There is currently no cure for the different forms of Rheumatoid arthritis, but there are treatments that will help. The most affective Rheumatoid arthritis treatment programs are prescribed drugs that can help with pain management and keep those suffering with this disease mobile as long as possible. The most prescribed drugs on the market today are Enbrel, a powerful drug that neutralizes the inflammation causing protein found in the blood, or the older, but proven, Methotrexate, prescription drug that modifies the arthritis disease. Some doctors are just beginning to experiment with a combination of these drugs, and finding positive results in some patients with Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.
I pulled up a few links on RA and while it gave good advice on reducing stress, watching what you eat, etc. there were some sections that concerned me. The last paragraph in the RA information is pasted below. Just my opinion, but I don't agree with the treatment plan they recommend. Too much time can be wasted.
I pulled up a few links on RA and while it gave good advice on reducing stress, watching what you eat, etc. there were some sections that concerned me. The last paragraph in the RA information is pasted below. Just my opinion, but I don't agree with the treatment plan they recommend. Too much time can be wasted.
Sounds interesting. Will check it out when I have more time.
Sorry, late on my response to your question, but I think Kweenb explained for me very well. Alterntative treatments can be good complements, but I don't believe they are your first line of defense.
[QUOTE=JasmineRain]The information on that site is laughable at best... at worst, downright dangerous. I don't believe Rx drugs are the end-all be-all (after all, I too use "alternative treatments"). But I also don't think that Rx drugs and mainstream medicine should always be used only as a last resort.Since I was used as an example, I just wanted to clarify something. I did cut meds out last year, almost 1/2 of the RX drugs I was taking, but I still use 3 DMARDS and a biologic to achieve clinical remission. I was able to cut drugs that I no longer needed. Why take drugs out of habit. I had to restart one but I restarted it and continue to take it at a smaller dose. I've also decreased MXT by 2.5 mg. and cut Sulfasalazine by a 1/3rd and have finally gotten off Pred. What a blessing that's been.
About the same time I re-evaluated my diet, habits, and life style. I changed my diet slowly but surely. You only set yourself up to fail if you do a drastic diet change. Slowly is better mentally. I've also been able to start exercising. I have little stress and when I do I manage it. The decrease in medication, diet and lifestyle changes, and going into clinical remission happened about the same time. Coincedence? I don't know but I know that I like it.
I've read through the articles posted and many of them have misinformation about the diseases and also I was surprised to see there is a cure for many of these disease on their links. My RD will be surprised when I tell him that I can be cured. On the other hand there was some very good information. The articles, like many are a mixed blessing and you have to search through to find the pearls that relate to your specific symptoms. Lindy
RA can be cured, it's just incredibly difficult and random to cure. People have been cured by a lot of things; stem cell therapy, early aggressive antibiotic therapy, bee stings, etc. Some people attain long term drug free remission on the Marshall Protocol (I know a bunch of haters are going to now come on and demand I "prove" it. Knock yourselves out, naysayers).
I have personally benefited from alternative therapies such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, massage, fish oil, and probiotics.
I do not consider AP to be alternative therapy as it's Western Medicine administered by my mainstream doctor.By the way, wouldn't praying to Jesus be considered an "alternative therapy" the same way meditating would?Yes Gimmpy...infact Christians meditate on the scriptures all the time...
I agree, find the pearls, find the scriptures, line it up with what you need in life and health..maybe it will help someone...maybe not...if you are not interested and disagree...put it on a shelf and don't read it.
[QUOTE=Gimpy-a-gogo]RA can be cured, it's just incredibly difficult and random to cure. People have been cured by a lot of things; stem cell therapy, early aggressive antibiotic therapy, bee stings, etc. Some people attain long term drug free remission on the Marshall Protocol (I know a bunch of haters are going to now come on and demand I "prove" it. Knock yourselves out, naysayers).
I have personally benefited from alternative therapies such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, massage, fish oil, and probiotics.
I do not consider AP to be alternative therapy as it's Western Medicine administered by my mainstream doctor.[/QUOTE]
Since when did asking for proof make people "haters?"
Oh and for the record, in my opinion, you are using triple DMARD therapy.....Not AP, since Minocin is a DMARD.
Gimpy, Is Remission same as "Cured"? And if not what's the difference?
Everyone, what kind of lifestyle changes? I am serious. I've changed only what I've had to. I've not seen any correlation between what I eat and flareups or for that matter what I do and Flare-up's...
Lynne, frankly, I couldn't care less what
you call
my treatment, you hater.
I'm almost at year two and it seems like my focus has been more on getting used to this new normal and I haven't taken the time to look into diet habits to see if there is a difference. Maybe it will be a new years resolution.
However, I do feel that if I wasn't working that would make a huge difference. I only worked two days last week due to the holidays and there was such a difference in how I felt. Back at work on Monday and by the end of the day, my feet were hurting again and felt wiped. It's not an option for me right now, but I have to think that would be the lifestyle change that would impact me most. I'm leaving in about an hour for a 10-day vacation south to visit family and take a short cruise with my mom, so we'll see if my theory about not working is true. If it does, I should feel great being able to relax, nap and be stressfree.
Happy Holidays!
[QUOTE=José] Gimpy, Is Remission same as "Cured"? And if not what's the difference?
You tell me. A lot of people here have belaboured that every point, so I starteed substituting the words "long term drug free remission" for "cured"Cathy, this summer when travelled all summer I had no RA symptoms at all.
Enjoy your holiday.[QUOTE=Gimpy-a-gogo]Lynne, frankly, I couldn't care less what
you call
my treatment, you hater.[/QUOTE]
"New Year's Resolution: To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time."
