There are two major types of arthritis: osteoarthritis, also called degenerative arthritis, and reactive arthritis. Osteoarthritis means that cartilage wears away and doctors don't have the foggiest idea why and therefore they have no effective treatment. Doctors usually prescribe non-steroidal pills that help to block pain but do not even slow down destruction of cartilage. Most serious scientists agree that an infection initiates the reactive arthritises and many think that the germ is often still there when symptoms start. Short-term antibiotics are ineffective, but if antibiotics are started before the joint is destroyed, they can prevent joint damage.
You are more likely
to suffer reactive arthritis when you have:
I) positive blood tests for arthritis; all tests used to diagnose
arthritis are measures of an overactive immunity;
II) swelling of the knuckles and middle joints of your
fingers, causing them to look like cigars;
III) a history of a long-standing infection such as a chronic
cough, burning on urination or pain when the bladder is full, chronic diarrhea and belching and burning
in the stomach; and
IV) pain that starts at an age younger than 50.
Most rheumatologists refuse to treat their rheumatoid arthritis patients with antibiotics even though several controlled prospective studies show that minocycline drops the rheumatoid factor towards zero and helps to alleviate the pain and destruction of rheumatoid arthritis. The studies, referenced below, include: 1) First Netherlands study, 10 patients, J of Rheumatology 1990;17(1):43-46. 2) 2nd Netherlands Study, 80 patients, Arthritis and Rheumatism 1994;37(5):629-636. 3) Israel Study, 18 patients, J of Rheumatology 1992;19(10):1502-1504. 4) U.S.Mira Study, 219 patients, Annals of Internal Medicine. 1995(Jan15);122(2):81-89. 5) U.S. U of Nebraska Study, 40 patients, Arthritis and Rheumatism 1997;40(5):842-848.
I treat my reactive arthritis patients with Minocycline 100 mg twice a day, (sometimes azithromycin 500 mg twice a week), but this must still be considered experimental because most doctors are not yet ready to accept antibiotics as a treatment. There is also possibility of a rare serious side effect of lupus. Many patients do not feel better for the first few weeks after they start taking minocycline. If a patient does nor feel better after taking 100 mg of minocycline twice day for 2 months, I add Zithromax 500 mg twice a week. If the patient does not feel better after taking the two antibiotics for 6 months, I do add the immune suppressants that most rheumatologists prescribe. But as soon as they feel better, I stop the immune supppressants and continue the antibiotics.
Other papers show that even osteoarthritis may respond to antibiotics (27). People who have chlamydia in their joints usually have no antibodies to that germ in their bloodstream and therefore cannot cure it (30). Reactive arthritis is characterized by pain in many muscles and joints and is thought to be caused by a person's own antibodies and cells attacking and destroying cartilage in joints. This type of arthritis may be triggered by infection and antibiotics may help to prevent and treat this joint destruction (1 to 10). Short-term antibiotics are ineffective (5). Doxycycline may prevent joint destruction by stabilizing cartilage (3) in addition to clearing the germ from the body.
How do germs cause arthritis? When a germ gets into your body, you manufacture cells and proteins called antibodies that attach to and kill that germ. Sometimes, the germ has a surface protein that is similar to the surface protein on your cells. Then, not only do the antibodies and cells attach to and kill the germ, they also attach to and kill your own cells that have the same surface membranes. Some people with arthritis have high antibody titre to E. Coli, a bacteria that lives normally in everyone's intestines (15). It has the same surface protein as many cells in your body (15). Normal intestines do not permit E. Coli to get into your bloodstream. Some people who get reactive arthritis may have intestines that allow E. coli to pass into the bloodstream and cause the immune reaction that destroys muscles and joints. The same type of reaction applies to several other bacteria and viruses that can pass into your bloodstream (15A). Venereal diseases, such as gonorrhea, chlamydia and ureaplasma have been found in the joint fluids of many people with arthritis (16). People with reactive arthritis are more likely to have staph aureus in their noses (17) and carry higher antibody titer against that germ (18). Many people with reactive arthritis have had chronic lung infections, caused by mycoplasma and chlamydia, prior to getting joint pains(20,21). Mycoplasma has been found in joint fluid of people with arthritis (28,29). The treatment of arthritis with antibiotics is controversial and not accepted by many doctors; discuss this with your doctor.
< ="text/" ="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> window.google_render_ad();< allowtransparency="true" ="0" id="google_ads_2" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="google_ads_" ="http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-1868016708518821&dt=1239029109541&lmt=1232331106&prev_fmts=300x250_as&at=728x90_as&output=&correlator=1239029109424&=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drmirkin.com%2Fjoints%2FJ106.htm&color_bg=ffffff&color_text=000000&color_=0000ff&color_=ff9900&color_border=ffffff&ad_=text&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drmirkin.com%2Fpublic%2Fezine040509.&frm=0&ga_vid=2062085655.1239029109&ga_sid=1239029109&ga_hid=1158103986&flash=10.0.12&u_h=600&u_w=800&u_ah=572&u_aw=800&u_cd=16&u_tz=-240&u_his=3&u_java=true&u_nplug=24&u_nmime=85&dtd=10&w=728&h=90&xpc=iFIuV3BZuG&p=http%3A//www.drmirkin.com" style="left: 591px; : ; top: 86px; width: 137px; height: 4px;" ="0" scrolling="no" border="0">Thanks for posting this - I think we need better and more valid testing to see what we're dealing with.