RE: Hi Harold!

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the update. I’m

glad the antibiotic therapy is working so well for you. I got to know

Karin when on another board she posted something about antibiotics that I

thought was excessive so I objected. She toned her message down a little

and I accepted the revised version, but we began exchanging information and she

gave me a lot of links to read about antibiotics and RA. A lot of it is

testimonials and anecdotal information that I tend to discount (but not

completely ignore). However, some of it was clinical trials and it does

sound quite good. I have been recommending it under certain circumstances.

On still another board I follow a person asked about it when she went to Mayo

Clinic and was told that it was increasing quite a bit in popularity, but not

because of recommendations by doctors but because of requests from

patients. I’m doing well on Methotrexate and Remicade so I haven’t

tried antibiotics myself but I have been seriously thinking of adding

Minocycline to my current medications because it seems to be compatible with

any other RA medications, and has very few side effects.

Minocycline and other related tetracycline

derivatives are well-established medicines so drug companies do not have a

possible patent position, and the medicines are relatively cheap so there is no

incentive for drug companies to sponsor the expensive testing required for new

drugs. Without extensive clinical trials most doctors are not inclined to

recommend a treatment. However, all of the clinical trials that I have

seen show antibiotic therapy to be at least as good as other RA

treatments. It does not seem to be a “one size fits all”

treatment because apparently some patients do not respond to antibiotics but I

don’t see any signs of reactions to the antibiotics. It seems to

usually take longer than many other RA medications to become effective so many

people give up what may be too quickly. Also as the antibiotic therapy

works, it does kill the bad bugs that cause RA (micoplasma or something like that)

and as the body deals with the waste from the dead bugs there are symptoms that

are called a Herxheimer reaction. I don’t know enough about it to

know how to tell this effect from an RA flare but apparently there is a

difference.

I don’t know a lot more about

antibiotics because I use Karin as my reliable source of information. I

don’t pass out her e-mail address or full name, but if someone is

interested in learning more about antibiotics I will send your contact information

to Karin so she can contact you if she wants to. She is not selling

anything but is merely trying to help others. God bless.

From: Rheumatoid Arthritis [mailto:Rheumatoid Arthritis ] On Behalf Of snowdrift52003

Sent: Sunday, May 06, 2007 5:53 AM

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Subject: [sPAM]

Hi Harold!

Your friend Karin asked if I had updated you on how I

was doing since

I started antibiotic treatment (I post at the Roadback Foundation

site now) and I thought I would take a moment to do so. I started

minocycline about 8 months ago and it, along with a strict

anti-inflammatory diet, has made me almost completely well. Four days

ago I completely stopped taking my ibuprofin. I have no pain, but a

little stiffness in some fingers yet. Slight swelling in one finger.

I saw my rheumy in March and she was excited. " You're doing GREAT! "

I don't go back for 6 months (it's always been 3-4). This month marks

one year off methotrexate and I am so grateful to be free of that

treatment. I wish my rheumatologist had offered me this treatment

option early on. She never offered it to me at all; I found out about

it and asked for it. After I failed on plaquenil, methotrexate,

arava, and sulfasalazine, she was talking about Imuran or gold shots

when I said, " What about antibiotic therapy? " She said, " Oh,

minocycline? Sure. " She wrote the Rx without hesitation. If I hadn't

learned of it on the Internet I might never have experienced the good

health I am now enjoying again. I am going to a yoga class in two

hours...:-) That's the update. I wish you and anyone reading this the

very best!

Sierra

[Guest guest]

I know there's debate about WHY the antibiotic therapy works---my

rheumy (and another I consulted who's knowledgable about antibiotic

therapy) both said they do not believe it is addressing an active

bacterial infection; they feel it works because it has an anti-

inflammatory action. I've done quite a bit of reading and tend to

agree. What I do know for certain is that I've got the stuff coursing

through my veins and that it has helped me nearly recover from RA. I

was glad to see that the Arthritis Foundation includes it on their

list of DMARDs. After many disappointments with treatment, I didn't

expect this. It is probably the slowest treatment out there, with

most results seen at 6 months to one year. That may be why it is not

readily prescribed, though it is often used with anti-inflammatories,

and even steroids,initially. Interesting journey! Well, I'm going to

check out of this group in a few days...if we don't exchange notes

before then, be well!

