Comments on: Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment: Are Natural Remedies for Rheumatoid Arthritis Better? http://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-treatment-are-natural-remedies-for-rheumatoid-arthritis-better/ Bringing information & encouragement to fight RA Thu, 24 May 2012 14:37:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Kelly Young http://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-treatment-are-natural-remedies-for-rheumatoid-arthritis-better/comment-page-1/?show=comments-115760 Kelly Young Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:56:32 +0000 http://rawarrior.com/?p=1444#comment-115760 I have only heard of very short term successes with these approaches. I've been told it is due to a "shock effect" on the immune system whenever there is a drastic change. Something that disturbs regular immune activity could also disturb disease activity (DA), of course, if the disease is immune-related. The biggest problem is always to measure an effect with RA DA - since the DA does vary with most patients by the nature of the disease itself (ie: flares). I've always said I would be more convinced that a treatment worked if it worked on someone with constant DA (like a certain % of us have) which might better demonstrate an effect. However, I know that actual studies also attempt to use criteria/methods for this purpose - to show that an effect of a treatment actually exists.. I have only heard of very short term successes with these approaches. I’ve been told it is due to a “shock effect” on the immune system whenever there is a drastic change. Something that disturbs regular immune activity could also disturb disease activity (DA), of course, if the disease is immune-related.

The biggest problem is always to measure an effect with RA DA – since the DA does vary with most patients by the nature of the disease itself (ie: flares). I’ve always said I would be more convinced that a treatment worked if it worked on someone with constant DA (like a certain % of us have) which might better demonstrate an effect. However, I know that actual studies also attempt to use criteria/methods for this purpose – to show that an effect of a treatment actually exists..

]]> By: Lyndsey Howard http://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-treatment-are-natural-remedies-for-rheumatoid-arthritis-better/comment-page-1/?show=comments-115723 Lyndsey Howard Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:10:58 +0000 http://rawarrior.com/?p=1444#comment-115723 Thanks again for your website. I wish that I would have found it prior to diagonsis because if I had, I would have been diagnosed sooner. I am curious about claims of several books on the market that claim you can "conquer" or "cure" RA through food sensitivity testing and elimination of those foods from your diet. I read somewhere on your site that these claims are largely unsupported. Do you know of anyone that have tried these fasting approaches and if they worked for more than a short period? Thanks again for your website. I wish that I would have found it prior to diagonsis because if I had, I would have been diagnosed sooner.

I am curious about claims of several books on the market that claim you can “conquer” or “cure” RA through food sensitivity testing and elimination of those foods from your diet. I read somewhere on your site that these claims are largely unsupported. Do you know of anyone that have tried these fasting approaches and if they worked for more than a short period?

