Guest guest Posted November 9, 2008 Report Share Posted November 9, 2008 IHi, I have no blood markers for RA, but because my arthritis is symmetrical, affects many sites, and very prone to inflammation, I have been told I have seronegative arthritis (RA without the blood markers) and ALSO osteoarthritis. Mine is severe and has really altered my life in the last ten years (I am now 66). The doxycyline I am on gives me some relief from inflammation as did the minocin I was on until too much hyperpigmentation led my dr to take me off it. I don't know if I am getting better: I wonder. I also take ibuprofen, of course. I have been told that doxycycline stops the erosion of cartilage, so that it has been suggested that it would help osteo. I would like to know what people think re my diagnosis too. On Nov 9, 2008, at 1:12 PM, sarapetsch wrote: > Hello, > > I have been doing the AP therapy since August 5, all the while > thinking I had RA. But now, after several of my doctors arguing back > and forth about all this, I guess I really have fairly severe > Osteoarthritis. It has gone from nothing to having to stop my favorite > sport, rock climbing, because of the pain and bony overgrowth in my > hands, and it's also in my feet, and also my knees are " bowing inward " > at a fast rate and I'm afraid I won't be able to run (or walk for that > matter) very soon. I also have hip and elbow pain. I'm 41. So my > question is, can AP help severe osteoarthritis? If it can, would it > have helped by now? I'm trying to decide whether to continue doing > the AP. I haven't noticed any improvement or stopping of the > progression so far. Thanks for any help you folks can give me! > > Sara > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 9, 2008 Report Share Posted November 9, 2008 Hi, thanks for the reply. I just wanted to mention that mine is also symmetrical and affects many sites. But since I don't have the blood markers and also I don't have any " soft swelling " , just the bony overgrowths (LOTS of it!!) and pain, so the Rheumy is saying no, not RA. I don't think I'm prone to inflammation though. > > > Hello, > > > > I have been doing the AP therapy since August 5, all the while > > thinking I had RA. But now, after several of my doctors arguing back > > and forth about all this, I guess I really have fairly severe > > Osteoarthritis. It has gone from nothing to having to stop my favorite > > sport, rock climbing, because of the pain and bony overgrowth in my > > hands, and it's also in my feet, and also my knees are " bowing inward " > > at a fast rate and I'm afraid I won't be able to run (or walk for that > > matter) very soon. I also have hip and elbow pain. I'm 41. So my > > question is, can AP help severe osteoarthritis? If it can, would it > > have helped by now? I'm trying to decide whether to continue doing > > the AP. I haven't noticed any improvement or stopping of the > > progression so far. Thanks for any help you folks can give me! > > > > Sara > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 9, 2008 Report Share Posted November 9, 2008 If you do a " Google " search for " doxy " and " Osteoarthritis " you will find some research articles on this subject. Doxy has been shown to help osteoarthritis. Cheryl rheumatic Re: Osteoarthritis? Hi, thanks for the reply. I just wanted to mention that mine is also symmetrical and affects many sites. But since I don't have the blood markers and also I don't have any " soft swelling " , just the bony overgrowths (LOTS of it!!) and pain, so the Rheumy is saying no, not RA. I don't think I'm prone to inflammation though. > > > Hello, > > > > I have been doing the AP therapy since August 5, all the while > > thinking I had RA. But now, after several of my doctors arguing back > > and forth about all this, I guess I really have fairly severe > > Osteoarthritis. It has gone from nothing to having to stop my favorite > > sport, rock climbing, because of the pain and bony overgrowth in my > > hands, and it's also in my feet, and also my knees are " bowing inward " > > at a fast rate and I'm afraid I won't be able to run (or walk for that > > matter) very soon. I also have hip and elbow pain. I'm 41. So my > > question is, can AP help severe osteoarthritis? If it can, w Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 9, 2008 Report Share Posted November 9, 2008 Do you know if Minocycline is basically the same? > > If you do a " Google " search for " doxy " and " Osteoarthritis " you will find some research articles on this subject. Doxy has been shown to help osteoarthritis. