Back from Dr. Franco's

[Guest guest]

Hi Carol,

Thank you for taking the time to report on your Dr. Franco visit, I'm sure

you're needing a rest! I'm also sure you know that your herx is good

news.......although sometimes it's hard to think of it in those terms :-) Also,

thanks for mentioning the Zithromax is an alternative to the Clindamycin. I

think some people in the group were confused as to its use.

Try to take the supplements if you can, even if at a reduced dose to save on the

cost. At my initial appointment with Dr. Franco I asked him for the minimum in

supplements. Others in the group had mentioned the cost, and I was a little

concerned that the doctor was selling them out of his office. Later, I changed

my mind and asked him to recommend the " full meal deal. " I'm glad I did, for

the supplements (after a few months) definitely made a difference and eventually

helped me to get off all NSAID's......I'm sure the minocin and zithromax had

something to do with it, too :-) However, I do notice my over-all all pain leve

increases if I miss my supps for more than a few days. Sometimes I only manage

to take them once a day instead of twice, and that seems OK. Ethel also

mentioned that Dr. Franco sells the supplements at a lower cost than other

health professionals. I also buy what I can at a warehouse club called

Price-Costco when I can. In any case, the supplements are a definite plus as we

are in the process of improving our diets and conquering disease.

take care and warm hugs,

Connie dermatomuositis Aug 96 AP Feb 98

[Guest guest]

Hi Carol - Thanks for the update on your trip to Dr. Franco. I'm curious...did

you have a test for candida that turned out positive? I'm assuming that you

knew you had it before going to see Dr. Franco.

The reason I'm asking is because I'm contemplating OL and Slippery Elm even

though my candida test was negative. Guess I'm just surveying in order to get

up courage to add more " stuff " to my already overwhelming meds/supplements (I

take the ones Dr. F. recommends plus several herbs and some enzymes.)

Yes, we could all do with winning the lotto just to support our med/supplements

habits! I thank God that I'm in a position to work full time and have insurance

that helps with the costs of this disease. And, my heart goes out to those that

have to struggle without insurance, work, or adequate income. Is there such a

thing as " adequate " income? Mine is never " adequate " !!!

It was really interesting to me that he was able to rate your RA (low, moderate,

extreme). When I see him in September, I'm going to ask him to rate mine. I

thought it was probably low but he had to put me on mtx for the

inflammation/swelling so maybe it's extreme! Some times I feel like it's Extra

Extreme!!! Don't we all!

Again, thanks for the update. Let us know what you learned about the OL. Hope

the herx doesn't last too long and that you're feeling better soon!

Lea

Carol wrote:

> From: Carol <carscott@...>

>

> Hi group!

> Well, I've been back one week actually. Dr. F put me back on minocin

> MWF, 100mg. And Zithromax on Tues and Sat., 500 mg.

> I've had one week of the therapy only and I want you to know that I am

> in the worst herx I have ever experienced. I cant hardly walk. If I had a

> wheel chair, I'd be using it, but it would have to be an electric one

> because my wrists are so involved too.

> Dr. F is a very nice man and seemed very thorough. (Did I spell that

> correctly?) He also wants me to take about $200 worth of supplements per

> month too. I really cannot afford that much though.

> I have very much inflammation. Worst places are my feet and wrists.

> Shoulders and hips are great, thank goodness. My Creatine was high, but I

> cant remember exactly how high, my sed rate was 85, my RF 666, so there

> really is alot of inflammation. He also wants me to take Vioxx once a day.

> He dictated a letter to my rheumy and my gp as to how he wants my RA treated

> and he would like me to come back every six mos. or so, which I will, if I

> can afford him.

> Don't ask me what exactly is causing the herx.....I started the Olive

> Leaf a couple of weeks before going down there also. And by the way, he said

> to stay on it for the candida problem. Even though this is the mother of all

> herxes for me, I am not backing down on the meds right now. At least not for

> a few more days if I can stand it. I could barely get to work the last

> couple of days. Luckily I only work part time on a really flexible schedule

> due to my RA. I'm very lucky there. I could not work full time. I wouldnt

> hold up. Just 16 to 20 hrs per week is difficult.

> I havent gotten the results from the mycoplasma tests he took yet. They

> said that would take a couple of weeks. He tested for candida, clymidia

> (sp), and the other I cant think of right now. You have to take in soooo

> much information when you're there; its hard. I'll think of it though. It

> will wander its way through the fog. :-/

> Strep was negative, cbc was 10 something, so that's better than it was.