]]> By: Mary Lou http://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-treatment-are-natural-remedies-for-rheumatoid-arthritis-better/comment-page-1/?show=comments-65406 Mary Lou Mon, 02 May 2011 01:45:35 +0000 http://rawarrior.com/?p=1444#comment-65406 When I was at my follow-up appointment a couple of months ago (Feb), I mentioned to my doctor how frustrated I am that the Enbrel-methotrexate combo had not resulted in the "success" shown in the Enbrel commercials -- I was still in a lot of pain and walking was a real challenge. His response was "Well, you know they can't show folks like you if they want their drug to sell." We decided to add Celebrex to my regimen to see if it would help with pain management. He prescribed 200mg/day which took a little bit of the edge off my pain, but I was still in a lot of pain. Then I happened to notice a Celebrex commercial that indicated 200mg/day was the dosage for OA; so I checked the Celebrex website and discovered 400mg/day was the RA dosage. I called my doctor and requested a new prescription, which I got. Throughout the rest of Feb into mid-March, I was taking Celebrex at 400 mg/day. The new dosage helped, but I was still experiencing more pain than I expected and I certainly was not the "body in motion" as shown in the Celebrex commercials. In early March a friend told me about a workshop she had attended at the University of Guam on the production of fresh noni juice at home. She shared the testimony of several people who had been using the fresh juice and said she wanted me to try it. My only exposure to noni juice had been in the mid-1990s when Tahitian Noni Juice was making its rounds like a pyramid scheme, so I was skeptical. I checked it out on the net and found some reference to noni juice being able to inhibit the Cox-2 enzyme which is responsible for the inflammation and pain of RA (and is also what Celebrex does), so I was mildly curious and contacted the professor who had conducted the workshop to ascertain if noni juice really had the ability to inhibit the Cox-2 enzyme. He sent me a link to 2 research papers verifying the information, so I ordered a bottle from Amazon.com. On March 23 my friend brought me 6 oz of fresh noni juice, which she had made for me to try. She has OA and after taking fresh noni juice noticed less joint pain and increased energy. I took one ounce a day until the supply was gone. I felt a slight improvement in my wrists and hands, but my knees and feet were still in pain. My Amazon order arrived while I was taking the fresh juice and my friend suggested I try taking it 2x/day, which I did, for a total of 2 oz/day. On the 3rd day of my new dosage, I got out of bed quite easily and felt pretty good (for me) so I decided to skip the AM Celebrex. As it turned out, I did well and didn't need it at all that day (YAY for me). In the days and weeks since then (I'm writing this on May 2) I have found a local source so that I have access to fresh noni juice and now take 1.5 oz 2x/day. As a result, I've been able to cut back quite a bit from my Celebrex to the point that when I called in my Enbrel refill last week I checked my Celebrex supply and realized I still had more than half in the container! (I had filled my Enbrel and Celebrex prescriptions on the same day, so I had anticipated needing to refill them on the same day as well). So this natural version of the Cox-2 enzyme inhibitor has worked well for me. My mobility is better; I can now get around the house without using my walker. When I'm having a really good day, I can go out shopping for hours (as long as I have a shopping cart to support me when I get tired) -- I think my "record" was 4 hours in 3 different stores in mid-April. My massage therapist noticed that inflammation on my hands and feet were very mild, compared to how they were in Feb when I last saw her. She also felt that my leg and thigh muscles were more toned than before -- I think it's all the walking I've been able to do. I do still take Celebrex on an "as needed" basis -- like when I expect to be engaged in something out of the ordinary. As a matter of fact, the noni juice-Celebrex combination enabled me to attend my granddaughters' Spring Concert in early April (after having missed their UN and Christmas Programs). That combination also allowed me to babysit them both all day (on two occasions last week) which was something I wasn't able to do since my younger granddaughter started daycare last July 2010. On "regular" days, taking 3 oz of fresh noni juice works well to manage my pain and, for that, I am very grateful. When I was at my follow-up appointment a couple of months ago (Feb), I mentioned to my doctor how frustrated I am that the Enbrel-methotrexate combo had not resulted in the “success” shown in the Enbrel commercials — I was still in a lot of pain and walking was a real challenge. His response was “Well, you know they can’t show folks like you if they want their drug to sell.” We decided to add Celebrex to my regimen to see if it would help with pain management. He prescribed 200mg/day which took a little bit of the edge off my pain, but I was still in a lot of pain. Then I happened to notice a Celebrex commercial that indicated 200mg/day was the dosage for OA; so I checked the Celebrex website and discovered 400mg/day was the RA dosage. I called my doctor and requested a new prescription, which I got. Throughout the rest of Feb into mid-March, I was taking Celebrex at 400 mg/day. The new dosage helped, but I was still experiencing more pain than I expected and I certainly was not the “body in motion” as shown in the Celebrex commercials.
In early March a friend told me about a workshop she had attended at the University of Guam on the production of fresh noni juice at home. She shared the testimony of several people who had been using the fresh juice and said she wanted me to try it. My only exposure to noni juice had been in the mid-1990s when Tahitian Noni Juice was making its rounds like a pyramid scheme, so I was skeptical. I checked it out on the net and found some reference to noni juice being able to inhibit the Cox-2 enzyme which is responsible for the inflammation and pain of RA (and is also what Celebrex does), so I was mildly curious and contacted the professor who had conducted the workshop to ascertain if noni juice really had the ability to inhibit the Cox-2 enzyme. He sent me a link to 2 research papers verifying the information, so I ordered a bottle from Amazon.com.
On March 23 my friend brought me 6 oz of fresh noni juice, which she had made for me to try. She has OA and after taking fresh noni juice noticed less joint pain and increased energy. I took one ounce a day until the supply was gone. I felt a slight improvement in my wrists and hands, but my knees and feet were still in pain. My Amazon order arrived while I was taking the fresh juice and my friend suggested I try taking it 2x/day, which I did, for a total of 2 oz/day. On the 3rd day of my new dosage, I got out of bed quite easily and felt pretty good (for me) so I decided to skip the AM Celebrex. As it turned out, I did well and didn’t need it at all that day (YAY for me). In the days and weeks since then (I’m writing this on May 2) I have found a local source so that I have access to fresh noni juice and now take 1.5 oz 2x/day. As a result, I’ve been able to cut back quite a bit from my Celebrex to the point that when I called in my Enbrel refill last week I checked my Celebrex supply and realized I still had more than half in the container! (I had filled my Enbrel and Celebrex prescriptions on the same day, so I had anticipated needing to refill them on the same day as well).
So this natural version of the Cox-2 enzyme inhibitor has worked well for me. My mobility is better; I can now get around the house without using my walker. When I’m having a really good day, I can go out shopping for hours (as long as I have a shopping cart to support me when I get tired) — I think my “record” was 4 hours in 3 different stores in mid-April. My massage therapist noticed that inflammation on my hands and feet were very mild, compared to how they were in Feb when I last saw her. She also felt that my leg and thigh muscles were more toned than before — I think it’s all the walking I’ve been able to do.
I do still take Celebrex on an “as needed” basis — like when I expect to be engaged in something out of the ordinary. As a matter of fact, the noni juice-Celebrex combination enabled me to attend my granddaughters’ Spring Concert in early April (after having missed their UN and Christmas Programs). That combination also allowed me to babysit them both all day (on two occasions last week) which was something I wasn’t able to do since my younger granddaughter started daycare last July 2010. On “regular” days, taking 3 oz of fresh noni juice works well to manage my pain and, for that, I am very grateful.

