9-Step Program for Rheumatoid Arthritis & Arthritis by Dr. Teitelbaum

[Guest guest]

9-Step Program for Rheumatoid Arthritis & Arthritis

Recently, I received an email from H, a woman with rheumatoid arthritis

(RA) who had seen me on Dr. Oz and had read several of my articles. She asked

some excellent questions about her condition, a condition she shares with about

two million Americans (four times more women than men, and most of them

middle-aged or older). What's happening to those folks?

RA is an autoimmune disorder: the body's immune system attacks the joints, which

become hot, swollen and painful. But those symptoms (and others, like fatigue)

aren't always constant. They can come and go in flare ups, which are often

triggered by an infection of one kind or another.

I'd like to share my answers with those who have RA — or know somebody who does

(if so, I encourage you to forward this to them, or send them a link; and much

of this information can also be very helpful for regular arthritis).

Here are her questions:

1. How can I find a holistic doctor to treat my RA?

2. I'm scared of my medications and their side effects. Should I be?

3. You say infections can trigger flare ups. Can those infections be controlled?

4. Do you think I might have fibromyalgia, too?

5. I've read about the over-the-counter hormone DHEA. Is it helpful?

6. Speaking of hormones, should I ask my doctor to check for hormonal

imbalances?

7. Are there supplements that are good for RA?

8. I read about a technique called JMT for autoimmune problems. Do you think

it's helpful?

9. RA is attacking my joints. Should I be doing something about osteoporosis?

My Answers

1. How can I find a holistic doctor to treat my RA?

What you want is not a holistic doctor who specializes in RA (I don't know

anyone who does this), but a holistic doctor and a good rheumatologist, so you

get the best of both worlds: holistic medicine and conventional medicine. To

locate a holistic physician in your area, use the " Find a Holistic Physician

Near You " feature at The American Board of Holistic Medicine website.

2. I'm scared of my medications and their side effects. Should I be?

Don't be too afraid of using medications for RA — except for the steroid

prednisone, which can have very negative side effects if used long term. Also,

herbals can be much more effective than the arthritis medications (called

NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, Voltaren, etc — without causing bleeding ulcers. End

Pain and Curamin are excellent options, and can be used with these medications

while also helping you get off them. The other medications can be a good idea.

Unlike other illnesses where docs get aggressive with medications at the

patient's expense, in RA an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,

because early treatment can prevent long-term joint damage. Several medications,

including the DMARDS (disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs) the rheumatologist

will add, can decrease the amount of prednisone and NSAID medication needed (and

sometimes it simply is needed). So be at peace with using the meds, and focus on

adding inflammation-easing natural compounds (more about them below) so you can

lower the amounts of medication needed, especially the prednisone. When you get

prednisone down to 5 mg a day, instead of tapering off further, simply ask the

holistic doctor or your Rheumatologist to put you on the prescription Cortef (a

bioidentical cortisol) at 20 mg a day — that's about equal to 4 mg of

prednisone. It is safe to use long term at 20 mg or less a day, avoiding the

severe flares (often from suppressed adrenal function from the prednisone) that

occur as the prednisone dose is lowered to under 5 mg.

3. You say infections can trigger flare ups. Can those infections be controlled?

Yes. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, the inflammation is often triggered by

your body fighting a hidden infection. I recommend adding long-term antibiotic

treatment with Minocycline (Minocin, a tetracycline antibiotic). To prevent

Candida overgrowth, you should also take the anti-fungal diflucan (200 mg, 2x a

day, 1 day a week — e.g., each Sunday). And add a probiotic (like Pearls Elite)

1 each day, taking it at a different time of day than you take the antibiotic.

For a detailed discussion on how powerfully effective antibiotics can be for RA,

see my article on this on the Dr. Oz website.

4. Do you think I might have fibromyalgia, too?

If you have widespread pain and insomnia (especially if you also have fatigue

and/or " brain fog " ), you also likely have fibromyalgia with the RA. Treating the

fibro with the S.H.I.N.E. protocol (which addresses Sleep, Hormones, Infections,

Nutrition and Exercise) can dramatically decrease the amount of prednisone and

other meds you need, and leave you feeling much better.

5. I've read about the over-the-counter hormone DHEA. Is it helpful?

In my (and other clinician's experience) adding DHEA at a dose of 10-25 mg a day

(25-50 mg a day in men) seems to decrease the amount of prednisone needed, and

prednisone's side effects. If the DHEA causes acne or any darkening of facial

hair in women (a rare side effect for those with RA), lower the dose to 10 mg a

day.

6. Speaking of hormones, should I ask my doctor to check for hormonal

imbalances?

Ask the holistic doctor to test for testosterone, because low or low-normal

levels are linked to more pain. If your testosterone is low or even in the lower

third of the normal range, ask the holistic doctor to add 1/2 mg a day of

topical testosterone (50 mg in men) to your treatment regimen. (Don't use too

much, as that is counterproductive.) The DHEA will also raise a woman's

testosterone. In fact, 25 mg a day should boost a woman's testosterone on its

own.

7. Are there supplements that are good for RA?

Adding natural supplements like Curamin (1-2 caps 3x day), End Pain (1-2 tabs 3x

day), glucosamine sulfate (750 mg 2x day), chondroitin (400 mg 2x day), and MSM

(2,000 mg a day) can be very helpful for RA. I would use them all together for

12 weeks to lessen pain. Then I would stay on the glucosamine and End Pain (1

tab 3x day) long term, using the others as needed. This recipe is also excellent

for regular arthritis. In RA, I would also add a special Omega 3 (fish oil)

called Vectomega (1-2 a day, instead of 8-16 caps of most fish oils!), which can

markedly decrease inflammation. These can be taken with the RA medications.

8. I read about a technique called JMT for autoimmune problems. Do you think

it's helpful?

JMT is a technique that uses muscle-testing and simple pressure point treatments

(similar to acupressure) to isolate and eliminate infections that weaken the

immune system. And it's been very helpful for many with RA. (Learn more about

JMT.)

9. RA is attacking my joints. Should I be doing something about osteoporosis?

Have your physician do a DEXA scan for osteoporosis, especially if have been on

prednisone over 6 months. If you have loss of bone density, take strontium 340

mg 1-2 each morning and Osteostrong 3-4 tabs at bedtime. These are much more

effective than osteoporosis medications — and much safer.