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 9, 2008 Report Share Posted November 9, 2008 No, I don't think Minocycline has been show to stops the erosion of cartilage, which is what the studies show. On Nov 9, 2008, at 2:15 PM, sarapetsch wrote: > Do you know if Minocycline is basically the same? > > > > > > If you do a " Google " search for " doxy " and " Osteoarthritis " you will > find some research articles on this subject. Doxy has been shown to > help osteoarthritis. > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 9, 2008 Report Share Posted November 9, 2008 I actually spoke to an experienced AP doctor about this just last week, he told me that he had a patient that was in need of knee replacement get better using Mino. The study wasn't done with mino, but this AP doctor used it and said that it did work for osteoarthritis. Cheryl Re: rheumatic Re: Osteoarthritis? No, I don't think Minocycline has been show to stops the erosion of cartilage, which is what the studies show. On Nov 9, 2008, at 2:15 PM, sarapetsch wrote: > Do you know if Minocycline is basically the same? > > > > > > If you do a " Google " search for " doxy " and " Osteoarthritis " you will > find some research articles on this subject. Doxy has been shown to > help osteoarthritis. > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 9, 2008 Report Share Posted November 9, 2008 , Your symptoms describe mine exactly. I have no blood markers for RA. My arthritis is symmetrical and affects many sites, in particular the knees and shoulders. I have had arthritis for nine years, and am now also 66. My condition was initially diagnosed as RA, which made it almost impossible for me to purchase health insurance. The antibiotic protocol (AP) worked for me for 5 years, but then ceased working. In December 2006, my condition was diagnosed correctly as polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), which may be a form of seronegative arthritis (RA without the blood markers). I suggest that you do a Google search on " polymyalgia rheumatica " . Among the symptoms of PMR are that it comes on very suddenly, that it affects proximal joints (such as shoulders, hips and knees as opposed to small joints), that it affects muscles and tendons, and that it responds extremely well to small dosages of Prednisone. If 10 mg of Prednisone eliminate your symptoms in a couple of days, you may have PMR. The good news is that the symptoms of PMR can be eliminated with decreasing dosage of Prednisone over the course of one year or less, starting with about 8 mg and decreasing to 0 mg. I was able to eliminate nearly all symptoms in this manner in 2007 -- but regrettably the symptoms came back in August 2008. I now have to figure out what to do. Sincerely, Harald At 10:27 AM 11/9/2008, Beckman wrote: >IHi, > >I have no blood markers for RA, but because my arthritis is >symmetrical, affects many sites, and very prone to inflammation, I >have been told I have seronegative arthritis (RA without the blood >markers) and ALSO osteoarthritis. Mine is severe and has really >altered my life in the last ten years (I am now 66). The doxycyline >I am on gives me some relief from inflammation as did the minocin I >was on until too much hyperpigmentation led my dr to take me off it. >I don't know if I am getting better: I wonder. I also take >ibuprofen, of course. I have been told that doxycycline stops the >erosion of cartilage, so that it has been suggested that it would help osteo. > >I would like to know what people think re my diagnosis too. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 10, 2008 Report Share Posted November 10, 2008 Hi, Harald, I looked up polymyalgia rheumatica, and it seems as though the symptoms are mainly upper body. My neck does hurt, but otherwise my worst symptom are in my lower back, wrists, elbows, ankles (and knees). I will ask my doctor about it, however. I am sorry to hear that your symptoms came back. On Nov 9, 2008, at 8:19 PM, Harald Weiss, Technical Marketing Group wrote: > , > > Your symptoms describe mine exactly. I have no blood markers for RA. > My arthritis is symmetrical and affects many sites, in particular the > knees and shoulders. I have had arthritis for nine years, and am now > also 66. > > My condition was initially diagnosed as RA, which made it almost > impossible for me to purchase health insurance. The antibiotic > protocol (AP) worked for me for 5 years, but then ceased working. In > December 2006, my condition was diagnosed correctly as polymyalgia > rheumatica (PMR), which may be a form of seronegative arthritis (RA > without the blood markers). > > I suggest that you do a Google search on " polymyalgia rheumatica " . > Among the symptoms of PMR are that it comes on very suddenly, that it > affects proximal joints (such as shoulders, hips and knees as opposed > to small joints), that it affects muscles and tendons, and that it > responds extremely well to small dosages of Prednisone. If 10 mg of > Prednisone eliminate your symptoms in a couple of days, you may have > PMR. The good news is that the symptoms of PMR can be eliminated with > decreasing dosage of Prednisone over the course of one year or less, > starting with about 8 mg and decreasing to 0 mg. I was able to > eliminate nearly all symptoms in this manner in 2007 -- but > regrettably the symptoms came back in August 2008. I now have to > figure out what to do. > > Sincerely, Harald > > At 10:27 AM 11/9/2008, Beckman wrote: > > >IHi, > > > >I have no blood markers for RA, but because my arthritis is > >symmetrical, affects many sites, and very prone to inflammation, I > >have been told I have seronegative arthritis (RA without the blood > >markers) and ALSO osteoarthritis. Mine is severe and has really > >altered my life in the last ten years (I am now 66). The doxycyline > >I am on gives me some relief from inflammation as did the minocin I > >was on until too much hyperpigmentation led my dr to take me off it. > >I don't know if I am getting better: I wonder. I also take > >ibuprofen, of course. I have been told that doxycycline stops the > >erosion of cartilage, so that it has been suggested that it would > help osteo. > > > >I would like to know what people think re my diagnosis too. > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 11, 2008 Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 , You make the correct observation that polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) affects mostly the upper body. Bilateral shoulder pain is one of the diagnostic criteria. Please see http://www.med.unc.edu/medicine/web/Polymyalgia%20Rheumatica,%201-24-06.ppt#257,\ 2,Polymyalgia .. Since this is hard-to-read PowerPoint presentation, I have pasted in the text below. One interesting observation is that mycoplasma are listed as an infectious trigger. That would confirm that PMR is closely related to RA and should respond to the AP. Id did for me for 5 years. Sincerely, Harald POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA , MD Morning Report January 24, 2006 POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA o PMR is an inflammatory condition of unknown etiology o Characterized by aching & stiffness in the shoulder and pelvic girdles and the neck o Occurs in people > 50 yrs old o Usually responds to low doses of steroids o Is related to Giant Cell Arteritis, with biopsy-proven GCA present in about 4-21% EPIDEMIOLOGY o Prevalence of 1 case for every 133 people over 50 yrs of age. o Incidence increases with age, peaks 70-80yrs o Females > Males in all age groups (2:1) o Higher incidence at higher lattitudes, Scandinavian countries o Rarely reported in blacks, but appears to have the same presentation, course, and response to treatment. DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA o Criteria most frequently used for diagnostic purposes are empirical. o Those of Hunder at Mayo clinic & Healey at Mason clinic are most widely used. o A current ongoing international project is aiming to develop new diagnostic and classification criteria and validate