]]> By: Shirley http://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-treatment-are-natural-remedies-for-rheumatoid-arthritis-better/comment-page-1/?show=comments-43671 Shirley Sat, 04 Dec 2010 18:02:35 +0000 http://rawarrior.com/?p=1444#comment-43671 Hi Tammie, I know you have heard this before, but I wanted to be sure and get it in one more time...Your best chance at preventing deformities are RA medications early in your diagnosis. I don't want to sound lecturing, I DO want you to have a full and as active life as possible for you and your children. I was diagnoised about 3 1/2 years ago. Since then I have taken several different drugs. Methotrexate does seem to effect my energy for at least the first day after my oral dosage. I had a little (not much) nausea at first but got over it pretty quickly. I also tried Arava but only took it once because my blood pressure went up. Then I moved on to Enbrel and didn't really have anything negative from it, but it didn't work with me. The last was Humira and it was the same as the Enbrel. Enbrel and Humira are both T Cell blockers so my next move is to a B Cell Blocker, Rituxan. I hope this helps in a good way. Shirley Hi Tammie, I know you have heard this before, but I wanted to be sure and get it in one more time…Your best chance at preventing deformities are RA medications early in your diagnosis. I don’t want to sound lecturing, I DO want you to have a full and as active life as possible for you and your children.
I was diagnoised about 3 1/2 years ago. Since then I have taken several different drugs. Methotrexate does seem to effect my energy for at least the first day after my oral dosage. I had a little (not much) nausea at first but got over it pretty quickly. I also tried Arava but only took it once because my blood pressure went up. Then I moved on to Enbrel and didn’t really have anything negative from it, but it didn’t work with me. The last was Humira and it was the same as the Enbrel. Enbrel and Humira are both T Cell blockers so my next move is to a B Cell Blocker, Rituxan.
I hope this helps in a good way.
Shirley

