Home Forums General Discussion minocin without IV clindamycin good results?

  • This topic has 12 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 16 years ago by Maz.
Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)
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  • #300012
    Dee
    Participant

    Is there anyone who has started minocycline AP without first having IV and have you had good results?  Should I make sure I have IV first?

    #310737
    stwig
    Participant

    My rheumatologist told me that she does not believe in antibiotic treatment of RA. I told her that if she did not write the prescription for me to try it, that I would simply go to another doctor. She caved in, all the while smirking and saying when it does not work you will need to take the methotrexate.

    I started the minocycline, 100mg MWF, almost 5 weeks ago. I am starting to see some progress. My fingers and wrists are still a little swollen and stiff, but my shoulders and knees are now pain free and 100% mobile. I am totally optimistic that in another month or so my hands will also be better.

    I should state that my RA condition is only 7 months long, and as such I am probably seeing a faster recovery than people who have suffered for years and years. Thank GOD that I found this web site and all the wonderful encouraging people who write on it each day as soon as I did.

    Best of luck for a fast recovery
    Starla

    #310738
    JeffN
    Participant

    Dee I don't know what you suffer from but I have SD and have been on Mino 100mg twice a day seven days a week for fourteen months no IVs. I have had good result so far. Not to say don't get IVs but I have had good luck without.

    #310739
    roserdRA
    Participant

    I started Generic Mino 6 months after onset of symptoms (first in my foot- I ignored it) and 3 months later I was flat on my back! All finger and hand joints,wrists, elbows, shoulders, knees and ball of both feet where painful and swollen. I had throat pain and left jaw pain as well. All kind of moved around, but hands where swollen and wrists where bad (tenosynovitis made me sleep with braces!) It took me about 20 minutes every morning to just get out of bed. I slid down the stairs on my butt. After a while my right elbow locked and I couldn't stretch it out anymore.That all happened between Oct.06 (foot started), Jan.07 (rest started).

    I found info about AP after I saw my first rheumy and got dx'ed in Jan. 07.

    Mid April 07 I coaxed a prescription of Minocycline out of my Primary Care Doc. I had already seen  that  Rheumy – refused Methotrexate etc.

    I started Mino Mid April 07 100mg 2xday. I herxed with a 3 week rash and some initial hick-up with dizziness etc. All went away and never came back.

     After 6 weeks I was able to quit ANY pain-meds! Got up in the mornings with no problems. Still hurt , but was bearable. Sat everything out with no pain-meds. Found Rheumy (Thank's to Roadback!) in June, that kept me on Mino. Bloodwork OK. Antibodies continually dropping.

    My status today. Back to my normal life and experiencing only very light “Quirks” in wrists and elbows- There is absolutely no evidence in swelling anymore and absolutly no sign of RA in any other places of my body- no matter how I pull, squeeze or bend! LOL

    Will I beat this??? OF COURSE!!!!!

     

     

    #310740
    Maz
    Keymaster

    Hi Dee,

    In retrospect – and hindsight is always a fine thing – I would choose differently and would definitely do the IV therapy to jumpstart progress, simply because I had a very severe case of swift onset RA, every joint affected and laid up for months. People for whom their RA or other rheumatoid disease is not as severe or entrenched (many years on other meds), oral AP is very successful. That's not to say that people who are severe don't respond to orals…some can and do, as RoseRD above just described and each on of us responds differently. I just think I would have turned mine around faster had I started out on IVs.

    Mind you, being in the state I was at the beginning, I don't know how I would have made it to Iowa to see Dr S, either….I think my poor hubby would have had to charter a medicvac and had me airlifted on a gurney! 😯 

    Peace, Maz

    #310741
    Randy
    Participant

    I have been on minocycline for 7 wks and today began minocin. In 3 hrs I also begin my first day of a week of clindamycin AP IV. Although I am certainly already noticing some small improvements from the minocycline, I can assure you that I was so jacked about starting mino and the IVs today that it kept me awake a bit last night with excitment.  Go AP!!

    Randy

    Diffuse SD since Apr '07
    AP since Feb '08
    100mg Mino twice daily
    Stopped Clindamycin IVs Aug 2019
    "No one should profit over someone else's illness"

    #310742
    stwig
    Participant

    Randy,
    Minocycline Hydrochloride, also referred to as minocycline is no longer patent protected and is sold under several trade names. Minocin is one of those trade names.

    I do not think there is any chemical difference between minocycline and minocin.

    If someone has a reference saying otherwise I would love to read it. I am trying to learn as much as possible at this point.

    Starla

    #310743
    Randy
    Participant

    Starla,

    My AP doc told me that minocin is pelatized, versus powdered, and that helps minimize damage to the esophogus (for us SD patients who need to try to protect our esophogus).  Also, he said that minocin is 30-40% stronger and has proven more effective….I sort of wonder about the 30-40% stronger, when you consider this protocol is referred to as low-dose AP….if stronger is better, than why not use more or a stronger AP?????  e.g., 200mg vs 100mg doses……

    But, if it has worked and does work (and I know it has and does)  than I can accept his direction.

    Randy

    Diffuse SD since Apr '07
    AP since Feb '08
    100mg Mino twice daily
    Stopped Clindamycin IVs Aug 2019
    "No one should profit over someone else's illness"

    #310744
    stwig
    Participant

    Hi Randy,
    Thanks for the information. I wonder if being pelatized makes it more like a time released formula, giving a more constant amount in the blood stream versus a spike from the powder?

    Good information to know,
    Thanks
    Starla

    #310745
    JeffN
    Participant

    I'll buy the pelitized part being better for you – seems to make sense. I'm not sure about the 30 to 40% stronger like Randy said why don't they up the dose for generic. Hey whatever works.

    #310746
    Dee
    Participant

    I am very happy to get all of your responses.  I will have find a doctor for the IV so I am going to try the oral first.  I was glad to have someone else not seeing a rheumy.  The one I had did want to try any thing and I just gave up and have been living on over the counter meds until now.  RA is not what most other people think it is.  Friends don't seem to understand how bad I really feel.  I just have hope that the minocycline will work.  Thank you all. 

    #310747
    marg
    Participant

    Dee, my daughter developed sudden, severe RA 2 years ago. Within 3 months she started Minocin and after a short time of adjusting dosage, she had really good results fairly quickly.

    Within 6 months she was in remission ( not cured!) and continues to lead a normal life for the most part. She has never had IV's.

    I wish you speedy healing!

    #310748
    Maz
    Keymaster

    [user=241]Dee[/user] wrote:

    I am very happy to get all of your responses.  I will have find a doctor for the IV so I am going to try the oral first.  I was glad to have someone else not seeing a rheumy.  The one I had did want to try any thing and I just gave up and have been living on over the counter meds until now.  RA is not what most other people think it is.  Friends don't seem to understand how bad I really feel.  I just have hope that the minocycline will work.  Thank you all. 

    Hi Dee…you can add me to the non-rheumy list, too! After researching all the possible RA meds, I decided to take the abx therapy route and haven't look back, although the first few months of herxing were something else. This is not to frighten you, but just to let you know that some people can and do worsen before things begin to turn around. It's actually considered to be a good sign. :sick:…and I can now affirm that it definitely is! 😀

    You're right about RA not being as simple as most people think. It's a systemic disease that pretty much affects you in every way – not only physically, but mentally, emotionally and even spiritually. You will find many here who understand completely, so whenever you feel down, you know where you can come to find other folk who will rally round to support and cheer you on.

    Hang in there…your road back to wellness has just begun and one day you will look back in disbelief, just as I and many others here have done, at just how far you've traveled!

    Peace, Maz

     

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