Personal History – Teacher41

[teacher41]

After I retired from teaching and coaching at the middle and high school levels in 1995, I noticed that my on-again, off-again joint pain started becoming a real problem as I could not grip anything without pain in my hands. My finger joints started swelling and nodules appeared on both hands. I was diagnosed with RA in 1998 and started treatment with sulfasalazine. After about a year with very little improvement (I was told that I was “lucky” to have caught it before I lost more function), I read about Dr. Brown and convinced my rhemy doc to prescribe minocycline. I started taking 100mg each morning and evening and within six months my nodules were gone as well as most of the joint swelling! Any overexertion on my part would still bring on a flair (localized to a shoulder or hand) that would subside in a couple of days. After about a year on 200mg daily, I noticed black patches on my legs. My dermatologist to me to cut back on the minocycline as I was becoming extremely sun sensitive. I cut back to 100mg daily without any ill effects although I still am sun sensitive. For the past ten years, I have taken 100mg daily without any other side effects and without interaction with my heart medication ( I had a stent in 1996). I still get a flair once in a while when I do something foolish like use a hammer all day helping a neighbor frame a house, or hike ten miles!
Walt

[Author]

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