]]> By: Dana http://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-treatment-are-natural-remedies-for-rheumatoid-arthritis-better/comment-page-1/?show=comments-43432 Dana Thu, 02 Dec 2010 16:51:12 +0000 http://rawarrior.com/?p=1444#comment-43432 Hi Tammie - I don't know your history, but all of my docs have agreed (including my previous holistic/alt therapy DO) that it's best to hit RA strong and hard at the onset of symptoms. I've tried various medications and alternative treatments over the past 6 years, with mixed results. What's worked best for me are the strong RA drugs - methotrexate (took for 3 years w/o any side effects) and Enbrel (have been taking for the past 3 years w/o any side effects). I usually have some Naproxen that I take in combination with whatever else I'm on (no problems w/ that, either). Sometimes I don't feel like Naproxen does much, but other high pain/swelling days I feel it helps take the edge off. I tried adding Plaquenil for a few months, and saw no noticeable differnce. I tried several strange alternative therapies for a year with the DO (who was convinced my RA was from Lyme Disease), to no avail. I also tried a supplement called Samento, because it was supposed to be good for RA and Lyme...that's the only thing I've had a real negative reaction to - and it was bad. I had the worst flare ever after taking that, and later found other sites that said not to take that supplement if you have an autoimmune disease. Guess I should've done more research. So, here's what I've learned: 1. Find a doctor who you like and trust; listen to their recommendations. 2. Don't take anything without your doc's knowledge, and don't take something that hasn't been shown to be safe for people with RA. 3. Side effects are scary, but the serious ones seem to be rare; all of the doctors I've talked to are way more concerned with controlling the disease than the small chance of a side effect. That said, you need to weigh the risks and benefits of your own situation and do what's best for you! Hope that helps - sorry it's so long! Hi Tammie – I don’t know your history, but all of my docs have agreed (including my previous holistic/alt therapy DO) that it’s best to hit RA strong and hard at the onset of symptoms. I’ve tried various medications and alternative treatments over the past 6 years, with mixed results. What’s worked best for me are the strong RA drugs – methotrexate (took for 3 years w/o any side effects) and Enbrel (have been taking for the past 3 years w/o any side effects). I usually have some Naproxen that I take in combination with whatever else I’m on (no problems w/ that, either). Sometimes I don’t feel like Naproxen does much, but other high pain/swelling days I feel it helps take the edge off. I tried adding Plaquenil for a few months, and saw no noticeable differnce. I tried several strange alternative therapies for a year with the DO (who was convinced my RA was from Lyme Disease), to no avail. I also tried a supplement called Samento, because it was supposed to be good for RA and Lyme…that’s the only thing I’ve had a real negative reaction to – and it was bad. I had the worst flare ever after taking that, and later found other sites that said not to take that supplement if you have an autoimmune disease. Guess I should’ve done more research.

So, here’s what I’ve learned:
1. Find a doctor who you like and trust; listen to their recommendations.
2. Don’t take anything without your doc’s knowledge, and don’t take something that hasn’t been shown to be safe for people with RA.
3. Side effects are scary, but the serious ones seem to be rare; all of the doctors I’ve talked to are way more concerned with controlling the disease than the small chance of a side effect. That said, you need to weigh the risks and benefits of your own situation and do what’s best for you!

Hope that helps – sorry it’s so long!

