Rheumatoid Arthritis
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What does the Zone know about RA? I'm not talking about the disgraced, former wunderkind, and I'm not looking for WebMD content, but for personal experiences if anyone has them. My understanding is there is no cure, but there's some new biologic treatments that can slow down its advance at least.
I've been having problems of the cervical spine for just about a year now. Had an MRI last fall (took a low dose indica edible 2 hours before I went in the tube, and fixated on the air pump they had in the room Mickey Hart-style, as a way to not let my claustrophobia get the best of me). Diagnosed with a bulging disc at C4-5, as well as stenosis and osteoarthritis, but through the grace of gabapentin haven't had much pain this year.
Until the last couple of months, that is, when a more generalized malaise landed upon me, and in a matter of months found me increasingly unable to perform everyday tasks without much effort. Things like putting on shirts, not being able to get stuff out of cabinets that are higher than eye-level, and don't even get me started on bathroom routines.
My new primary care doc did some blood tests last week, and the results seem to point to RA. I'll be calling a rheumatologist next week to see what he or she thinks. In the meantime, I'm on oral prednisone. Me and my adrenal glands aren't thrilled about that, but the relief is pretty sweet even if it's just temporary.
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Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Rasputin O'Leary
No cure but these may help -
No cure but these may help -
When it comes to joint and mobility issues, glucosamine and chondroitin have been the go-to natural supplement for decades. Glucosamine does an excellent job protecting cartilage, while chondroitin helps lubricate and preserve the joint. Research suggests they may also support heart health too!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: jazfish
Mike, any mention of
Mike, any mention of degenerative disc disease?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: treat island
There are dietary protocols
There are dietary protocols that have helped some people with RA. Take a (Google) look at Terry Wahl's diet for an idea of one of them - good gut health can help people with auto immune conditions. Eliminating some foods (like dairy and gluten) apparently helps. My best friend has RA and has used elimination diets and then restoration of some foods for decreasing pain and increasing mobility. It's not consistently helpful though. She has just started on Methotrexate because her RA has progressed. She's not comfortable taking pharmaceuticals, but is in the position of needing some relief, especially to help prevent further joint problems. She told me it can take weeks to work. It's a serious drug with serious possible side effects. If you want to know more about the dietary things my friend has tried, I'll ask her for info.
I want to caution you about the biologics and mono clonal antibodies. Some drugs used for some autoimmune disease like Crohn's, MS, Lupus or also some for cancers, transplants, etc can cause PML in the immunosuppressed. It's very rare, but happens. I have a knee-jerk gut reaction to any of the ones that say they may cause PML (the disease that killed Greg). You might see a commercial that says though there haven't been reported cases in trials it is possible this medication could cause PML, a fatal brain disease or that it may cause serious disabilities. Look up PML if you want to know more about it. Sorry about my reaction, it's deep and I want to make you aware of the very rare possibility.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: intentionally blank
Jaz, no mention of
Thanks, Ras.
Jaz, no mention of degenerative disc disease yet. I'm finding that the doctors I was dealing with before are kind of bozos, so I'm pretty much at the start of this process with my new primary care doc.
Thanks, judit. Those are the kinds of insights I'm looking for.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: jazfish
Good luck, pain sucks.
Good luck, pain sucks.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: El Nino
So this is a sample size of
So this is a sample size of one, but I do know a person who has had a very bad onset of RA right after getting the mRNA covid vaccine. I have no idea if there is any research on that, but it would be something you should take into account before getting a booster. Sorry you are going through it.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: intentionally blank
> a very bad onset of RA
> a very bad onset of RA right after getting the mRNA covid vaccine
Thanks, Nino. I got my Pfizer #1 and #2 vaccines back in March, but this everything hurts all the time thing didn't start until much later in the spring. Like summer almost. I'll do a little research about the mRNA thing though because RA doesn't run in my family, which it often does I'm learning.