Dear Fellow Suffers,
I have been almost continuously ill with one thing or another since I
developed RA in 1971. First it was RA, then type 1 diabetes, then
ulcerative colitis, then hypothyroidism... the list goes on and on.
In all that time none of the medication I've been taking has really done
what it claimed it would do except one:
Minocin!
Three years ago I had a whole body flare that was so bad that I was
almost unable to walk, often unable to sleep, almost unable to maintain
my will to live. I'd read The New Arthritis Breakthrough several years ago
while doing some research for a friend with Lupus and when my local
doctor had pretty much given me up for lost I decided the time had come
to try Minocin.
A doctor in Boston (Dr. T) put me on Minocin a few weeks later and 26
days after beginning the drug I was riding my mountain bike 5-10 miles a
day, sleeping like a baby again, and full of the desire to live!
After more than 30 years of near constant pain I have now been pain free
for more than 2 years. In the old days all I had to do was squeeze a ball
three times and my hands hurt, now I do exercises for an hour straight
with no problem whatever. Last winter I spent 2 hours a day lifting
weights and working out with Therabands and I am stronger now at age
60 than I have been in more than 20 years!
There are times when I will be doing something during the day and all of
a sudden it will hit me that I have no pain and that I have had none
connected to RA in a very, very long time. Often I will squeeze both hands
as hard as I can and marvel that it does not hurt one bit. Every time
someone offers to shake my hand I can't wait for the good feeling that
comes with a healthy, confident, handshake whereas for the last 25 years
I've always begged off by saying, "Sorry but I have really bad RA and can't
shake hands."
Anyone who tells you that AP therapy is not worth trying is an idiot.
Period! Any doctor who tells you AP therapy is not worth trying should
lose his or her license to practice...on the spot.
Not long after I began AP therapy my local doctor told me that he felt that
I was "not putting my full confidence in him." Seems like I'd hurt his
feelings by refusing to take Methotrexate.
And my response?
Well I laughed so hard that I thought I was going to fall down, and then
when I managed to stop I said to him, "Full Confidence" what makes you
think that I have "any" confidence in you at all?
After a stunned silence he responded by saying, "Well in that case
perhaps I should not continue being your physician..."
To which I responded, "What makes you think that you even had the
option of being my doctor? You, my friend, are fired."
AP doesn't work for everyone (just 80-90%) and it doesn't always work as
quickly as it did for me. But anyone who tells you that it's not worth trying
does not know what he's talking about.
All my best and good luck,
Win
PS If you would like to learn more visit:
http://www.roadback.org/
called Menocin,, I went to that website & received no info
Thanks KC
I too would be interested in hearing more about Minocin. I know that Minocin is the brand name of the drug minocycline - a tetracycline antibiotic. I've done some research and there are studies to back up the claims that it helps with RA - there was a head-to-head study done between Minocyn and Plaquenil and Minocyn was far more effective.
However, I'm very leary of the first poster here - while he sounds very versed in RA and even seems legitimately to have the disease, his post reads like a SPAM for the website he cited. Plus he joined on November 27th, posted once and has never posted again. You'd think if it was legit, he'd be joining in more discussions.
One thing that makes me think this whole idea could be legit is that it is logical RA could be an infection. I've heard many people with RA say they feel better while taking antibiotics for some other reason (illness). Another thing is that from my own experiences with drugs/doctors and their interrelationships, it is apparent to me the docs push the drugs that they get the biggest kick-backs from - the more expensive ones. DMARDs and biologics are HUGE money makers. Minocin is a very common, very inexpensive drug. So, I could see that even if it were very effective, docs would be discouraged from prescribing it for their own financial interests as well as the pharmaceutical company's pressures.
Just my two-cents. But I'd sure like to hear from anyone else who has tried it.
I don't understand why they (roadback.org, et al) make it sound like it's a "forbidden" med or an underground altmed or something. It's been used and is still being used by mainstream, evidence-based medicine doctors. My rheumy is very mainstream
From the American College of Rheumatology - "However, all RA patients with persistent swelling in the joints are candidates for treatment with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), often used in conjunction with NSAIDs and/or low dose corticosteroids. DMARDs have greatly improved the symptoms and function as well as the quality of life for the vast majority of patients with RA. DMARDs include methotrexate (Rheumatrex and Folex), leflunomide (Arava), hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil), sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), gold given orally (Auranofin) or intramuscularly (Myochrisine), minocycline (Minocin, Dynacin and Vectrin), azathiaprine (Imuran), and cyclosporine (Sandimmune and Neoral)." (Follow the minocycline link above for their fact sheet on Minocin)
Taken from this page:http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/ra_new.asp#5