Minocycline in Arthritis Foundation News Magazine

[bonnielou]

Does anyone else get the Arthritis Foundation newsletter called RA Today? It was in today's mail. On page 7 as a feature “Ask The Experts – Medical Consult”. Here is a transcription:

“I've heard about treatment for rheumatoid arthritis using antibiotics. How does it work and would it work for me?

Antibiotics are small chemical compounds that have been shown to be effective in the treatment of bacterial infections. There have been controlled clinical studies that have shown that some RA patients can have modest improvements in disease activity with daily (or more frequent) ingestion of broad-spectrum antibiotics, although other studies have not supported this. Yet, evidence of clinical improvement with an antibiotic does not alone prove that clinical response is linked to the antibacterial properties of the medication.

The best evidence may be for minocycline, a member of the tetracycline family, but efficacy levels in general are not comparable to other current agents, like methotrexate, which are widely used to treat RA. Minocycline has powerful anti-inflammatory activity for human immune cells unrelated to the pathways by which it inhibits the growth of infectious pathogens. In any case, while some recent studies demonstrated that adult RA patients can derive clinical improvement with minocycline, there was no evidence that such treatments halted the erosions and destruction of joints as seen on x-rays. Keep in mind that there are other equally or more effectice therapeutic choices available. Also important, there are concerns that chronic daily antibiotic administration, even if it provides benefits for RA, might have other risks. So, to best understand whether an antibiotic can help your arthritis, you should discuss the risks and potential benefits with your doctor.”

Bonnie Lou
RA 02/07,AP 10/07
Minocycline 200mg MWF; Plaquenil 100mg 3 days/week
Fish Oil, Ubiquinol, Turmeric, Vit C (2 grams) , MultiVit, Magnesium, Astaxanthin, D3 (5000), probiotics and a daily dose of yoga!

[Maz]

[user=61]bonnielou[/user] wrote:

Minocycline has powerful anti-inflammatory activity for human immune cells unrelated to the pathways by which it inhibits the growth of infectious pathogens. In any case, while some recent studies demonstrated that adult RA patients can derive clinical improvement with minocycline, there was no evidence that such treatments halted the erosions and destruction of joints as seen on x-rays.

Keep in mind that there are other equally or more effectice therapeutic choices available. Also important, there are concerns that chronic daily antibiotic administration, even if it provides benefits for RA, might have other risks. So, to best understand whether an antibiotic can help your arthritis, you should discuss the risks and potential benefits with your doctor.”

Thanks for sharing, Bonnie. I've seen this schpiel or similar on the ACR website. The Arthritis Foundation has substantial big pharma sponsorship, so little wonder that they have a vested interest in promoting conventionally-used rheumatologic drugs.

While daily dosing of minocycline does have some anti-inflam and immune-modulatory effects, this does not explain those who do very low pulsed dosing (100mg MWF, which is less than 1/4 of the dose of the Harvard Protocol – 100mg twice a day – generally prescribed by rheumies) nor the herxheimer phenomenon experienced by many RAers. So, as much as the Arthritis Fdn would like to ignore or dispel the notion of infectious causes, it really makes no sense what they are saying when so many do so well on such low therapeutic, pulsed doses of minocycline or other antibiotics…in fact, many RAers actually do better on lower, pulsed doses and can't tolerate daily dosing.

Also, the studies that have been conducted on minocycline have been rather short in duration. This is a longterm therapy and no one expects overnight remissions or guarantees of no joint damage. RA is still RA and it takes time for AP to kick in. However, there is hope of acheiving drug-free remission in time and this isn't an option with any of the conventionally-used meds.

Of course, you know all this as an old-timer, but maybe worth noting some of this stuff for newcomers? 😉

Peace, Maz

[A Friend]

[user=61]bonnielou[/user] wrote:

Does anyone else get the Arthritis Foundation newsletter called RA Today? It was in today's mail. On page 7 as a feature “Ask The Experts – Medical Consult”. Here is a transcription:

“I've heard about treatment for rheumatoid arthritis using antibiotics. How does it work and would it work for me?…………

Bonnielou,

While I didn't get the newsletter, I've read other such “distorted” accounts of treatments, and what is and is not appropriate treatment, what works and does not work, what is indicated and not indicated.  Especially after about 18-20 years of all this, I admit to not only being more than a bit cynical about anything related to such articles, but also have to curb myself to keep from gritting my teeth!  :angry:

The following content is a bit like comparing oranges to apples, but it can make a point about how the truth about treatment recommendations is often distorted. 

[Maz, please feel free to delete my post here if you think it's a bit “over the top.” It won't hurt my feelings. AF]

It's from a recent Dr. Mercola Newsletter, and is an interview between him and Dr. Golomb.  I found her expose' of the distortion of facts reassuring … that there are some in the medical field who are fearlessly addressing misdeeds.  I found the oral interview a bit hard to hear/understand, so have pasted the link to the Interview Transcript.  

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/06/12/beatrice-golomb-interview.aspx
[below is copied/pasted from the newsletter]

Download the Interview Transcript

Here, Dr. Beatrice Golomb, MD, PhD, shares shocking information about the underbelly of medical science to help you understand how, and why, the “scientific method” has become so manipulated and willfully distorted by the drug industry.
 
[end of excerpt from newsletter]

[Jan Lucinda1]

As has been said, unfortunately , the AF is very tied to BIg Pharma, all their ads are Big Pharma ads.  I don't see them as being objective in reports.

[A Friend]

[user=2445]Jan Lucinda1[/user] wrote:

As has been said, unfortunately , the AF is very tied to BIg Pharma, all their ads are Big Pharma ads.  I don't see them as being objective in reports.

Jan, I was puzzled for a few seconds when I read your post… then realized both the foundation and I share the same AF initials.  Yes, Jan, they are closely tied together. 

AF

[Jan Lucinda1]

[user=28]A Friend[/user] wrote:

[user=2445]Jan Lucinda1[/user] wrote:

As has been said, unfortunately , the AF is very tied to BIg Pharma, all their ads are Big Pharma ads.  I don't see them as being objective in reports.

Jan, I was puzzled for a few seconds when I read your post… then realized both the foundation and I share the same AF initials.  Yes, Jan, they are closely tied together. 

AF

A Friend-

Sorry for the confusion.   In the future, I will write out Arthritis Foundation.

Jan

[A Friend]

Jan, that was a semi-joke… no problem with your post … I was just a bit slow digesting the double AF's. 

AF

[Author]

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