had them.
 
Cheers...Lyn  :)
[/QUOTE]
 
Oh... dof.
Yeah. I've had one, but I never connected it with RA.

Babs was your UTI before your got your RA?? I for one am gonna be drinking cranberry juice like it going outta fashion!! lolol

Thank God that Ocean Spray sends the stuff to far off New Zealand. [QUOTE=LyndeeNZ]

Babs was your UTI before your got your RA?? I for one am gonna be drinking cranberry juice like it going outta fashion!! lolol

Thank God that Ocean Spray sends the stuff to far off New Zealand. [/QUOTE]

 
I had JRA as a child.. I had no RA symptoms for over 30 years... I had that UTI to beat all UTI's and I have not felt "right" since then... seriously, I ached and had alot of discomfort which I wrote off to menopause and aging ...
 
Now.. I'm not so sure.......  hmm..
 
Yeah.. Cranberry juice is my new best friend  I have had several uti's before being diagnosed with Ra. 
 
Interestingly,  my 11 yo daughter is in the process of getting a diagnosis for all her joint pain, and she has had 2 uti's in the past year. 
What this is saying is that those with a history of UTI's should be treated with antibiotics.  Like with AP.  Apparently there is a test for this microbe but my guess is it's as much garbage as the myco tests.
 
Ocean Spray Cranberry juice is garbage.  It is mostly sugar and sugar feeds the microbes.  Go to the vitamin store and either get 'natural' cranberry juice - IMHO ugly stuff - or the pills with cranberry in it.
 
Mamamiax4 - an 11 year old would be old enough for AP.  Please lurk and learn on the Roadback board.
 
Pip
Hey Pip, I was going to suggest cranberry pills from the health food store vs. sugary cranberry juice.  Sugar is deadly and only adds to the inflammatory process.  Go for the cranberry pills or capsules instead.  LindyNow this is very strange and has to be a coincidence but I've been thinking about this and realized I really only had 3 UTI's in my whole life. One when I was way back in my early 20's. 3 years ago I had one on Thanksgiving Day, the next year I got one right near Thanksgiving and this past year was the onset of my RA- the week before Thanksgiving!About the cranberry juice....yes, by all means, avoid the supermarket stuff.  The pure juice is awful, so bitter, but that's what you need.  Trust me, I'm a UTI expert (unwillingly). Try mixing it with just a little orange juice (a no-sugar brand).
 
The odd thing about my UTIs that makes me question whether there's an RA connection (be warned, this may be TMI for some), is for me there's a direct link between sex without protection and those infections.  It's like I'm allergic to sperm.  Before we had children, it was condoms always, and very rare infections, although there was one during the honeymoon.  After the tubal ligation, no more condoms, more UTIs.  It turns out this is very common.  The PH balance gets messed up in some women from sperm.  So either some form of barrier protection, or one antibiotic taken after relations stops the problem for me.  Very rarely have I gotten a UTI since learning about this, but it has happened, so I'm always prepared.  My husband hates the idea of me taking yet another drug so there's not much bareback riding going on these days.
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