Re: changing to doxycycline questions

October 30, 2009

Hi

I was diagnosed with RA in the fall of 97 and went on minocin, by spring i

was in remission, where i remained until this last summer. This last summer

I overworked and over played, over drank too and i got symptoms again. I've

been having the flare from hell. My point is that it can come back, you

throw yourself into life and it comes back. I'd stay on something, I don't

have side affects from Minocin so stay on it, because of this flare I'm

trying LDN.

Good luck

On Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 8:04 AM, <eson@...> wrote:

>

> Well the time has come for me to see my primary Dr. My rheumatologist, whom

> I have seen since the mid 1980's for FMS, then RA, has moved out of state.

> He was a skeptic of AP, always followed the traditional line of thinking,

> said I needed yearly blood work, said Minocin wouldn't hurt me so he'd write

> prescription for it, which he's done for 8 or 9 years, etc, etc! Last Fall

> he told me he might be moving to a new job in Wisconsin in the next year,

> where he'd been working on an intermittent basis the previous year. At that

> visit his perspective had totally changed! He was no longer the skeptic.

> Said if minocin was working I was to continue what I was doing because,

> obviously, it had worked well for me! He didn't want blood work, didn't want

> x-rays, nothing!!!!! :-)

> So, now I have to find a new rheumy, or use my primary Dr. Months ago I

> asked my primary if he would prescribe Minocin for me if my rheumy left. He

> said he would prescribe, but he'd want to switch me to doxycycline. I wasn't

> too excited about that prospect! However, in the months since my rheumy left

> I've realized that I have side effects from the Minocin! My nailbeds are

> blue (no, not a circulatory problem) and I have white spots all over my arms

> and legs. If I'd realized they were Minocin side effects I'd have discussed

> it with rheumy a year ago!

> I've also had a lot of trouble this year with diarrhea. I'm finally on a

> good probiotic and Undecenoic acid, which has finally seemed to show good

> results the past few days.

> So my mulit-faceted questions are these:

> 1) I'm wondering how much trouble those of you on doxy have with GI

> symptoms and other side effects. (I've been on Minocin for nearly 10 years!)

> Is is better, or worse, than Minocin? Do you pulse it, like Minocin? I've

> been on Minocin 100 mg 3-4 days a week for the last couple years,

> essentially a maintenance dose. What would a comparable dose be on Doxy?

> 2) Interestingly, within 7-10 days of running out of Minocin I usually

> started having pain. However, last year, and now this year, I've been off

> Minocin a month, without the return of pain! Do any of you have

> recommendations about continuing or staying off the antibiotics now? I've

> been in remission since a few months after starting Minocin in Jan. of 2000.

> However, blood work shows high levels of ????, which indicate underlying,

> but non-symptomatic, disease. I don't want the RA to rear it's ugly head

> again, so I'm inclined to stay on it. But.......I'd appreciate any

> input!!!!!!!!!

>

> M.

>

October 30, 2009

, I have a few thoughts for you to consider. See below.

rheumatic changing to doxycycline questions

>

> Well the time has come for me to see my primary Dr. My rheumatologist, whom I

have seen since the mid 1980's for FMS, then RA, has moved out of state. He was

a skeptic of AP, always followed the traditional line of thinking, said I needed

yearly blood work, said Minocin wouldn't hurt me so he'd write prescription for

it, which he's done for 8 or 9 years, etc, etc! Last Fall he told me he might

be moving to a new job in Wisconsin in the next year, where he'd been working on

an intermittent basis the previous year. At that visit his perspective had

totally changed! He was no longer the skeptic. Said if minocin was working I

was to continue what I was doing because, obviously, it had worked well for me!