them. ETIOLOGY o Probably polygenic in which multiple environmental and genetic factors influence susceptibility and severity. o Possible infectious triggers: - Viruses: adenovirus, RSV, parvovirus, parainfluenza. - Bacteria: Mycoplasma, Chlamydia pneumoniae. o Genetic component probable - HLA-DRB1*04 and -DRB1*01 appear to be most associated with susceptibility to PMR. - Genetic polymorphisms of additional genes involved in initiation and regulation of inflammatory reaction: o ICAM-1, TNF, IL-1 receptor antagonists o Possible subclinical vasculitis CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS o Persistent pain (for at least 1 month) - Aching & morning stiffness in neck, shoulder and pelvic girdles lasting 30 min. - Discomfort is bilateral, worse w/ movement, and usually interferes w/ ADL o Evidence of systemic involvement. o Shoulder pain is presenting sign in 70-95% o Hips and neck 50-70% o Pain usually radiates distally towards elbows and knees. o Systemic signs seen in 1/3: Fever, Malaise/fatigue, Anorexia, weight loss. CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS o Exam reveals little evidence of proximal joint swelling or tenderness. o MRI studies have shown subdeltoid & subacromial bursitis are more prominent than actual joint synovitis. o Distal manifestations also seen in ~1/2 cases: - Nonerosive, self-limiting, asymmetric peripheral arthritis (knee/wrist) - Carpal tunnel syndrome. - Distal extremity swelling & pitting edema over dorsum of hands and wrists, ankles and feet. LABS o ESR > 40mm/hr (nl in 7-20%) o CRP less influenced by other factors, may be more sensitive & direct measure o IL-6 o Modest anemia of chronic disease in 2/3 o Mildly abnormal LFTs in ~1/3 o Rheum factor and ANA usually negative o Muscle enzymes are normal DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS o SLE - Look for pleuritis or pericarditis - Leukopenia or thrombocytopenia - Check anti-dsDNA and anti-ENA antibodies o RA - Small joints of hands/feet - Only partially responsive to steroids - Considerable overlap b/t PMR & seronegative RA o Polymyositis - Symmetric proximal muscle weakness - Pain not prominent - Elevated CK, aldolase; abnormal EMG, myositis on muscle biopsy o Fibromyalgia o Late-onset spondyloarthropathy - Solid (kidney, ovary, stomach) - Hematologic (myeloma, primary amyloidosis) o Infection - Bacterial endocarditis *Lack of adequate response to prednisone and presence of atypical features should make one consider these. TREATMENT & COURSE o Corticosteroids are drugs of choice (10-20mg/day) o Trial of NSAIDs for 2-4 weeks if mild o Complete or nearly complete resolution of sx is seen in a few days - absence of improvement should cause one to question diagnosis. o Relapses do occur, more frequent in first 1-2 years. o Follow ESR or CRP o Treatment for 1-2 years is often required, sometimes longer o Watch for corticosteroid adverse effects! o Methotrexate proposed as CS-sparing drug o Infliximab o Depot Methylprednisolone had similar efficacy & fewer adverse effects SUMMARY o PMR is a common illness in certain populations o Incidence increases after the age of 50 and peaks between 70-80 years of age. o Biopsy-proven GCA has been observed in 4-21% of pts with PMR o Arthroscopic, radioisotopic, and MRI studies indicate presence of synovitis in proximal joints and periarticular structures. o Distal manifestations are present in about half of the cases o About 7-20% have normal ESR at diagnosis o A course of treatment of 1-2 years is often required, with some patients having a more chronic, relapsing course. o Overall mortality is not effected. REFERENCES o Bengtsson, B. Chapter 24: Polymyalgia Rheumatica. Primer on the Ruematologic Diseases. 1997. Arthritis Foundation. Pp 305-6. o Cantini, F. Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Giant Cell Arteritis. NEJM. 2002. Vol. 347, No. 4, pp. 261-271. o Goodwin, JS. The very low prevalence of polymyalgia rheumatica in blaks may be an artifact. J Am Geriatrt Soc. 1990. Jul; vol. 38, No. 7, pp. 824-6. o Salvarani, C. Polymyalgia Rheumatica. Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology. 2004. Vol. 18, No.5, pp. 705-722. o Sanford, RG. Polymyalgia rheumatica and temporal arteritis in blacks -- clinical features and HLA typing. J Rheumatology. 