> When I had my surgery at the end of april I was down to the low 9's. Dr.

> Franco diagnosed my RA over all alittle before moderate. The scale being

> low, moderate and extreme. He said if I had not been taking the minocin for

> the last two years, I would be much worse than I am now. I told him I didnt

> think I had responded to it at all, and thats when he told me how much worse

> I would be without it.

> At first he wanted to do the Clindy IV's. But I am so hard to find a

> vein on that he said I could do the oral Zithromax instead. I was glad of

> that. I may have to do the IV's someday though.

> I think the other mycoplasma test was for the pnemonia bug...whats it

> called? I really cant think right now, and I'm exhausted. Hopefully

> getting to the yeast problem with the OL will help that as it seems worse

> than the pain most times. (not right now, but most times!

> Okay, thats all I can do right now. Gotta go lay down and herx, herx,

> herx!!!! Maybe I should cut the Zithromax to 250 mg. per day on Tues and Sat

> instead of the 500 mg. And maybe I should cut back on the OL alittle. I'm

> attacking it aggressively with 2 pills 3 x per day. Thats what they

> recommend when you are fighting something like candida. More on what I

> learned about the OL later.

> Missed you guys. Hope everyone is okay. I had to delete MANY messages,

> darn it.

> HUGS:)

> Carol **

> RA 5 yrs, AP 2 yrs.

> No. California

>

> ---------------------------

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

If you have the time would you mind answering a few questions about Dr. Franco? I am a musician that has been suffering Psoriatic Arthritis in my hands for about 18 months. After almost a year of the "standard therapy" of MTX, sulfazidine,etc,and a month on state disability, I discovered The Road Back Foundation, AP, and this group. I demanded that my rheumatologist here in San Diego put me on minocine almost 2 months ago. He was skeptical but agreed. I've gradually increased the dose from 50 to 150mgs and have had substantial results. I asked my rheumatologist to additionally prescribe zithromax at my last appointment but he refused.

My dilemma is this. I made an appointment with Dr. Franco because I thought that since I am on the AP I should be seeing someone that knows something about it. I am finally playing guitar again and would desperately love to have the full use off my hands. But Dr. Franco has a medical degree from Peru and from the packet his office sent seems to be primarily concerned with money. Several people have posted that they had disappointing experiences with disappointing and expensive results from him. Also my rheumatologist has told me that he is a quack and could make me quite ill. His packet is very unprofessional and as I said before has an emphasis on money and also displays a desire to absolutely control your medical documents. I would do allot to get better but these practices and rumors have me worried.

Also, they want me to stop antibiotics for 6 weeks before the appointment for mycoplasma test. I don't want to invite a relapse by stopping treatment for inconclusive or unnecessary test. My MD assures me that minocine is nothing more than an unique antibiotic used as a disease moderator. I know I'm babbling a bit but I'm indecisive about the trip to Riverside to see the guy from Peru. My appointment is the last week of February. Could you or anyone else please tell me of your experiences with Dr. Franco? Is it a professional operation? Does he pad his bills and push concoctions? Is It worth the trip and will he consult without confiscating my records. And.... I have heard it cost about $3000 for the initial visit. Is that true? His office says they take my insurance but I am still researching if my insurance will take him. RGDS Ronnie E.

rheumatic Back from Dr. Franco's

Just got home at 1:00 a.m. from a trip south to see Dr. Franco. He was pleased with my continued progress. My ESR and CRP are back in normal range! :-) My RF is still 50 (but used to be 280). And I still test positive for 2 types of mycoplasma antibodies. He said that that may be the case for some time.

I'm feeling terrific! No morning stiffness. Take nothing for pain. Only take the minocin and zithromax now. The only thing that really bugs me now is one knee (has very little cartilege left). It doesn't really hurt but makes a clicking sound when I walk. Not a surprise when you see my latest x-ray. But all the swelling is down, and my range of motion has dramatically improved.

For those of you who don't know me (my email name used to be Finnish1), I've had RA for 4 years and have been on antibiotics for 3-1/2 years. Dr. Franco thinks that it was my diabetes (and obviously sluggish immune system) that caused this treatment to take so long for me. 18 months ago I was in a wheelchair and suicidal. The only things that kept me here were my 2 little boys. I just couldn't leave them. (I was also afraid of the suicides-go-to-hell theory......afraid that I'd get "down there" and think "whoops! big mistake!") And somewhere in the back of my mind I heard Dr. Franco saying "Hang in there! It may take some time, but it WILL work."

