RA and AP Good News

[tiffany]

Haven’t been here on this site in a while….waiting for some results to post that were positive. I’m on the AP doing the entire process myself (using all the information I’ve gleaned from this website…thank God y’all are here!). I’ve had this RA now for 6-1/2 years and at least 90% of the swelling/agony appears in my right hand (minimal left hand), and right foot (at least 3 toes).

IMHO everyone with RA or a chronic infectious disease should most definitely be on the AP process. It has helped me so much that my R-hand now feels as good as it did 3 years into the RA disease. Started the AP Sept 1, 2010 (Minocin Generic..best one I could locate) and was up to speed at 300 mg/wk by month end. Had to go off the AP for 4 wks due to an overseas trip. Had a huge huge flareup at that point. Restarted the AP (slowly as outlined in your discussion forums). Have now been on the full 300 mg protocol for 4 months and the remission/changes have been simply remarkable. Can’t wait to tell my Rheumy which I won’t see again until end of March. Won’t he be surprised! Think I’m a test case for this rheumy? He’s still doing all the blood work for me as long as I’m still on Methotrexate, with the goal of discontinuing this drug (stopped the Placquenil in July of 2010). My Rheumy did not give me the prescrip for Minocin Generic my Integrated Medicine Dr did. My Rheumy did give me the “go ahead” to do the AP even though he has no other patients doing AP. My IM Dr didn’t think it’d work, ha ha to her.

My fingers don’t hurt nearly as much as they always did (like someone smacking my fingers with a hammer hurt). Along with the AP, I completely changed my diet. No factory food, coconut oil for cooking, butter for the same, Krill oil, flax oil, chlorella, natto, tumeric for pain (works and worked fabulously), niaicin, B12, ubiquinol, alpha linoleic acid with Vit C, Vit D, selenium,
Vit E, GSE, folic acid, magnesium powder, good probiotic, super enriched honey, Whey protein isolate, a liquid yogourt called Kefir…..and most of all no factory sugars (which includes but not limited to: regular white sugar, HFCS and anything ending in “ose”) actually “dumped” at least 90% of the sugar from my daily diet. Didn’t eliminate any types of meats or cheeses. Do not use any “factory” margarine no matter who makes it (loaded with nickel, it is) only butter on my bread. Did not eliminate white bread as I don’t seem to have a problem with it (I make my own “No Knead” bread with nonbleached/nonbrominated nonsuper enriched flour from King Arthur Flour). Have more energy than I know what to do with. Seems like a whole lot of “supplements”, and I suppose it is, but they all seem to help me as I can tell by how I feel. Hopefully some day I can take less supplements but don’t see that happening at my Senior Citizen Age (70) unless our Govt takes them away as they are doing in United Kingdom.

If I can mention this, there is another book I read (as well as the two recommended books on this foundation site): Overcoming Arthritis (See How Holistic Treatments Can Cure Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Other Conditions) by Dr. David Brownstein, M.D. This book only confirmed the two recommended readings and really cinched my commitment to the AP.

So, I’m on the Road Back and what a lovely road it is! Thanks for everyone that administors this site, all the people that post accomplishments and recommendations and thanks so much for even having this website. Absolutely don’t know where I’d be without y’all. I’m more than thrilled with my progress and I’m glad I paid attention to the other “posters” and just hung in there until I noticed results (which were very very small but continuous).

Thanks so much for being there (for me and all of us)!

Tiffany McCullough
Kerrville, TX
RA 6-1/2 yr
Fibromyalgia 30 years (I’m 70 yrs old now)
MTX only

[Randy]

Hi Tiffany,

This is an awesome post of yours. Congratulations on such terrific improvement.

Will your Rheumy claim that your improvement is attributed to the MTX?

Also, as you started AP approx 6 yrs into RA, will you have RA damage that will not be improved further with AP? This is probably a pretty standard question for RA folks.

Good going once again!

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"

[kolby]

WOW Tiffany!

I can hear the excitement in your post and thank you for sharing your great news!!! I’m getting ready to run a bunch of errands and you are sending me on my way with a huge smile on my face 😀 ! I love it!

Have a Wonderful Day!