1977 Winter. Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 435-42. o UpToDate.com At 08:47 AM 11/10/2008, Beckman wrote: >Hi, Harald, > >I looked up polymyalgia rheumatica, and it seems as though the >symptoms are mainly upper body. My neck does hurt, but otherwise my >worst symptom are in my lower back, wrists, elbows, ankles (and >knees). I will ask my doctor about it, however. > >I am sorry to hear that your symptoms came back. > > >On Nov 9, 2008, at 8:19 PM, Harald Weiss, Technical Marketing Group >wrote: > > > , > > > > Your symptoms describe mine exactly. I have no blood markers for RA. > > My arthritis is symmetrical and affects many sites, in particular the > > knees and shoulders. I have had arthritis for nine years, and am now > > also 66. > > > > My condition was initially diagnosed as RA, which made it almost > > impossible for me to purchase health insurance. The antibiotic > > protocol (AP) worked for me for 5 years, but then ceased working. In > > December 2006, my condition was diagnosed correctly as polymyalgia > > rheumatica (PMR), which may be a form of seronegative arthritis (RA > > without the blood markers). > > > > I suggest that you do a Google search on " polymyalgia rheumatica " . > > Among the symptoms of PMR are that it comes on very suddenly, that it > > affects proximal joints (such as shoulders, hips and knees as opposed > > to small joints), that it affects muscles and tendons, and that it > > responds extremely well to small dosages of Prednisone. If 10 mg of > > Prednisone eliminate your symptoms in a couple of days, you may have > > PMR. The good news is that the symptoms of PMR can be eliminated with > > decreasing dosage of Prednisone over the course of one year or less, > > starting with about 8 mg and decreasing to 0 mg. I was able to > > eliminate nearly all symptoms in this manner in 2007 -- but > > regrettably the symptoms came back in August 2008. I now have to > > figure out what to do. > > > > Sincerely, Harald > > > > At 10:27 AM 11/9/2008, Beckman wrote: > > > > >IHi, > > > > > >I have no blood markers for RA, but because my arthritis is > > >symmetrical, affects many sites, and very prone to inflammation, I > > >have been told I have seronegative arthritis (RA without the blood > > >markers) and ALSO osteoarthritis. Mine is severe and has really > > >altered my life in the last ten years (I am now 66). The doxycyline > > >I am on gives me some relief from inflammation as did the minocin I > > >was on until too much hyperpigmentation led my dr to take me off it. > > >I don't know if I am getting better: I wonder. I also take > > >ibuprofen, of course. I have been told that doxycycline stops the > > >erosion of cartilage, so that it has been suggested that it would > > help osteo. > > > > > >I would like to know what people think re my diagnosis too. > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 11, 2008 Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 Harald, Thank you for thinking of me again. i will mention this as a possibility to my rheumy. i could have it and also something else! On Nov 11, 2008, at 12:19 PM, Harald Weiss, Technical Marketing Group wrote: > , > > You make the correct observation that polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) > affects mostly the upper body. Bilateral shoulder pain is one of the > diagnostic criteria. Please see > http://www.med.unc.edu/medicine/web/Polymyalgia%20Rheumatica,%201-24-06.ppt#257,\ 2,Polymyalgia > . Since this is hard-to-read PowerPoint presentation, I have pasted > in the text below. > > One interesting observation is that mycoplasma are listed as an > infectious trigger. That would confirm that PMR is closely related to > RA and should respond to the AP. Id did for me for 5 years. > > Sincerely, Harald > > POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA > , MD > Morning Report > January 24, 2006 > > POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA > o PMR is an inflammatory condition of unknown etiology > o Characterized by aching & stiffness in the shoulder and pelvic > girdles and the neck > o Occurs in people > 50 yrs old > o