Home Forums General Discussion Natural ideas/AP effectiveness

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  • #306480
    dixiegirl
    Participant

    I haven’t begun APs yet, but I need to do something. I have very minor RA (due to avoiding gluten and dairy), but a bad knee that is continuously swollen. So… I need help. I’ve never taken DMARDs. It’s been 2 years I’ve had swelling.
    I read The New Arthritis Breakthrough and like the ideas presented there. I have no symptoms other than joint and muscle swelling, but we have a tick farm in our backyard (tons of them… we find 1-3 a day on someone in our house all summer–there are 11 people in my family). I did take a live typhoid vaccine 4 mo before my first signs of swelling.
    I want to get rid of this swelling, but I don’t want to hurt my body in other ways. I can’t hurt my gut because I have really sensitive protein allergies. Do APs hurt your gut at all?
    Also, is there any way to naturally help get rid of infectious things like mycoplasma in addition to/instead of APs? I know about probiotics, etc. I’m asking about natural supplements that actually help destroy biofilms and attack the bacteria/virus. Any ideas? Does anything work?

    Next subject….
    How effective are APs? What percent of people experience results?
    Should I get tested for mycoplasma before I start APs?
    How could I make an AP more effective?
    I’m afraid of side-effects. Especially spots on my skin, like the book talked about. I like to be in the sun–I’m 19–and I don’t want splotches on my skin. Are they permanent? What percent of people experience this side effect?

    Sorry for shooting sooo many questions, but I need help! I feel this is a place where I’ll find it.
    Thanks!

    #362150
    PhilC
    Participant

    Hi Dixiegirl,
    @dixiegirl wrote:

    I haven’t begun APs yet, but I need to do something. I have very minor RA (due to avoiding gluten and dairy), but a bad knee that is continuously swollen. So… I need help.

    Avoiding all nightshade vegetables and all foods that contain them may also be helpful. They are: eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers of all kinds (e.g., cayenne, chili peppers, paprika, pimento, green peppers, bell peppers, sweet peppers, etc.). Foods that typically contain nightshade vegetables are catsup/ketchup (of course), barbeque sauce (of course), salad dressing, “spice,” and mayonnaise (usually contains paprika). A few brands of mayonnaise do not contain paprika, so reading a bunch of labels can sometimes pay off.

    Some additional reading material:
    The “No Nightshades” Diet

    @dixiegirl wrote:

    I want to get rid of this swelling, but I don’t want to hurt my body in other ways. I can’t hurt my gut because I have really sensitive protein allergies. Do APs hurt your gut at all?

    I wouldn’t worry about that. Most of the people I know about who have develeoped gut issues while on the AP weren’t taking any probiotics because they didn’t know they needed to, and their doctors didn’t tell them to.

    @dixiegirl wrote:

    Should I get tested for mycoplasma before I start APs?

    It could be helpful, but it is not absolutely necessary.

    @dixiegirl wrote:

    I’m afraid of side-effects. Especially spots on my skin, like the book talked about. I like to be in the sun–I’m 19–and I don’t want splotches on my skin. Are they permanent?

    The skin discoloration is mainly only a side effect of minocycline. It probably could happen with doxycycline and tetracycline, but it would be unusual if it did. So you could take doxycycline instead of minocycline if you are very concerned about that possible side effect. You will still need to avoid exposure to sunlight, though. Brief exposure would probably be fine, but sunbathing and prolonged exposure are out of the question. Some doctors will switch their patients to a different antibiotic (one that doesn’t require avoiding the sun) during the summer months, but switching antibiotics when it’s not absolutely necessary could be counterproductive.

    Is the skin discoloration permanent? Yes and no. I’ve read that it can take a long time to go away, and I’ve also read that a dermatologist can remove it using a laser.

    I’m sorry that I didn’t answer all of your questions. If I didn’t answer a particular question, it is probably because I didn’t have a good answer.

    Phil

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

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