Jen

[Krys]

Dear Tiffany, What WONDERFUL news!!! Such fast progress and all done by yourself!!! Very inspiring, thank you for posting it! Way to go! Yeepee!!! May you recover total flexibility and stay pain free, with no need for MTX. Sending you many hugs, Krys

[tiffany]

For Randy (and anyone else with his same questions). I don’t think the Rheumy will ascribe my improvements to the MTX. He knows me pretty good and the fact that I’m what you call a “self starter”…..always looking for a better way to do things, anything. I’ve been educating this young (well at my age his being 58-59 is young) Rheumy throughout the time I’ve been seeing him. I’m his only patient that consistently works out at the health club no matter what and he wishes all his patients would at least try to exercise. I’m not Wonder Woman but I think this Rheumy thinks I am. Taught him a lot about Magnesium and why it’s so very important and about Turmeric for pain. I was taking so much of that herb I thought I’d turn yellow until my Integrative Med Dr showed me a sustained release Turmeric. My Rheumy is always trying to give me a new pain killer (I know he means well) but they never work but Turmeric does. Last one he gave me had DMSO and some naproxin sodium in it (brand new pharma drug). Didn’t use it as DMSO doesn’t work for me for pain and it sounded like a bad combination to me. Better to stick with something natural that works. As for the just lovely deformed joints. I don’t think they will ever look normal but as long as they don’t hurt like the dickens…..hey….I’m happy. If people are busy looking at my hands then they are not noticing me or paying attention to what I’m saying anyways. I’ve always felt so sorry (or is it compassonate) for all the people on this website ….. they seemed to be a whole lot worse off than me. Jeez, I kept thinking….how can little ole me complain. I wish everyone as much success as I’ve had. Ran into a lady whom I don’t know at all in a department store here who has RA and I mentioned this website to her. Don’t think she’ll take the bite as she looked at me kinda like I was nuts. She said she sees a Rheumy (and my thought process said…..wow…she’s bit the Big Pharma bug whole hog). I told her that when I found out that my Rheumy was not there to make me well but to push me to the next cancer drug as the disease progressed …. her eyebrows shot up. Guess like me she thought her Dr was going to make her well (some day anyway).

Tiffany better known as Texas Tuf Tif

[vera]

Hi Tiffany,

So glad to hear you are doing better! That gives us all hope! Would you be willing to share the brand of tumeric you take, as well as the dosage you take? I am taking tumeric, but not sure that it’s doing much. I’d really like to get on a brand that works! Thanks!

Lori

[tiffany]

Yes certainly. I was taking a Turmeric product available through Mercola.Com and needed 9 capsules a day, split 3 am, 3 noon, and 3 at bedtime. It worked. Expensive. I was desparite. However, my Integrated Med Dr said there was a better way with the product called Thorne Research Meriva-SR (sustained release) Curcumin Phytosome. Works just as well with just 3 capsules/day versus the 3 and at a lower price. Can be purchased online from merivasr.com or google to get best price. Also take Peter Gilham’s Natural Calm (Powder) Magnesium (mixed with 1 oz boiling water) through swasonvitamins.com, kinda expensive but its a huge container of it. Container lasts for months and months as you usually are taking 1 to 1-1/2 T. Also use Jigsaw Magnesium SRT (again sustained release). You do know that many many pharma drugs including MTX just drain the magnesium from your body and the reason that I started using magnesium supplementation like I’ve listed is that it is absorbed by the body the best. Before the magnesium supplementation 2 years ago, I truly thought and felt like I was dieing. Even my husband noticed the difference in me in just a few days…..course I was just dumping the magnesium into my body wholesale since the effects were so good and seemed (and still seems like I need a lot of magnesium). Learned about magnesium from Dr. Carolyn Dean (google her to get a website) and her book the Miracle of Magnesium …. you will be astounded as the many many ways magnesium is used throughout the body from head to toe(s).

Hugs and keep well,
Tiffany

[vera]

I was just reading Suzy Cohen (suzycohen.com), and she recommends the same Thorne Meriva SR as you do. I may have been wasting my money on what I’m using, even though it says it’s standardized. Once my old stuff is gone, I will order the Thorne. Thanks for letting me know!