Usually responds to low doses of steroids > o Is related to Giant Cell Arteritis, with biopsy-proven GCA present > in about 4-21% > > EPIDEMIOLOGY > o Prevalence of 1 case for every 133 people over 50 yrs of age. > o Incidence increases with age, peaks 70-80yrs > o Females > Males in all age groups (2:1) > o Higher incidence at higher lattitudes, Scandinavian countries > o Rarely reported in blacks, but appears to have the same > presentation, course, and response to treatment. > > DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA > o Criteria most frequently used for diagnostic purposes are empirical. > o Those of Hunder at Mayo clinic & Healey at Mason clinic are most > widely used. > o A current ongoing international project is aiming to develop new > diagnostic and classification criteria and validate them. > > ETIOLOGY > o Probably polygenic in which multiple environmental and genetic > factors influence susceptibility and severity. > o Possible infectious triggers: > - Viruses: adenovirus, RSV, parvovirus, parainfluenza. > - Bacteria: Mycoplasma, Chlamydia pneumoniae. > o Genetic component probable > - HLA-DRB1*04 and -DRB1*01 appear to be most associated with > susceptibility to PMR. > - Genetic polymorphisms of additional genes involved in initiation > and regulation of inflammatory reaction: > o ICAM-1, TNF, IL-1 receptor antagonists > o Possible subclinical vasculitis > > CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS > o Persistent pain (for at least 1 month) > - Aching & morning stiffness in neck, shoulder and pelvic girdles > lasting 30 min. > - Discomfort is bilateral, worse w/ movement, and usually interferes > w/ ADL > o Evidence of systemic involvement. > o Shoulder pain is presenting sign in 70-95% > o Hips and neck 50-70% > o Pain usually radiates distally towards elbows and knees. > o Systemic signs seen in 1/3: Fever, Malaise/fatigue, Anorexia, > weight loss. > > CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS > o Exam reveals little evidence of proximal joint swelling or > tenderness. > o MRI studies have shown subdeltoid & subacromial bursitis are more > prominent than actual joint synovitis. > o Distal manifestations also seen in ~1/2 cases: > - Nonerosive, self-limiting, asymmetric peripheral arthritis (knee/ > wrist) > - Carpal tunnel syndrome. > - Distal extremity swelling & pitting edema over dorsum of hands and > wrists, ankles and feet. > > LABS > o ESR > 40mm/hr (nl in 7-20%) > o CRP less influenced by other factors, may be more sensitive & > direct measure > o IL-6 > o Modest anemia of chronic disease in 2/3 > o Mildly abnormal LFTs in ~1/3 > o Rheum factor and ANA usually negative > o Muscle enzymes are normal > > DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS > o SLE > - Look for pleuritis or pericarditis > - Leukopenia or thrombocytopenia > - Check anti-dsDNA and anti-ENA antibodies > o RA > - Small joints of hands/feet > - Only partially responsive to steroids > - Considerable overlap b/t PMR & seronegative RA > o Polymyositis > - Symmetric proximal muscle weakness > - Pain not prominent > - Elevated CK, aldolase; abnormal EMG, myositis on muscle biopsy > o Fibromyalgia > o Late-onset spondyloarthropathy > - Solid (kidney, ovary, stomach) > - Hematologic (myeloma, primary amyloidosis) > o Infection > - Bacterial endocarditis > > *Lack of adequate response to prednisone and presence of atypical > features should make one consider these. > > TREATMENT & COURSE > o Corticosteroids are drugs of choice (10-20mg/day) > o Trial of NSAIDs for 2-4 weeks if mild > o Complete or nearly complete resolution of sx is seen in a few days > - absence of improvement should cause one to question diagnosis. > o Relapses do occur, more frequent in first 1-2 years. > o Follow ESR or CRP > o Treatment for 1-2 years is often required, sometimes longer > o Watch for corticosteroid adverse effects! > o Methotrexate proposed as CS-sparing drug > o Infliximab > o Depot Methylprednisolone had similar efficacy & fewer adverse > effects > > SUMMARY > o PMR is a common illness in certain populations > o Incidence increases after the age of 50 and peaks between 70-80 > years of age. > o Biopsy-proven GCA has been observed in 4-21% of pts with PMR > o Arthroscopic, radioisotopic, and MRI studies indicate presence of > synovitis in proximal joints and periarticular structures. > o Distal manifestations are present in about half of the cases > o About 7-20% have normal ESR at diagnosis > o A course of treatment of 1-2 years is often required, with some > patients having a more chronic, relapsing course. > o Overall mortality is not effected. > > REFERENCES > o Bengtsson, B. Chapter 24: Polymyalgia Rheumatica. Primer on the > Ruematologic Diseases. 