Comments on: Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment: Are Natural Remedies for Rheumatoid Arthritis Better?

By: Joe

Joe — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 22:57:32 +0000

Hi Jenny
It’s not that the FDA doesn’t support herbal medicines, it just doesn’t regulate them. I don’t trust doctors that much myself. They only know what they have been taught in school and most of that is dictated by the pharmaceutical companies. Nothing is ever totally good or bad but overall the profit margin companies need to make to introduce a drug leads me to believe they won’t have our best interest at heart. I have been treating myself with Traditional Chinese Medicine (I attended a four year school and passed the California boards and am recently diagnosed with Fibro/RA) and have had great results. Anyway, I agree you need to educate yourself but make sure you REALLY educate yourself. If you look and research the history of western medicine, you might be surprised and not trust it as much as you would have before. I don’t trust the FDA either; too many of them have worked for corporations that create a conflict of interest. Just my opinion. Good luck and many painfree days to you.

By: Kelly Young

Kelly Young — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 13:17:23 +0000

It might be “mostly” the same in most cases. But if it’s critical that you get a certain amount of an ingredient, a prescription is the best way – at least in the US. Yes, it may cost more, sometimes it won’t because this way insurance kicks in. But there is a reason for the cost: the testing to be sure it is exactly what the label says. The FDA requires extra steps for prescription medicines.

By: Lizzie

Lizzie — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 13:10:54 +0000

This is making me think about the vitamin B6 50mg I’m prescribed while taking the INH drug (for TB treatment). The doctor gave me the prescription but at the pharmacy they told me OK to buy over the counter and said it was the same – which made me wonder why get a prescription then. And to top that, I’m just taking the one you can get at Walmart. I spoke with the prescription refil person at the doctor’s office yesterday and she said it was cheaper to get the B6 over the counter. I mentioned that I started taking the 100mg cut in half – as recommended by the Walmart pharmacyst – and she said that was fine too. It makes me wonder if these people are at all trained in this area before recommending things to patients. I would think that the doctor should know that is better to buy prescription vitamins rather than just over the counter.

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Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:14:22 +0000

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By: Tiffany Westrich

Tiffany Westrich — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:39:09 +0000

I have been trying to explore both natural and pharmaceutical treatments for RA (and other autoimmune arthritis conditions) because our up and coming nonprofit will have a large segment dedicated to treatment options, bridging these solutions with financial assistance to sufferers…. one thing I keep finding is much of what is interpreted as the “right” solution is somewhat based on the degree of RA a person is experiencing. While we all know there are no 2 cases exactly alike, and there are no 2 biological chemistries exactly alike, we may end up finding that the solution for each person will vary? Interesting subject, that’s for sure!

By: Viesta

Viesta — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:43:05 +0000

Fun times reading the differing opinions on here, when I first found out I had RA in 2005, I only took aspirin and a herb here in Canada called LAKOTA, it did help, then I went on plaqueniel, meth and enbrel, I stayed on them for over a year without any improvent, I stopped the enbrel and meth after 16 months on them, but have remained on the plaquenil and on the really bad days 5m of prednisone- that is not often, I started today on Minocin- as I am going to try the AP approach, I feel pretty positive about it, but I still claim there is not enough research on RA in any medical field, too many do not understand what hell we go through

By: Jenny

Jenny — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:25:14 +0000

I trust drugs/medicines that have a doctor’s name on the prescription along with an educated pharmacist dispensing them, a brand-name standing behind them and also the FDA…this includes studies, trials, and medical school for goodness sake!
I think vitamin supplements are a very important part of feeling good, especially if you are not getting enough through your diet alone, but these quacks that stand behind the health food store counter and pretend to know more about a person’s body and about medicine than doctors and pharmacists do are absolutely comical to me. Putting something “natural” in your body could kill you (as many poisons are “natural” and there would be no one held responsible for regulating what they sell you.
I would be foolish to depend on someone at the “Herb Shop” to treat my thyroid, RA, depression, whatever! God put some very intelligent people on this earth with very intelligent brains who work every day to study/create medicines…as well as intelligent people to prescribe them. There is a reason the FDA doesn’t support herbal remedies. I also think they just make your urine more expensive.
Just my opinion!!

By: Kelly Young

Kelly Young — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:52:42 +0000

MissD, Jules, Ashley,
Thanks, good points. They are all “medicines” and we need to educate ourselves.

By: Kelly Young

Kelly Young — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:50:39 +0000

Excellent point about drug interactions: ALL kinds of drugs…