I tried the magnesium you mentioned years ago (Calm), and it didn’t seem to agree with me. However, maybe that was because I was so low in the mineral – I really should try it again. Currently I use a couple different forms of magnesium, 2x/day, especially before bed. Haven’t looked up the Jigsaw Magnesium – will give it a look. It’s sometimes hard on AP days to get the minerals in so they don’t interfere with the mino.

Thanks for the great information!

Lori

[Rockin Annie]

Hi Tiff,

What a great post and so inspiring, I can feel your energy coming through so very strong. Thanks for the infor on turmeric and Mag as I have been looking for a good Mag supp for a couple of weeks now.

Keep on keeping well……………Annie

Diagnosed with RA in 2004, after trying many conventional meds I changed to mino.
2015 changed to doxy 50mgs
2016 went off doxy, after getting double pneumonia and massive flare put myself on 250 mgs Zith & 50 mgs doxy, which I will increase slowly.
Supps, magnesium, NAC, vit c, krill oil, oregano oil, thisylin, turmeric, olive leaf extract, vit B, multi vit.

[tiffany]

Lorie (or anyone else to whom this would apply). On the Turmeric, unless the brand you’re using cost $30 a bottle, I’d switch to the Thorne Meriva-SR (the cheapest I found was around !5 or 17 $), it’s truly amazing stuff. Yeah I know about the supplement routine. I take a lot of them so you can then see just how much water I drink but It can be done. If I can do it, anyone can. I’m not special…..just extremely determined (as my husband would agree), Some people have trouble with magnesium because in large doses it causes diahreha (spelling?) Do they have a spell checker on this thing? Anyway there are a whole lot of types of magnesium. One is the Natural Calm, the Jigsaw Sustained Release Brand (developed by a guy who has RA and didn’t like the “runs” he got with Natural Calm). There is also a magnesium liquid gel which I use for muscle spasms which I get frequently now that I’ve had a hip replacement (now you know why everyone wants a hip replacement). Another is angstrom magnesium which enters the blood stream immediately and causes no bowel problems…..actually its the best one to use. Look up DrCarolynDean.com on the internet she is the worlds magnesium expert. This is where I learned all about magnesium. I learned about Turmeric from Dr. Russell Blaylock’s newsletter which I signed up for a short duration and then downloaded all his newsletters (pronto) to my computer and read them all. That guy knows a whole host of very useful and helpful and healthful information. Then I signed up for Dr. David Brownstein’s newsletter (for a short period again) and found his book on Overcoming Arthritis which was free with a 3 mo subscription to his online newsletter. Basically this book has the same info as the Road Back foundation, BUT he did say what supplements are IMPORTANT to take to help your body recover and heal. What type of foods to TRULY AVOID. I’ve always been sorry I couldn’t go for the bioidentical hormones (wow …. they’re really really expensive) but a lot of our body stuff is affected by diminishing hormornes (and Brownstein’s site isn’t the only place I’ve read this). Can’t get my doctors here in the “sticks” to test me properly for Thyroid function so may have to go to the Broda A. Barnes Foundation (Expert Thryoid Doctors/Researchers) and they can give me a recommendation on a doctor in San Antonio (which I’m 65 miles from).

Kinda wordy here, but hope it helps you in some way.

Tiffany TX TUF TIF

[Randy]

Ref Mag, don’t we have to be careful of the mag interferring with the minocin?

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"

[maz.aust]

What an inspiring story .. I am so glad you posted !!

Dec07: Diagnosed PRA, (CTD; Fibromyalgia; suspected Lyme):
Mar08: Diet to heal gut/bolster immune system (no gluten, dairy, sulphites or sugar)

Jan 2018: ABX Mon/Wed/Fri (started AP 2008)
1/2 x 150mg Roxithromycin(Biasig), 1/2 x 150mg Clarithromycin (Klacid),
1/2 x Fungillin, 1 x 250mg Cephalexin (Keflex)

All off days Probiotics

[Eva Holloway]

Dr. K. told me to take the Calm Magnesium, in the afternoon, I have no problems with it. It is about 6 hours away from the Minocin.
Eva 🙂

Eva Holloway

[tiffany]