Thank you, God, and thank you, Dr. Franco.

-

P.S.--Ethel & I'd been holding-off writing my story for the website, thinking that this feeling of wellness might go away. It hasn't, and I'm continuing to improve, so I think I might actually dare to write it now. :-)To unsubscribe, email: rheumatic-unsubscribeegroups

[Guest guest]

Ronnie,

"WOW" is about all I can think of to say. My perspective on Dr. Franco is completely different than the picture you just painted. I'm not at all surprised that your rheumatologist called him a quack. He wants to keep your business, and Dr. Franco's views of rheumatic disease are different than the mainstream ideas taught in medical school (both in the U.S. and Peru). I bet if you took a survey of U.S. rheumatologists, many would call him a quack. And, to that, I say "SO WHAT??!!" He's got a great track record. And I'm on my way to being completely well. How many other rheumatologists make their patients WELL?

I just made my 7th trip to see Dr. Franco (1000 miles from Seattle), and it's been worth every penny. I've never felt that he has overcharged me. He has never tried to "control" my records (I'm not even sure what you mean by that). He always gives me copies of everything. He's very professional, respectable, truly caring, and (I believe) sincere.

I could go on for days (and, Ronnie, if you'd like to talk further privately, I'd be happy to). But I would highly recommend that you see him.

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To unsubscribe, email: rheumatic-unsubscribeegroups

[Guest guest]

Hi Ronnie :-)

I hope by now that you have noticed that Dr. Franco is among the

favorites in treating these diseases :-) As I was cleaning out a

*bunch* of papers, I came across a pamphlet from The Arthritis Center

of Riverside--and of course, Dr. Franco. As I read it (and the one I

have seems professional, in fact, very similar to one from my local

internist) I came across a section saying " If you require copies of

your medical information, or anticipate that you may need copies in

the future, please ask for and complete a " Release of Medical

Information " form. " Is this what you meant when you said

<<<<...and also displays a desire to absolutely control your medical

documents.>>>>> ?? It is standard operating procedure for doctors to

ask that we fill out this form....both when we ask for copies of our

records, and also a similar form when we authorize our doctors to

access our records from another doctor. Maybe you read that section

and interpreted it another way??

Anyway, its good to hear that you are keeping your appointment. I

can see where you are being pressured by your unique situation. As

you get better, (and you WILL!) you will be able to show both your

wife and your local rheumy how this treatment does work.

We're looking forward to hearing from you as you take your health

into your own hands. I think you will be very pleased that you went

this route :-)

take care,

Connie

[Guest guest]

Hi Connie.......

Just so you don't think I'm trying to cause trouble, the packet I

received began with a Huge cover poster stating like a Bull Fight poster

" PATIENT PORTION OF CHARGES MUST BE PAID AT TIME OF SERVICE " . Then, in even

bigger 2 inch characters, " NO EXCEPTIONS'. This was the cover page and the

only thing on it. I think, actually, I misunderstood the " RELEASE OF

MEDICAL RECORDS " form. But if you saw it you would understand why. Also the

" ASSIGNMENT AND INSTRUCTION FOR DIRECT PAYMENT TO DOCTOR " form was an

unusual practice.

All of this got my attention because it was similar to the practices of

a Chiropractic Clinic that fleeced my wife's insurance, following an auto

accident, for $12,000 a few years back. If I had a scanner I could post the

whole thing and everyone would understand my original skepticism. The

comment that someone made insinuating an office manager in need of tact and

document software is probably appropriate.

In any event I have received enough positive feedback to look forward to

my appointment. Again, my apologies to any and all offended by my prudence.

RGDS Ronnie E.

rheumatic Re: Back from Dr. Franco's

> Hi Ronnie :-)

>

> I hope by now that you have noticed that Dr. Franco is among the

> favorites in treating these diseases :-) As I was cleaning out a

> *bunch* of papers, I came across a pamphlet from The Arthritis Center

> of Riverside--and of course, Dr. Franco. As I read it (and the one I

> have seems professional, in fact, very similar to one from my local

> internist) I came across a section saying " If you require copies of

> your medical information, or anticipate that you may need copies in

> the future, please ask for and complete a " Release of Medical

> Information " form. " Is this what you meant when you said

> <<<<...and also displays a desire to absolutely control your medical

> documents.>>>>> ?? It is standard operating procedure for doctors to

> ask that we fill out this form....both when we ask for copies of our

> records, and also a similar form when we authorize our doctors to

> access our records from another doctor. Maybe you read that section

> and interpreted it another way??

