Adult Stem Cells stop Rheumatoid Arthritis!

[Susan LymeRA]

I am researching stem cell therapy and rheumatoid arthritis and came across this news article out of Vermont.  It says “A review of hundreds of trials found in some patients adult stem cells have stopped auto-immune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis”

Anyone else heard about this?

[Suzanne]

Someone who had this posts on arthritisinsight.com as stemcells4me.  She has a Caringbridge site with her whole story, too.  From what I understand, it wasn't an easy treatment, but she is completely symptom free now and takes no meds and very pleased with the outcome.

Mom of teen daughter with Poly JIA since age 2. Current med: azithromycin 250 mg MWF.

[Susan LymeRA]

Wow Suzanne!  That sounds exciting.

As for the difficulty in the treatment, I'll go through just about anything to stop this disease.

I'm off to read her story now. 

Thank you!!

Susan

[Robin K]

Yes, I have followed StemCell4Me's story. They took stem cells from her neck and used them to cure her BUT FIRST she had to go through super heavy duty chemotherapy to totally fry her immune system. then the stem cells were injected and her immune system built back up. So far she's still cured but the cure rate from this procedure is not 100%. Some people are okay for a few years but then the RA comes back (I think the rate was somewhere around 30% have it return?).

I have also heard accounts of people doing chemotherapy for cancer when they are in the early stages of RA and the heavy duty chemo knocks the RA out. (For the record, I don't think the chemo is what cured StemCell4Me—her RA was very advanced). So it's known you can actually get rid of it in the early stages but because the chemo is so hard and awful it's not considered an option in treating RA. I wish they would ask the patients, though, because I think i would be willing to endure a bout of debilitating chemo to get rid of this for good, and I'm doing pretty good on my current therapy!

[superperroRA]

See earlier thread
http://www.rbfbb.org/view_topic.php?id=316

[krazykrow]

maybe the chemo killed the L Bacteria or majority of them, along with killing the

immune system. Chemo just about kills everything. I know that you have to

qualify for stem cell, its not just an option for us and the expense is

enormous.

[lynnie_sydney]

methotrexate is chemotherapy. It is used to treat cancer. It is just used in low doses as an RA treatment.

Be well! Lynnie

Palindromic RA 30 yrs (Chronic Lyme?)
Mino 2003-2008 100mg MWF - can no longer tolerate any tetracyclines
rotating abx protocol now. From Sep 2018 MWF - a.m. Augmentin Duo 440mg + 150mg Biaxsig (roxithromycin). p.m. Cefaclor (375mg) + Klacid 125mg + LDN 3mg + Annual Clindy IV's
Diet: no gluten, dairy, sulphites, low salicylates
Supps: 600mg N-AC BID, 1000mg Vit C, P5P 40mg, zinc picolinate 60mg, Lithium orotate 20mg, Magnesium Oil, Bio-identical hormones (DHEA + Prog + Estrog)

[steph-sclero]

Superperro,

Considering that thread concerning Stem Cells was quite a discussion I don't know how anyone could have missed it. Have a look at it guys. The whole stem cell therapy can/is used for all sorts of autoimmune diseases. In the future, I believe this treatment will be the norm. in curing these diseases long term without having to remain on any sort of med's for the rest of their/our lives. Very exciting and of course very scary.

Peace,

Steph

[Susan LymeRA]

Whoa, Nelly.  I guess there is a limit to what I am willing to do.  I am just not in that bad a shape yet.

Steph,  I missed it because on April 22, my horse gave birth to her first foal and within 2 days had completely rejected it, so since it's birth, my husband and I have been taking turns getting up every 2 hrs nightly and I handled the dayshift by myself.  Thankfully, our nearby Vet School at Virginia Tech advised me of a powdered milk foal feed that can be prepared and left out for 12 hrs at a time for the foal to free feed.  That brought about great relief in our schedule allowing us to sleep, but still the baby can't just be left alone for too long so our free time is spent with her.

She is a beauty and I will post pics if I can ever find my digital camera.

Susan

[Todula]

I have researched this option through northwestern university hospital. The use of ones own stems cells is the safe way but has a high recur rate. They have performed transplants using a donor cells which is more dangerous and rejection is a possibility but the few that have been done have a much higher remission rate. But, I thought I would go through anything to fix this RA problem until I read the packet. I will wait a little longer. very difficult treatment. Central lines kept in your chest for I think months. Also central lines to be put in your neck. Months away from home, avoiding your children because of potential infections for a long time. This is just a brief recolection. They I mentioned to my rheumy and he said”you don't want to do that for RA” which I did not ask his reasoning. Where could I post the packet on here? Oh, there's an attachment spot below. I'll scan it maybe tomorrow. But you have to be in bad shape and failed all other treatments to qualify.

[steph-sclero]

Susan,

Hi! What a sad story about your orphaned foal and what an undertaking you guy's have been thrown into. I wish the foal better days a head and yourselves strength. Do post pic's of the darling sweetie. You must be rung out. Don't forget to take care of you. Yes, the risks for the stem cell procedure are incredible. But just when you think you're sick enough to take those risks they will tell you either are not sick enough or too sick. Very frustrating acceptance parameters. Personally when they think it's time I fear most people would be to low and at further risk of complications. You also have to prove that regular med's didn't work for you, good luck on that one (they say yes and we'll say no).

All the best,

Steph

[Joe M]

Hi

I first heard of this years ago, and corresponded with the Dr. at Northwestern who was leading up the program (Dr. Burt I think).  The mortality rate for these procedures is around 10 – 20%.  I always think of it in terms of flying – if I knew the plane had a one in ten chance of going down, I probably wouldn't get on.  It makes sense that patients must fail all other therapies before undergoing this procedure, because fatal side effects from biologics and other DMARDS are extremely rare.  

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