]]> By: Kelly Young http://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-treatment-are-natural-remedies-for-rheumatoid-arthritis-better/comment-page-1/?show=comments-43413 Kelly Young Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:39:45 +0000 http://rawarrior.com/?p=1444#comment-43413 Tammie, if you'd like to read something I wrote about all the RA treatments I've taken, <a href="http://rawarrior.com/my-journey-with-rheumatoid-arthritis-medicine/">here is a blog about that.</a> It's a few months behind now, but it gives an idea. But we are all different. I know some take the 1st treatment & it works great. I haven't had any serious side effects - just the rash from Enbrel (rare) & a cough from Orencia (also rare) - which is probably related to my personal chemistry. Tammie, if you’d like to read something I wrote about all the RA treatments I’ve taken, here is a blog about that. It’s a few months behind now, but it gives an idea. But we are all different. I know some take the 1st treatment & it works great. I haven’t had any serious side effects – just the rash from Enbrel (rare) & a cough from Orencia (also rare) – which is probably related to my personal chemistry.

]]> By: Kelly Young http://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-treatment-are-natural-remedies-for-rheumatoid-arthritis-better/comment-page-1/?show=comments-43410 Kelly Young Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:28:43 +0000 http://rawarrior.com/?p=1444#comment-43410 Tammie, I know you've been reading a lot of posts. I want to thank you too for having an open mind to read other views. I'll be glad to help you find information. If your doctor won't communicate with you properly, I hope you will consider finding another one. I do know that's hard. I have kids too - they need us to be as well as possible, but they will be okay too. Tammie, I know you’ve been reading a lot of posts. I want to thank you too for having an open mind to read other views. I’ll be glad to help you find information.

If your doctor won’t communicate with you properly, I hope you will consider finding another one. I do know that’s hard. I have kids too – they need us to be as well as possible, but they will be okay too.

]]> By: Tammie http://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-treatment-are-natural-remedies-for-rheumatoid-arthritis-better/comment-page-1/?show=comments-43242 Tammie Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:22:41 +0000 http://rawarrior.com/?p=1444#comment-43242 I am becoming educated!!! Thank you for putting this in perspective. How do you feel taking these drugs and how many have you taken? I know I need to start. I just need all the facts. I have talked to my doctor and she is a dead fish without feeling. I have small children and rarely get time to read unless at night in pain. Thank you for being here for me. I am becoming educated!!! Thank you for putting this in perspective. How do you feel taking these drugs and how many have you taken? I know I need to start. I just need all the facts. I have talked to my doctor and she is a dead fish without feeling.

I have small children and rarely get time to read unless at night in pain.
Thank you for being here for me.

]]> By: Steph http://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-treatment-are-natural-remedies-for-rheumatoid-arthritis-better/comment-page-1/?show=comments-35101 Steph Thu, 14 Oct 2010 18:05:22 +0000 http://rawarrior.com/?p=1444#comment-35101 It's hard when you are just starting on this road. Heck, it's hard even after years. If you ever need to chat, email me anytime: steph at voicelesswonder dot com. It’s hard when you are just starting on this road. Heck, it’s hard even after years. If you ever need to chat, email me anytime: steph at voicelesswonder dot com.

]]> By: Tweets that mention Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment: Are Natural Remedies for Rheumatoid Arthritis Better? | RA Education | Rheumatoid Arthritis Warrior -- Topsy.com http://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-treatment-are-natural-remedies-for-rheumatoid-arthritis-better/comment-page-1/?show=comments-35095 Tweets that mention Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment: Are Natural Remedies for Rheumatoid Arthritis Better? | RA Education | Rheumatoid Arthritis Warrior -- Topsy.com Thu, 14 Oct 2010 17:43:32 +0000 http://rawarrior.com/?p=1444#comment-35095 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by JointHealth. Kelly Young said: New commenter w/new #rheum diagnosis looking 4 friends: http://bit.ly/dvXoWW Tugs at my heart. Anyone? [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by JointHealth. Kelly Young said: New commenter w/new #rheum diagnosis looking 4 friends: http://bit.ly/dvXoWW Tugs at my heart. Anyone? [...]

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