Dupuytren contractures?

[BG]

I’m curious, have any of you experienced Dupuytren contractures in your hands after starting AP?

If so, did AP cause them or eventually resolve them?

The reason I ask is because I have developed the contractures in my hands in the past two months. My rheumatologist said they probably aren’t related to everything else going on, which was real helpful 😕 , so I spent a lot of time researching it to try to understand what caused them and what to expect going forward. I found that a very high percentage of people with HIV develop them (30% or more) and because of that some researchers think they are due to excessive free radical damage. This is important because if the use of antibiotics results in bacterial die off and a build up of toxins in the system and then excessive free radical damage, there might be something I can do to lessen the free radical damage and alleviate or cure the contractures. Any ideas about how best to lessen free radical damage????

Barb

[gordbentley]

3 cups of green tea per day. thats how i roll 😀

[BG]

Good morning Gord,

I have used tons of antioxidants over the years, including green tea, but haven’t used green tea lately. I’m currenly using the following USP verified supplements: fish oil and a multivitamin or fish oil and D3, B-Complex, B-6, B-12 and folic acid plus ample amounts of vitamin C. Maybe it’s time to resume using green tea.

Does it have a shelf life? I have some remnants of high quality green tea that’s several years old but it still looks and smells good.

Barb

[gordbentley]

no green tea usually doesnt unless it molds. if it goes moldy you would know im sure. im not even sure mold can grow on green tea because it is very helpful in the treatment of candida. goji berries are also very potent antioxidants, and the and most enjoyable antioxidant….. “drumroll” RED WINE!!!! GOTTA LOVE RED WINE!

[JOJO19551]

I have Dupuytren’s for several years. It happened a few month after I was diagnosed with scleroderma. It is now curing two of my fingers. I was at a hand surgeon on Tuesday and am having hand surgery on 3/29. He will only do one finger at a time so I will need another surgery in 3 to 6 months. He claims the last scleroderma patient had a tough time healing so he wants to do one at a time. There is a newer procedure out there but he does not agree with it, same opinion of another hand surgeon that one of my scleroderma friends went to see. The bumps are hardened collagen, according to the surgeon.

JoAnn

[Maz]

Hi Barb,

I have a Dupuytren’s nodule on my left palm, under my ring finger. My Dad (now 85) also has had one in exactly the same place for decades, but on his right hand. He’s never suffered from any type of rheumatic disease and seems it’s unrelated, thought to be genetic and very prevalent amongst northern europeans and those of descent, hence why it’s also dubbed “Viking’s disease.” You’ll find a pretty thorough discussion we had before on Joann’s thread here which has some really good links…I loved the one Trudi posted:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3175&hilit=dupuytren

I agree with your doc that the new shots for Dupuytren’s should have black box warnings on them for anyone with a rheumatic disease. I shared some info on this in the link above. The shots are made from the collagenase harvested from a pathogen called, Clostridium histolyticum, which is more powerful than the human equivalent. Why would any of us want to inject an enzyme (from a microbe) that is known to break down cartilage and intefere with collagen when we have these diseases to start with?

The way I’ve contolled my Dupuytren’s nodule from getting any bigger is to use NAC (N-acetylcysteine) and Neprinol, systemic enzymes, which are thought to break down fibrotic tissues. My nodule hasn’t increased in size nor have I developed any of the cords that cause contracture. It’s been 4 years since I first noticed it in my palm. The only thing I should caution with systemic enzymes is that they do thin the blood as they have some effect on fibrin, which causes blood clotting. So, products such as these need to be stopped prior to any surgery, well in advance. Green tea and aspirin are others that should not be taken prior to a surgery for the same reason. 😉 They should also not be taken at the same time as any blood-thinning medications, like coumadin or heparin. Quite a few people here are using systemic enzymes, such as Neprinol or Serrakor-NK for their SD, as it these are considered additional supports for reducing inflam, skin softening, breaking up bio-films, etc. NAC is used by those with cystic fibrosis and some here use it for lung fibrosis. It’s a precursor to glutathione, which is one of the body’s master detoxifiers, manufactured in the liver.

I know it’s a very difficult decision for anyone with scleroderma whether or not to have a surgery. The resulting scar tissue can be just as bad as the condition itself. What would your hand surgeon say about putting it off for a year or two until you are closer to remission? Has this been a consideration for you?

[Jan Lucinda1]

I was diagnosed with dupytren’s 10 years before getting RA. It is mild. My cousin’s husband, an M.D., also has a mild case. He has no AI disease.

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