Checking in

[darling787]

Hi All. My AP doctor is finally ready with my treatment plan . I have not been officially diagnosed with anything as of yet but she wants me to start Mino 2 x a day. I originally became very ill back in June following root canals ( fevers, throat infections, deep muscle aches). I was on over 10 antibiotics and nothing was helping. Since extracting all 3 root canals by a biological dentist in early October I’ve gotten about 50% better. My biggest symptoms are fatigue and muscle pain (pain not as severe)..I feel like I was getting better quickly and recently hit a plateau.

She also wants me to take charcoal. I do not feel comfortable doing this since I still have metal fillings.

I am currently taking the following supplements: Oil of Oregano, Colloidal Silver , Glutathione liposome, Vitamins D, C, Multi, b12 , b complex, and fish oil.

I am looking for support. The fatigue and depression from all of this is unbearable at times. I am in my late twenties living in NYC and is very difficult to watch all my friends function like normal human beings while I can barely hang onto my job. I am also starting to drink more alcohol because of my depression. I could really use some support. I am so afraid I will never get better. Part of me thinks a large aspect of this could be emotional. I was under an extraordinary amount of stress before getting sick. Does anyone else feel this way?

Healing and Love to all.

Sick since July 2015 with deep muscle aches, fatigue, and ongoing throat infections. Since July was on 10 different abx .Found AP doc for long-term abx therapy in Jan 2016. Started Mino and other herbals. About 60% better. Positive for mycoplasma, strep (ASO 400), and possibly lyme. Current Meds: Vit C, D, b12, Glutatione, l-glutamine, colloidal silver, fish oil, magnesium, multi, herbal tincture with cats claw , Oregon grape, blessed thistle...mino 2/16-3/16 now trying penicllin

[Linda L]

Darling
Since extracting all 3 root canals by a biological dentist,
What does it mean? Have you had all 3 teeth extracted or you had the new root canal treatments?
Linda L

RA tried everything: Methotraxate, Arava, Humira. Pneumonia three times. Anemia. Very low iron. Hypothyroidism
AP from April 2014 till August 2015. No luck.
Current medications: Natural thyroid, Mobic, supplements,
vitamins and minerals.
MTHFR heterozygous

[Maz]

Hi Darling,

Glad to hear you’re finally on your road back. I know you’ve taken a circuitous route to get to this point, but it’s not unusual for folks to take some time to find their comfort place with treatment and do hope your new doc is going to work for you. The depression and pain are par for the course in the early days, I’m sorry to say, but when you get a chance to read the book, Dr. Brown talks about how the depression is often the first thing to lift. It may take some months yet, but you’ll get there. These diseases are life-altering in so many ways and it’s tough-going no matter where we are in life’s journey. My kids had just grown up, I was as fit as I could be for the first time in a long time, finally had the time to work out with a trainer on a regular basis. I had just completed a degree and was excited to begin a career in my mid-40s after being a stay-at-home Mom….then, all hell broke loose and I was bed-ridden for months, unable to move without excruciating pain. The only thing that didn’t hurt was to breathe and swallow. I was so brain-fogged, I’d get up and shuffle to the kitchen, each step a nightmare of shooting and broken glass pain, then forget what I got up for. It’s very depressing and I hate to re-live it now, but I did get past all that and, although my diagnosis was sudden, swift onset RA, I now function pretty well. There have been hiccups and I had to have my thyroid removed in late summer, but now slowly getting back on my feet again as the replacement hormones get balanced.

You’ve taken some great steps to begin your journey already and now it will take some patience to let the meds kick in. There might be some herxing, which will seem interminable…more pain and depression that requires detoxing (likely the reason the activated charcoal was prescribed), but once that lifts it is little steps to feeling well again and the protocol might need some tweaking along the way.

Did you have any abnormal labs at all?

[MLTelfer]

Have faith and remain strong. I understand your fear that you may not get better and the uncertainty, but I assure you – better days are ahead!

[darling787]

Thank you all who replied . The abnormal test results are a high aso titer of 350 which came down from 400 from June . I also have band 18 and 41 of the Lyme western blot positive . Lastly my mycoplasma pneomia igg is 725. She just retook that one to see if it rises and only then does she feel it’s significant . She wants to start with the mino for a few weeks before adding anything else in. Is that normal? Based on my aso I would think I need a penicillin but she said she wants to hold off to see how I do with the mino first . Thanks for the encouragement .

Sick since July 2015 with deep muscle aches, fatigue, and ongoing throat infections. Since July was on 10 different abx .Found AP doc for long-term abx therapy in Jan 2016. Started Mino and other herbals. About 60% better. Positive for mycoplasma, strep (ASO 400), and possibly lyme. Current Meds: Vit C, D, b12, Glutatione, l-glutamine, colloidal silver, fish oil, magnesium, multi, herbal tincture with cats claw , Oregon grape, blessed thistle...mino 2/16-3/16 now trying penicllin

[darling787]

Linda: to answer your question I had three teeth that were previously root canalrd extracted . My symptoms had a swift onset after getting root canals for the first time and my doc felt it was all related . Strangely enough I feel about 50% better since getting them out .

