Re: Thinking about starting AP...need more info though

April 2, 2009

Welcome to our group. It sure sounds like you have been through hell. Maybe AB

therapy can help you. It has worked wonders for a lot of us.

Mona

rheumatic Thinking about starting AP...need more info though

Hello,

I am new to the group. I have psoriatic arthritis and have been on

methotrexate for 3 years...1 year orally and 2 via injections. In December I was

started on Enbrel because the MTX wasn't working quite as well as I had hoped it

would. I took 3 injections of Enbrel and got sick with a cough, fever and

chills...was off meds for a couple weeks while on Cipro then took meds again and

two days later started all over with symptoms..given a Z pack (3 days) and got

better and a few days later it was time for the meds again but the rheumy said

only take MTX and if I didn't get sick again the next week I could take both

meds. In the meantime I had had a chest x-ray and the radiologist called saying

I had an infectious process in my chest and recommended a CT scan which I had

and was referred to a pulmonologist who is going to do a bronchoscopy next week.

He and the rheumy took me off both MTX and Enbrel for the time being. He thinks

it is due to either the MTX or the Enbrel but not sure and hopes to wash some

bacteria out to see what type infection it is. I am not taking either of those

meds ever again. My dad died of lung cancer, my sister died of lung cancer and

my mother died of COPD/emphysema. I have a first cousin with RA and she could

not take MTX because it caused her some severe lung problems. I am not going to

flirt with those things. That is why I am researching alternative treatments.

Anyway, glad to be here and hope to learn what I need to know here!

Sharon

April 2, 2009

Sharon,

Welcome to the group.Hope you get lots of good info here

Eva

From: Mona Goldstein <spellers@...>

Subject: Re: rheumatic Thinking about starting AP...need more info though

rheumatic

Date: Thursday, April 2, 2009, 9:00 PM

Welcome to our group. It sure sounds like you have been through hell. Maybe AB

therapy can help you. It has worked wonders for a lot of us.

Mona

rheumatic Thinking about starting AP...need more info though

Hello,

I am new to the group. I have psoriatic arthritis and have been on methotrexate

for 3 years...1 year orally and 2 via injections. In December I was started on

Enbrel because the MTX wasn't working quite as well as I had hoped it would. I

took 3 injections of Enbrel and got sick with a cough, fever and chills...was

off meds for a couple weeks while on Cipro then took meds again and two days

later started all over with symptoms..given a Z pack (3 days) and got better and

a few days later it was time for the meds again but the rheumy said only take

MTX and if I didn't get sick again the next week I could take both meds. In the

meantime I had had a chest x-ray and the radiologist called saying I had an

infectious process in my chest and recommended a CT scan which I had and was

referred to a pulmonologist who is going to do a bronchoscopy next week. He and

the rheumy took me off both MTX and Enbrel for the time being. He thinks it is

due to either the MTX or

the Enbrel but not sure and hopes to wash some bacteria out to see what type

infection it is. I am not taking either of those meds ever again. My dad died of

lung cancer, my sister died of lung cancer and my mother died of COPD/emphysema.

I have a first cousin with RA and she could not take MTX because it caused her

some severe lung problems. I am not going to flirt with those things. That is

why I am researching alternative treatments. Anyway, glad to be here and hope to

learn what I need to know here!

Sharon

April 3, 2009

Hi Sharon, Welcome to the group. This is Dolores! Am so sorry you didn't find

us sooner. Please do not take anymore toxic meds and find a doctor who is

willing to give you antibiotics. That is the hardest part. Most

Rheumatologists only give out the Prednisone, MTX and such, which as per your

e:mail proves that by putting down the immune system, that leaves the way open

for infections to take hold. There are a couple of books out there that helped

me trememdously. I have scleroderma and went thru the same thing as you with

the lung infection. Only mine turned into pulmonary fibrosis and I was given

months to live. In desperation, we flew to Boston to see an A/P specialist who

put me on Minocin only twice a day, every day for two years. At 18 months, I

went into remission. The book that explains why we get these so called

autoimmune diseases is called the Roadback by Dr. MacPherson Brown and

Henry Scammell. Try your local

library or buy the book thru Amazon.com. You can get them used at a cheaper

price or new. Either way, the book is no more than $10 to $15 and it will be

the best investment you ever made. It explains the " Infectious Theory. " There

is also " The new Arthritis Breakthrough " , also by Henry Scammell. Then get the

most frequently asked questions about A/P. When I am finished with this post, I

will try to send it out again. I think everyone on this site already has a

copy. The monitors on this site send it out periodically for all the newbies. I

have moved wseveral times this year and got tired of trying to convince doctors

to keep me on the antibiotics, so this time, I found an infectious disease

doctor who was already familiar with the A/P and now I can get all the

antibiotics I need. You are about to start on a journey you will not regret.

Good luck getting on the road back to health. The best to you, Dolores & Mike

From: Mona Goldstein <spellersoptonline (DOT) net>

Subject: Re: rheumatic Thinking about starting AP...need more info though

rheumatic@grou ps.com