Re: Minocin to Methotrexate

[Guest guest]

Ken hi,

I went thru a lot of times like you are going thru now. I usually changed my

antibiotic for about 3 weeks then back to Minocin. I've been doing this for

10 years. Minocin doesn't loose its efficacy per say it just needs a rest.

If you're talking about adding methotrexate then maybe it may help get you

over this spot. If you're talking about stopping Minocin altogether.no way.

Hope this helps.

cooky

_____

From: rheumatic [mailto:rheumatic ] On Behalf

Of Ken

Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 7:51 PM

rheumatic

Subject: rheumatic Minocin to Methotrexate

Hi all

For 3 years I did pretty well on Minocin Antx. however, I have been

going through a flair for 4 months. All my joints ache when I kneel or

get into the bath. My left knee is swollen. The tendon connecting my

right thumb is swollen and I cannot give the 'thumbs -up' sign. Between

2 and 4 am I have universal joint pain as I lie in bed. My left knee

really hurts to the extent that I cannot move it. I have chronic

fatigue.

[Guest guest]

The methotrexate has many major side effects and I, personally, would be

hesitant to go on it. I have done Minocin and maintained my remission since

2001. When my RA comes back, I do 100 mg (time released ) minocin every night

before bedtime. Unless I am having a really bad flair... usually two weeks of

this is all I need to get back in remission. If I have ignored the first

aches and let things go too long, I may have to do this for a month or more. I

stay on this everyday protocol until a week after ALL pain has gone. Then I

go back to the three day one pill (100 mg) minocin

protocol...mon-wed-fri... to keep myself RA free. I have been 100% pain free

95% of the time since

2001 using this strategy. I am on no other medication at all.

My regular doc and I came up with this strategy after he reviewed my

records from Dr Sentefs Clinic in Georgia. In my town of Nashville (tenn)

there

are several people trying and finding success on minocin, even one of the

local pharmacists was on it and doing great. Some of the people I talked to

did

100 mg twice a day but I seem to do great on once a day when symptoms

appear. For the other 95% of the time three little pills a week keep the

disease

away. I also have never gotten the flu and get very few colds and I believe

the minocin may have something to do with that . Just grateful to find such

relief in such an ordinary medicine. Also heard Vanderbilt hospital was

doing studies to see if minocin could do the same for MS that it had done for

RA

.. Gosh wouldn't that be great!!! Martha

and I came up with this strategy___

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[Guest guest]

Sorry, for late replies... just reading some old emails. So, it seems

that AP therapy is not working for you?

Amy

Sally McQuie wrote:

>

> Hi, Ken!

>

> Sally in Little Rock here.

>

> I also did well on minocin for 3 years, then had to supplement with

> steroids, and finally got on methotrexate in Sept, '06. Very scary but

> well worth it. I wish I'd gone straight to mtx from mino so that I

> could avoid trying to get off the steroids and the possible damage

> they've done to me. O well-this disease sucks!!

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi, Ken!

Sally in Little Rock here.

I also did well on minocin for 3 years, then had to supplement with steroids,

and finally got on methotrexate in Sept, '06. Very scary but well worth it. I

wish I'd gone straight to mtx from mino so that I could avoid trying to get off

the steroids and the possible damage they've done to me. O well-this disease

sucks!!

If you do get on mtx take it at night because it is a chemo and does have the

nausea, dizziness side effects, lessened exponentially by sleeping on it and

take LOTS of folic acid. I'm taking 5-7 mg right now and have not gone through

side effects since I upped the folic acid. Started to get sores on my tongue

and went up to 7 mg daily. One of my rheumies thinks that f. acid lessens the

mtx effects, another one just gave me 1 mg f acid, and the last one I saw gave

me 5 mg daily. Comes in 1 mg prescription and 800 mcg OTC at Wal-Mart, etc.

You have to have bldwrk every 2-3 mos to check mtx levels and make sure no

organs are getting harmed. I've been to a couple of seminars here on RA and one

woman (who looked great!) said she'd been on mtx for 10 yrs and it was still

working for her. I also do water aerobics with another RA victim and she looks

fab and works and rides bikes and does just about everything she wants (she used

to run but I think her feet are too bad for that anymore) and she was an

enormous help in my decision to start mtx.

When I did start the mtx I also stayed on minocin as I am prone to infection

and wanted to keep them at bay. I doubled my mtx to 20 mg in July '07 and have

been doing even better and have cut way down on steroids and Celebrex. Be very

careful with anti-inflammatories of any kind as they can increase your mtx

levels, the more of them you take and then the Hellish side effects of the mtx

will kick in-used to be that no anti-inflammatories were given with the mtx. I

take 2 Celebrex daily and 7.5 Prednisone. If I increase those, I really get in

trouble.

Also, if you have an infection, open wound, or possible infection (flu, virus)

do not take the mtx-you can get a super infection!!

Good luck with your decision!

I'll try to check e-mail in the next week or so to see if you have questions.

Sally

From: Ken

Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 6:50 PM

rheumatic

Subject: rheumatic Minocin to Methotrexate

Hi all

For 3 years I did pretty well on Minocin Antx. however, I have been

going through a flair for 4 months. All my joints ache when I kneel or

get into the bath. My left knee is swollen. The tendon connecting my

right thumb is swollen and I cannot give the 'thumbs -up' sign. Between

2 and 4 am I have universal joint pain as I lie in bed. My left knee

really hurts to the extent that I cannot move it. I have chronic

fatigue.

Is the Minocin losing its efficacy? Should I go onto Methotrexate or

will that also stop working? Please everyone share with me to help me

to decide whether to stick to the Minocin or go onto the Methotrexate.

Ken.

[Guest guest]

I switched to amoxicillan (500) 2 X/day and azithromycin (250) 1X/day at

bedtime.

I have been on this protocal for 1 1/2 years, and it is keeping my R.A.

under control.

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