AP for RA question on dosage

[CMS12]

I am on brand Minocin. I take 100 mg. X2 MWF. Since starting back on brand Minocin from generic Minocycline in February of this year I have seen improvement but not the remarkable improvement I got in 2009 when I first started. I’m wondering if I should up my dose. I know that Trentham recommended 100 mg. X2 every day. Does anyone with RA here take that dose? I’m trying to get back to remission and have been stuck at the same place in my progress since August.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Airen]

My improvement was very slow in the beginning. I only noticed marked improvement with each dose increase. I started on the historical protocol with 100 mg, once per day on MWF. After 4 months I increased to 100 mg, once per day, every day. After 4 months I increased to 100 mg twice daily every day. I noticed huge improvements once increasing my dosage and I’m so glad I did. Very very close to remission with a RF of 17!! Thank GOD for AP!

Diagnosed with RA in October 2014, pain started in February 2014
Started AP in June 2015
Taking daily: 32.5 mg WP thyroid 6 am, 100 mg mino 9 am, 16.25 mg WP thyroid 2 pm, B Complex for MTHFR mutation 3 pm, Multivitamin 3pm, 100 bil powdered probiotics 6 pm, 5-8,000 iu Vit D 6 pm, 100 mg mino 9 pm

[PhilC]

If it would help you decide what to do, perhaps you should write to Dr. S. and ask for his opinion. But I can tell you right now that he will most likely tell you to increase your dose. I know that because that’s the advice he gave to at least a few members of this forum, including Airen. And Dr. S. is a highly experienced AP physician. Unlike many of the doctors who are willing to prescribe minocycline for RA patients, no one can say that Dr. S. prescribes daily minocycline because he doesn’t know any better.

If you are concerned about how your body might respond to a sudden increase in your mino dose, keep in mind that some people increase their dose in steps instead of all at once. I think that’s a smart approach. Although I like to err on the side of caution, the truth is that if you have been on your current dose for at least four months, and you’re handling it fine, you most likely won’t have much trouble adjusting to taking that same dose every day. So I guess what I am saying is that if a doctor advises you to increase your minocycline dose, don’t be afraid to try it.

Phil

"Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth."
- Albert Einstein

[CMS12]

Thanks so much Airen and Phil – I now feel confident to increase my dose and will report back on how it is going. I sort of intuitively knew I needed to do this, but needed some confirmation. I will start with simply increasing to T,TH, Sat, and Su an extra 100 mg., besides the MWF daily dose x2. After a month I will go to 100 mg. X2 every day until I’m back in remission which I had achieved for 4+ years.

I am open and looking forward to any other comments. Thanks again, Cindy.

[CMS12]

Hi All – I upped my Minocin dose from 100mg twice daily on MWF to Minocin twice daily MWF and once daily on TThSat and Sunday. Improving again, so that works. Thanks to all for that input.

Also, I have a years’ supply of brand Minocin but prior to receiving that I had gotten Torrant generic minocycline. I have found that the Torrant generic works just as well as the Minocin which is great news. Watson and Teva did not work for me. For those of you finding minocycline isn’t working well you may want to try Torrant if you have been unable to get Minocin.

Regards, Cindy.

[jasregadoo]

Thanks for this update, Cindy. Esp glad to hear that Torrent is working as well for you as brand Minocin. I can’t afford brand, and I’ve been taking Torrent with very good results, but always wondered if my results would be even better if I were to be able to get brand Minocin.

[Airen]

That’s great to hear Cindy! Now that I have heard from several of you that Torrent is a good one to try I have requested it at my next refill. Fingers crossed for even more improvement! Thanks for the info ladies. 🙂

Diagnosed with RA in October 2014, pain started in February 2014
Started AP in June 2015
Taking daily: 32.5 mg WP thyroid 6 am, 100 mg mino 9 am, 16.25 mg WP thyroid 2 pm, B Complex for MTHFR mutation 3 pm, Multivitamin 3pm, 100 bil powdered probiotics 6 pm, 5-8,000 iu Vit D 6 pm, 100 mg mino 9 pm

[PhilC]

Since there are two kinds of Torrent minocyline — capsules and tablets — it would be helpful to others to specify which one you are taking when mentioning that generic.

Phil

"Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth."
- Albert Einstein

[CMS12]

Hi Phil – I am taking the capsules. It surprised me that they work since I’d had so much difficulty on Teva and Watson. Hope this helps someone. If one generic doesn’t seem to be working try another but for any newcomers I would share that even Minocin did not start making a difference for me until six months of use. That first six months on antibiotic therapy is brutal so hang in there.

[Spiffy1]

I have always been told the capsules did not work as well as tablets. I just turned down Torrent capsules and kept to my 50 mgs Ranbaxy tablets…I have to take two instead of one to achieve 100 mgs so it is more expensive with more fillers. I sure wish I knew what was best.

Flare fall of 2014...muscle aches, joint pains, fatigue, hair loss, rashes, etc.
RA Factor 71 in Jan 2015 down to 25 as of September 2017
DR4/DQ8 HLA...biotoxin illness
IGG food allergy to wheat, egg, and dairy...probably all grains
Vit. C&D, probiotics, milk thistle, turmeric, fish oil, methyl b 12, methyl folate, digestive enzymes, Candisol, Ubiquinol, berberine, chlorella, Moducare, LDN, monolaurin, Triphala, Patriot Greens, Paractin
MTHFR compound heterozygous
Igenex IGM positive Lyme, minoMWF

[jasregadoo]

I’ve never tried the tablets, as they are too expensive for me. I’ve done well on the Torrent Capsules, and I did well on the Ranbaxy Capsules before. I was switched to Aurobindo capsules for awhile, and I did not do well on that. Then I was put on Actavis capsules, and I did better on those, but not as well as on Ranbaxy/Torrent. I could not get Torrent at most of the pharmacies around here, but I did find an independent pharmacist who would order it for me.

[PhilC]

Spiffy1 wrote:

I have always been told the capsules did not work as well as tablets.

That’s probably not true. What I suspect is that some people don’t do well on the powder-filled minocycline capsules for reasons unrelated to potency. Almost all powder-filled mino capsules contain corn starch, so if someone doesn’t do well on the Torrent capsules then I think that person likely has a sensitivity to corn. I have a corn sensitivity, and that’s the main reason why I take mino tablets instead of capsules.

Generally speaking, though, generic mino tablets are better than capsules because they don’t contain corn starch or synthetic dyes. Unfortunately, for some unknown reason they are usually a lot more expensive than the capsules.

Phil

"Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth."
- Albert Einstein

[Spiffy1]

Good to know. I have a moderate IGE response to corn. I made the right decision then. I think I will move to PAR unless I can find Torrent in 100 mgs form next time. They are much smaller so seems would have less fillers and I would only have to take two instead of four which would cut down on expense.

Flare fall of 2014...muscle aches, joint pains, fatigue, hair loss, rashes, etc.
RA Factor 71 in Jan 2015 down to 25 as of September 2017
DR4/DQ8 HLA...biotoxin illness
IGG food allergy to wheat, egg, and dairy...probably all grains
Vit. C&D, probiotics, milk thistle, turmeric, fish oil, methyl b 12, methyl folate, digestive enzymes, Candisol, Ubiquinol, berberine, chlorella, Moducare, LDN, monolaurin, Triphala, Patriot Greens, Paractin
MTHFR compound heterozygous
Igenex IGM positive Lyme, minoMWF

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