Got some more news. Went to a website http://www.health-and-wisdom.com and read all the testimonials. Since I’m already on Natural Calm (powdered mag), I was completely sold after reading the testimonials. Now I’m even using it on my older dog for bladder leakage problems and I think I may have concured that years old problem of hers (my dog). Ordered 1/2 gal of mag oil and some spray on type for the dog and we’re on a roll. It cured the consistent back problems by making a spray with distilled water and the mag oil and rubbing it (well lets say) all over. Put it on the bottom of my feet every night (like they mentioned in the testimonials…good entry point and pulse points as well) and now sleep like the dead (or maybe I should say, like “never before”). Hey, and believe it or not the joints are even looking better after I sorta use it like a hand lotion for my hands. Whoopee. Boy, I’m one happy woman now. Arthritis Protocol is working absolutely fantastic….getting better every week that passes. I can even now hold a coffee cup like a normal person. Small accomplishments are wonderful aren’t they? Got my newest edition of the Arthritis Advisor published by the Cleveland Clinic. Never much liked the newsletter but kept getting it anyway. Never know what you’ll learn. Well, my antenae went up when I saw their question and answer portion on the very last page….also made me very very angry. the question was: I’m told I have arthritic cysts on my shoulder joint..what can I do about it. Answer: Nothing. MY ANSWER: Magnesium supplementation. I had those cysts on my fingers and asked my RA doctor and he said “nothing can be done.” Well, just about that time I had started taking magnesium supplementation (Natural Calm) [which I TOLD my RA doctor about and gave him all the literature…I’m sure he didn’t tell his other patients] and over a three week period the (gross looking) cysts slowly disappeared..then COMPLETELY disappeared never ever to return. Must’ve been the magnesium as I’d added nothing new but the magnesium to my regamin. Never ever had them again. In this Arthritis Advisor they also had a column “5 Arthritis Myths Debunked.” Guess what they said: (This is just one of the five they were “debunking”)

quote
Arthritis cannot be cured. Much has been discovered in terms of treating and slowing the progression of arthritis, but NOTHING yet has been found to successfully halt the disease.
unquote

Guess they wouldn’t like to hear from me right about now, would they or about the RBF Group? Looks like were smarter than those “guys”, huh? Thank you RBF for showing me the way!

Hugs
Regards
TX Tuf Tif

[tiffany]

No…the Magnesium will not, repeat will not, interfere with the mino. I take the mino at about 5:30A (thats AM and it’s early) and the latest I’ll take it is 6:30A). That means I stay upright 1 hr (by that time, who’s gonna lie down anyways), then I’ll eat after three hours, then I’ll take any supplementation (magnesium or another of the other stuff I’m taking) after 3 hours. Seems like a long long long haul, but it works much much better that way. Tried it by taking supplements after a 2 hr window and my stomach really really didn’t like it at all. So trained myself to wait and wait and wait. I take magnesium sorta mid-day (maybe noon or 1pm but no later and usually its the natural calm brand, If I’m really lazy its the Jigsaw SR formula and I take 2 tablets at that time). I make sure on the day of the antibiotic I take the magnesium (Natural Calm….good for the bowels..keeps everything really cleaned out) before my last shot of mino at 7:45pm to 8pm in the evening. Got an app on my IPod Touch called Alarmed (its FREE) and has some awfully loud alarm sounds (good since the IPod Touch has a wimpy speaker) and put all my mino taking instructions and alarms on that IPod Touch with a loud alarm so I won’t forget to take the stuff (which I seem to like to do). But as long as the magnesium is an hour or 1-1/2 hrs away from the mino it seems to work fine and I’ve no stomach upset…..if I take it closer than that time frame my stomach is just “cooking” and its “gas city” for me. Didn’t seem like a good idea to do it the wrong way so I decided to move it to at least 1-1/2 hrs away from the mino and it’s worked perfectly.

If you cannot tolerate Natural Calm magnesium use the angstrom magnesium (the very very best…absorbed instantaneously into the body). Go to http://www.drcarolyndean.com to learn everything you always wanted to know about magnesium and where to get it. And as I’ve mentioned: http://www.health-and-wisdom.com is an excellent site as well and read the TESTIMONIALS. You absolutely will not ever regret it. Magnesium has saved me (and maybe my dog too) from a whole host of problems: including Sjogrens (dry mouth disease…the worst problem I ever had).

[Author]

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