>

> Anyway, its good to hear that you are keeping your appointment. I

> can see where you are being pressured by your unique situation. As

> you get better, (and you WILL!) you will be able to show both your

> wife and your local rheumy how this treatment does work.

>

> We're looking forward to hearing from you as you take your health

> into your own hands. I think you will be very pleased that you went

> this route :-)

>

> take care,

>

> Connie

>

>

>

>

>

>

> To unsubscribe, email: rheumatic-unsubscribeegroups

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Ronnie,

I wasn't offended at all and I certainly understand your skepticism and

reluctance, especially after receiving your 'welcome packet.' Actually, I

think I do remember some of those documents you are referring to, but I must

have ignored them. I was probably thinking that the payment policy needed

to be stated, although it could have been addressed more delicately,

perhaps. Also, like you, I had heard from the group, all of the positive

comments concerning Dr. Franco and was more than excited to make the trip.

I wasn't disappointed :-)

At least we cleared up the misconception that Dr. Franco in any way controls

your medical records. He really is a kind person.......who else but a very

kind and dedicated person would put up with the likes of us?!! :-)

Enjoy your visit, Ronnie, I hope you have a great time. Maybe you will run

into someone in the waiting room who subscribes to this group? (don't be

surprised if you have a longer than normal wait in the waiting room....it

does happen sometimes, but it gives you a chance to swap stories with other

people who are on their way to getting better.)

take care,

Connie

[Guest guest]

Hi group!

Well, I've been back one week actually. Dr. F put me back on minocin

MWF, 100mg. And Zithromax on Tues and Sat., 500 mg.

I've had one week of the therapy only and I want you to know that I am

in the worst herx I have ever experienced. I cant hardly walk. If I had a

wheel chair, I'd be using it, but it would have to be an electric one

because my wrists are so involved too.

Dr. F is a very nice man and seemed very thorough. (Did I spell that

correctly?) He also wants me to take about $200 worth of supplements per

month too. I really cannot afford that much though.

I have very much inflammation. Worst places are my feet and wrists.

Shoulders and hips are great, thank goodness. My Creatine was high, but I

cant remember exactly how high, my sed rate was 85, my RF 666, so there

really is alot of inflammation. He also wants me to take Vioxx once a day.

He dictated a letter to my rheumy and my gp as to how he wants my RA treated

and he would like me to come back every six mos. or so, which I will, if I

can afford him.

Don't ask me what exactly is causing the herx.....I started the Olive

Leaf a couple of weeks before going down there also. And by the way, he said

to stay on it for the candida problem. Even though this is the mother of all

herxes for me, I am not backing down on the meds right now. At least not for

a few more days if I can stand it. I could barely get to work the last

couple of days. Luckily I only work part time on a really flexible schedule

due to my RA. I'm very lucky there. I could not work full time. I wouldnt

hold up. Just 16 to 20 hrs per week is difficult.

I havent gotten the results from the mycoplasma tests he took yet. They

said that would take a couple of weeks. He tested for candida, clymidia

(sp), and the other I cant think of right now. You have to take in soooo

much information when you're there; its hard. I'll think of it though. It

will wander its way through the fog. :-/

Strep was negative, cbc was 10 something, so that's better than it was.

When I had my surgery at the end of april I was down to the low 9's. Dr.

Franco diagnosed my RA over all alittle before moderate. The scale being

low, moderate and extreme. He said if I had not been taking the minocin for

the last two years, I would be much worse than I am now. I told him I didnt

think I had responded to it at all, and thats when he told me how much worse

I would be without it.

At first he wanted to do the Clindy IV's. But I am so hard to find a

vein on that he said I could do the oral Zithromax instead. I was glad of

that. I may have to do the IV's someday though.

I think the other mycoplasma test was for the pnemonia bug...whats it

called? I really cant think right now, and I'm exhausted. Hopefully

getting to the yeast problem with the OL will help that as it seems worse

than the pain most times. (not right now, but most times!

Okay, thats all I can do right now. Gotta go lay down and herx, herx,

herx!!!! Maybe I should cut the Zithromax to 250 mg. per day on Tues and Sat

instead of the 500 mg. And maybe I should cut back on the OL alittle. I'm

attacking it aggressively with 2 pills 3 x per day. Thats what they

recommend when you are fighting something like candida. More on what I

learned about the OL later.

Missed you guys. Hope everyone is okay. I had to delete MANY messages,

darn it.

HUGS:)

Carol **

RA 5 yrs, AP 2 yrs.

No. California