1997. Arthritis Foundation. Pp 305-6. > o Cantini, F. Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Giant Cell Arteritis. NEJM. > 2002. Vol. 347, No. 4, pp. 261-271. > o Goodwin, JS. The very low prevalence of polymyalgia rheumatica in > blaks may be an artifact. J Am Geriatrt Soc. 1990. Jul; vol. 38, No. > 7, pp. 824-6. > o Salvarani, C. Polymyalgia Rheumatica. Best Practice & Research > Clinical Rheumatology. 2004. Vol. 18, No.5, pp. 705-722. > o Sanford, RG. Polymyalgia rheumatica and temporal arteritis in > blacks -- clinical features and HLA typing. J Rheumatology. 1977 > Winter. Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 435-42. > o UpToDate.com > > At 08:47 AM 11/10/2008, Beckman wrote: > > >Hi, Harald, > > > >I looked up polymyalgia rheumatica, and it seems as though the > >symptoms are mainly upper body. My neck does hurt, but otherwise my > >worst symptom are in my lower back, wrists, elbows, ankles (and > >knees). I will ask my doctor about it, however. > > > >I am sorry to hear that your symptoms came back. > > > > > >On Nov 9, 2008, at 8:19 PM, Harald Weiss, Technical Marketing Group > >wrote: > > > > > , > > > > > > Your symptoms describe mine exactly. I have no blood markers for > RA. > > > My arthritis is symmetrical and affects many sites, in > particular the > > > knees and shoulders. I have had arthritis for nine years, and am > now > > > also 66. > > > > > > My condition was initially diagnosed as RA, which made it almost > > > impossible for me to purchase health insurance. The antibiotic > > > protocol (AP) worked for me for 5 years, but then ceased > working. In > > > December 2006, my condition was diagnosed correctly as polymyalgia > > > rheumatica (PMR), which may be a form of seronegative arthritis > (RA > > > without the blood markers). > > > > > > I suggest that you do a Google search on " polymyalgia rheumatica " . > > > Among the symptoms of PMR are that it comes on very suddenly, > that it > > > affects proximal joints (such as shoulders, hips and knees as > opposed > > > to small joints), that it affects muscles and tendons, and that it > > > responds extremely well to small dosages of Prednisone. If 10 mg > of > > > Prednisone eliminate your symptoms in a couple of days, you may > have > > > PMR. The good news is that the symptoms of PMR can be eliminated > with > > > decreasing dosage of Prednisone over the course of one year or > less, > > > starting with about 8 mg and decreasing to 0 mg. I was able to > > > eliminate nearly all symptoms in this manner in 2007 -- but > > > regrettably the symptoms came back in August 2008. I now have to > > > figure out what to do. > > > > > > Sincerely, Harald > > > > > > At 10:27 AM 11/9/2008, Beckman wrote: > > > > > > >IHi, > > > > > > > >I have no blood markers for RA, but because my arthritis is > > > >symmetrical, affects many sites, and very prone to > inflammation, I > > > >have been told I have seronegative arthritis (RA without the > blood > > > >markers) and ALSO osteoarthritis. Mine is severe and has really > > > >altered my life in the last ten years (I am now 66). The > doxycyline > > > >I am on gives me some relief from inflammation as did the > minocin I > > > >was on until too much hyperpigmentation led my dr to take me > off it. > > > >I don't know if I am getting better: I wonder. I also take > > > >ibuprofen, of course. I have been told that doxycycline stops the > > > >erosion of cartilage, so that it has been suggested that it would > > > help osteo. > > > > > > > >I would like to know what people think re my diagnosis too. > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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