James Agate
Lynn492008-12-31 11:33:12Lynn, I thought your NY's resolution would be to be more passive-aggressive, but that's probably not possible.Jose, to me, trying to eat a diet that is antiinflammatory and staying away from foods that are inflammatory. Also, what is inflammatory to me may not be to you. Try to eat organic if you can afford to. Lots of vegetables (stay away from toxic ones such as green bell peppers), fruits, whole grains, nuts, beans. Olive oil and nut oils should be used. Don't forget fish oil. Try to figure out if gluten and dairy cause you problems (this has been very difficult for me). Listen to your body after each meal and document how you feel and try to coorelate if a particular food has caused you problems with the way you feel overall. Try to eat less at each meal, and eat more meals...like 6 a day. Be selective about the meats you eat. Eat more fish/seafood. Less red meat. We eat bison now. (way better tasting anyway) There are a trillion resources on the internet that talk about antiinflammatory diet and I just bought a book that covers it. There is so much to it and even if it does not help your RA, it will help you in some other way especially as you get older. It also teaches your kids how to eat better and hopefully they will carry that with them into their adulthood. Frankly, I wouldn't take ANY of anyone's advice on this forum, all of you are WHACKED!!! Except for maybe 2-3 people...Jose being one of them. [QUOTE=inf׀amedOnline] Frankly, I wouldn't take ANY of anyone's advice on this forum, all of you are WHACKED!!! Except for maybe 2-3 people...Jose being one of them.[/QUOTE]
Then why do you come here? Maybe you'd be happier somewhere else.
[QUOTE=José]Gimpy, Is Remission same as "Cured"? And if not what's the difference?
Thanks, Jas. I appreciate the input. I don't know anyone with RA personally.Sometimes I think that it would be cool to have a support group that met in person. Not just to talk about RA meds and suffering, but about life overall with RA. By necessity, it colors how we see life. Don't you think?
[QUOTE=José]Thanks, Jas. I appreciate the input. I don't know anyone with RA personally.Sometimes I think that it would be cool to have a support group that met in person. Not just to talk about RA meds and suffering, but about life overall with RA. By necessity, it colors how we see life. Don't you think?[/QUOTE]
I agree.There's a big difference in clinical remission and cured. The two phrases aren't interchangable. Clinical remission - is the lack of symptoms, normal labs achieved by using dmards and biologics or other prescriptions. You're NOT cured if you're in clinical remission you just have an inactive disease. Damage stops occuring or slows considerably. The disease can be activated again by some mysterious process and one can flare with damage starting once again. Then you start the whole searching for another drug or combo to again achieve clinical remission . You might say it's dormant rather than cured.
I think of cured as the disease disappearing entirely, never to return. Most people think of the term cured to mean that. The word cure is thrown around by many people selling products that represent only money in their pocket. I've tried many of the alternative therapies over the years under the direction of Dr. Weil in Arizona. To date none of them have cured me or helped me achieve clinical remission. Dr. Weil's diet, massage therapy with lymph drainage and a topical muscle oil that I found in Chinatown in Victoria has helped my symptoms but not cured me. I think it's important to try alternative treatments because one of them or a combo might ease your symptoms by reducing inflammation, thus reducing pain. If you're ingesting any of the products do it with the blessings of your doctors. Interactions are known to happen. Do your research and don't just try something because someone is using the word cure as part of their advertising. Believe me if there was an alternative treatment that cured me I'd be the first person in line and I wouldn't care what the cost was.
I work with a chronic disease group and have been involved in the group for years and I've yet to see someone cured of RA or PsA by any means - alopathic or alternative. I've read of people that have been cured by any number of alternative treatments but even Dr. Weil has stated that there is no cure to date. Last year someone told me that she had been cured of RA by a foot massager that she was selling for 0 plus. You'll hear and read all kind of stories and you have to determine what's real and what isn't and if you think that a treatment or product will cure you, then maybe it will. Our minds work in wonderous ways. Lindy
When I use the word "cured" i mean no drugs and no disease. It's not impossible to cure RA, just extremely difficult and random.Thanks for some of this information... Lynn, Jas, LinB, Jose.. I am going to make some adjustments to my diet w/ a definite focus on remission!! Babs, you don't know how happy it makes me when I read that someone is making remission their goal. So many people just want to feel better and I understand that reasoning. At one point that's all I wanted, but then realization set in that even after all these years, much damage, and complications, that maybe I could achieve remission. My RD and I set remission as a goal and in 2008 I achieved remission with incredible results.
Don't lose that goal. Lindy
thanks, Lindy... and I can't tell
you how good it feels to have someone supporting this focus!! and let me know if you have any issue w/ me PMing and looking for ideas... I was actually going to post a thread asking how to get "there" You and Lynn49 and others have reached that pinnacle... I want to stand along side... Babs, PM anytime. I'm never too busy. Lindy
Not worth the troubleSounds to me like you just want to stir up some more sh*t.
1. it's "state" not :states"
2. it's "there" not "their"
[QUOTE=LinB]Babs, PM anytime. I'm never too busy. Lindy[/QUOTE]
thank you thank you.. You know I will PM!!
and IO....... you're right.. let it go.
[QUOTE=babs10]thanks, Lindy... and I can't tell you how good it feels to have someone supporting this focus!! and let me know if you have any issue w/ me PMing and looking for ideas... I was actually going to post a thread asking how to get "there" You and Lynn49 and others have reached that pinnacle... I want to stand along side... [/QUOTE]
I have to tell you Babs that I never thought I would be in remission. It took almost 8 years for me to find the right combo of meds. I think I'm proof that it is possible even when you have refractory RA, that there is hope for remission.
Thanks, Lynn!! I will do this. I know it.. Hopefully, It won't take me as long as it did for you.. but I won't quit..
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