Sierra

>

> Thanks for the update. I'm glad the antibiotic therapy is working

so well

> for you. I got to know Karin when on another board she posted

something

> about antibiotics that I thought was excessive so I objected. She

toned her

> message down a little and I accepted the revised version, but we

began

> exchanging information and she gave me a lot of links to read about

> antibiotics and RA. A lot of it is testimonials and anecdotal

information

> that I tend to discount (but not completely ignore). However, some

of it

> was clinical trials and it does sound quite good. I have been

recommending

> it under certain circumstances. On still another board I follow a

person

> asked about it when she went to Mayo Clinic and was told that it was

> increasing quite a bit in popularity, but not because of

recommendations by

> doctors but because of requests from patients. I'm doing well on

> Methotrexate and Remicade so I haven't tried antibiotics myself but

I have

> been seriously thinking of adding Minocycline to my current

medications

> because it seems to be compatible with any other RA medications,

and has

> very few side effects.

>

>

>

> Minocycline and other related tetracycline derivatives are well-

established

> medicines so drug companies do not have a possible patent position,

and the

> medicines are relatively cheap so there is no incentive for drug

companies

> to sponsor the expensive testing required for new drugs. Without

extensive

> clinical trials most doctors are not inclined to recommend a

treatment.

> However, all of the clinical trials that I have seen show

antibiotic therapy

> to be at least as good as other RA treatments. It does not seem to

be a

> " one size fits all " treatment because apparently some patients do

not

> respond to antibiotics but I don't see any signs of reactions to the

> antibiotics. It seems to usually take longer than many other RA

medications

> to become effective so many people give up what may be too

quickly. Also as

> the antibiotic therapy works, it does kill the bad bugs that cause

RA

> (micoplasma or something like that) and as the body deals with the

waste

> from the dead bugs there are symptoms that are called a Herxheimer

reaction.

> I don't know enough about it to know how to tell this effect from

an RA

> flare but apparently there is a difference.

>

>

>

> I don't know a lot more about antibiotics because I use Karin as my

reliable

> source of information. I don't pass out her e-mail address or full

name,

> but if someone is interested in learning more about antibiotics I

will send

> your contact information to Karin so she can contact you if she

wants to.

> She is not selling anything but is merely trying to help others.

God bless.

>

>

>

> _____

>

> From: Rheumatoid Arthritis

> [mailto:Rheumatoid Arthritis ] On Behalf Of

snowdrift52003

> Sent: Sunday, May 06, 2007 5:53 AM

> Rheumatoid Arthritis

> Subject: [sPAM] Hi Harold!

>

>

>

> Your friend Karin asked if I had updated you on how I was doing

since

> I started antibiotic treatment (I post at the Roadback Foundation

> site now) and I thought I would take a moment to do so. I started

> minocycline about 8 months ago and it, along with a strict

> anti-inflammatory diet, has made me almost completely well. Four

days

> ago I completely stopped taking my ibuprofin. I have no pain, but a

> little stiffness in some fingers yet. Slight swelling in one finger.

> I saw my rheumy in March and she was excited. " You're doing GREAT! "

> I don't go back for 6 months (it's always been 3-4). This month

marks

> one year off methotrexate and I am so grateful to be free of that

> treatment. I wish my rheumatologist had offered me this treatment

> option early on. She never offered it to me at all; I found out

about

> it and asked for it. After I failed on plaquenil, methotrexate,

> arava, and sulfasalazine, she was talking about Imuran or gold

shots

> when I said, " What about antibiotic therapy? " She said, " Oh,

> minocycline? Sure. " She wrote the Rx without hesitation. If I

hadn't

> learned of it on the Internet I might never have experienced the

good

> health I am now enjoying again. I am going to a yoga class in two

> hours...:-) That's the update. I wish you and anyone reading this

the

> very best!

>

> Sierra

>