He didn't want blood work, didn't want x-rays, nothing!!!!! :-)

> So, now I have to find a new rheumy, or use my primary Dr. Months ago I asked

my primary if he would prescribe Minocin for me if my rheumy left. He said he

would prescribe, but he'd want to switch me to doxycycline. I wasn't too

excited about that prospect! However, in the months since my rheumy left I've

realized that I have side effects from the Minocin! My nailbeds are blue (no,

not a circulatory problem) and I have white spots all over my arms and legs. If

I'd realized they were Minocin side effects I'd have discussed it with rheumy a

year ago!

Dr. Brown recommended changing antibiotics every five years or so, should a

patient still need to be on them, to avoid becoming sensitized to them and

incuring side effects. A patient can go back to the original antibiotic - in

your case Minocin - after a period of time.

> I've also had a lot of trouble this year with diarrhea. I'm finally on a good

probiotic and Undecenoic acid, which has finally seemed to show good results the

past few days.

The diarrhea could be caused by several things. As long as you've been on the

antibiotics, I think the first thing I would check would be for Candida and

leaky gut. Olive leaf extract, slippery elm and l. glutamine has been proven

very effective in clearing this up. A good overall detox program would be

helpful.

> So my mulit-faceted questions are these:

> 1) I'm wondering how much trouble those of you on doxy have with GI symptoms

and other side effects. (I've been on Minocin for nearly 10 years!) Is is

better, or worse, than Minocin? Do you pulse it, like Minocin?

Yes - see instructions in the FAQ on www.rheumatic.org.

I've been on Minocin 100 mg 3-4 days a week for the last couple years,

essentially a maintenance dose.

Three to four days a week is the pulsing protocol for active disease.

What would a comparable dose be on Doxy?

They are interchangeable - providing they work for you.

> 2) Interestingly, within 7-10 days of running out of Minocin I usually

started having pain. However, last year, and now this year, I've been off

Minocin a month, without the return of pain! Do any of you have recommendations

about continuing or staying off the antibiotics now? I've been in remission

since a few months after starting Minocin in Jan. of 2000.

Are you sure you still need to be on the antibiotics? What exactly were those

blood results?

I've discovered if a person eats a healthy diet, detoxes a couple of times a

year and takes a few good supplements, he can usually retain remission without

drugs. It's worked very well for me.

Ethel

..

However, blood work shows high levels of ????, which indicate underlying, but

non-symptomatic, disease. I don't want the RA to rear it's ugly head again, so

I'm inclined to stay on it. But.......I'd appreciate any input!!!!!!!!!

>

> M.

>

October 31, 2009

Ros,

are you using a good probiotic on a daily basis. that is very important to keep

the candida in check.

Eva

From: lind Gittings <rosalig@...>

Subject: rheumatic Changing to doxycycline questions

rheumatic

Date: Saturday, October 31, 2009, 4:00 PM

Hi

I can't give any info on doxycycline as I've never had it, but after

nearly four years on minocycline I was feeling good but fed up with

the side effects which for me were candida (yeast) and all its

symptoms and the ongoing drugs for that, itchy skin (a small patch on

my back), and darker brown spots on my face and arms.

So last May I decided to see how I'd go without the mino. It was

great to see the candida clear up a lot and for a few months I felt

good. But then the pain returned badly along with joint swellings and

limited movement. I had another blood test and my rheumatoid factor

levels (don't know what they're called) had gone from normal to high

again.

I went back on minocycline in September and have been using double

doses of acetaminophen (my doctor didn't know) to control the pain as

I'm unable to take anti-inflammatories or codeine products and have

osteoporosis so can't have cortisone. I thought I'd see benefits from

the minocycline by Christmas but already I'm much better. I had some

relief after a month and anticipate it improving.

It's sad to have to put up with these other things but after re-

experiencing the pain and immobiliy of RA I've decided that candida

is minor! I can live with it.

I believe doxycycline has worse candida effects but I think some

people have tried it with good results for the RA. Good luck and let

us know how you go.

Ros

November 7, 2009

-has the LDN worked well for you?

Mona

Re: rheumatic changing to doxycycline questions