Sick since July 2015 with deep muscle aches, fatigue, and ongoing throat infections. Since July was on 10 different abx .Found AP doc for long-term abx therapy in Jan 2016. Started Mino and other herbals. About 60% better. Positive for mycoplasma, strep (ASO 400), and possibly lyme. Current Meds: Vit C, D, b12, Glutatione, l-glutamine, colloidal silver, fish oil, magnesium, multi, herbal tincture with cats claw , Oregon grape, blessed thistle...mino 2/16-3/16 now trying penicllin

[darling787]

Does anyone have any input on those results? Should I start penicillin ASAP since my ASO is still escalated? Thank you!

Sick since July 2015 with deep muscle aches, fatigue, and ongoing throat infections. Since July was on 10 different abx .Found AP doc for long-term abx therapy in Jan 2016. Started Mino and other herbals. About 60% better. Positive for mycoplasma, strep (ASO 400), and possibly lyme. Current Meds: Vit C, D, b12, Glutatione, l-glutamine, colloidal silver, fish oil, magnesium, multi, herbal tincture with cats claw , Oregon grape, blessed thistle...mino 2/16-3/16 now trying penicllin

[Maz]

darling787 wrote:

The abnormal test results are a high aso titer of 350 which came down from 400 from June . I also have band 18 and 41 of the Lyme western blot positive . Lastly my mycoplasma pneomia igg is 725. She just retook that one to see if it rises and only then does she feel it’s significant . She wants to start with the mino for a few weeks before adding anything else in. Is that normal? Based on my aso I would think I need a penicillin but she said she wants to hold off to see how I do with the mino first .

Does anyone have any input on those results? Should I start penicillin ASAP since my ASO is still escalated? Thank you!

Hi Darling,

Sorry to have missed your reply above. It’s a challenge to offer peer insight on test results without the respective reference ranges for ASO titer or any other test without a normal ref range, as different labs use different parameters for measurement. With Lyme tests, it’s also helpful to know which lab was used and results for both IgM and IgG – e.g. was a standard lab used, like Quest or LabCorp or was the test run through IGeneX? You’ll find helpful links for interpretation of the IGeneX Lyme western blot in the FAQs, under FAQ #34.

Penicillins can’t be used alongside tetracyclines, because the minocycline will reduce the effectiveness of the penicillin. See Drugs.com to check for all drug interactions:

http://www.drugs.com/interactions-check.php?drug_list=187-0,1636-0

The way Dr. Brown dosed people with rheumatic diseases and who also had strep was to pulse dose the tetracycline and then use a penicillin, like ampicillin, on alternate days. However, if your doc is considering the possibility of Lyme, this bug is a very different kettle of fish and high dose antibiotics will be needed. In that sort of scenario a combination protocol, such as minocycline and azithromycin would be used, because azithromycin is a broad spectrum macrolide that hits cell-walled organisms and cell wall deficient organisms and is used for both Lyme and strep. Resistant strep and Lyme forms do better with combination therapies and also help to reduce resistance.

It is not uncommon for docs to trial one antibiotic first, for instance, to (a) gauge patient tolerance and to ensure there are no allergic reactions and (b) look for signs of herxing, which can be a helpful indicator that the medication is working. Lyme docs have, in the past, slammed patient with high dose combination protocols (because Lyme is so pleomorphic – a shape-shifter when under duress), but now many LLMDs are realizing that quality of life for the patient is important, too…i.e. “kill the bugs, not the patient.” Also, it can take a very long time to reduce chronic strep and ASO titers, so a measured approach makes sense in this light, too. An early candida infection in the gut or some other type of reaction can delay and prolong treatment, if not.

Hope the above might provide some ideas to discuss with your doc, Darling.

[darling787]

Hi Maz! Thank you so much the above was extremely helpful.

My Lyme test was though Igenex labs. My IGM results were : 18+ and 41+ and the IGG 41++ all other bands for both were negative or indeterminate. I was reading through the links but they are hard for me to wrap my head around! My doc also said she was not able to definitively say I had lyme or anything else so I’m feeling pretty discouraged.

I started on the mino twice per day yesterday and so far feel okay. I am very concerned about my ASO level at 350 still ( normal is 200 or less).

Thanks again.

Sick since July 2015 with deep muscle aches, fatigue, and ongoing throat infections. Since July was on 10 different abx .Found AP doc for long-term abx therapy in Jan 2016. Started Mino and other herbals. About 60% better. Positive for mycoplasma, strep (ASO 400), and possibly lyme. Current Meds: Vit C, D, b12, Glutatione, l-glutamine, colloidal silver, fish oil, magnesium, multi, herbal tincture with cats claw , Oregon grape, blessed thistle...mino 2/16-3/16 now trying penicllin

[PhilC]

Hi,

darling787 wrote:

She also wants me to take charcoal. I do not feel comfortable doing this since I still have metal fillings.

I can’t see any way that charcoal would have any effect on your fillings. Why do you think it would be a problem?

darling787 wrote:

Part of me thinks a large aspect of this could be emotional. I was under an extraordinary amount of stress before getting sick. Does anyone else feel this way?

Stress weakens the immune system and makes one more vulnerable to infection. That’s probably the reason why many people develop a rheumatic disease during or shortly after a stressful period in their lives.

Phil

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

[Author]

Posts