Tumeric

[torps]

Hi, I was diagnosed with ra in sept 2014. I have been taking minocycline with great success each month. Swelling has subsided, my hands can actually move again and really felt I was heading in the right direction. I have been gluten free and semi grain free for the last six months. However, I started taking turmeric, along with my usual probiotic about 8 days ago. On day 5 I was having slight stomach pain, stiffness in all the usual areas I had problems with in the past. I feel like I am having a full blown herx effect, pain everywhere, as well as becoming nauseus throughout day. I have since stopped the turmeric but curious to see if any one else experienced this as well with turmeric or could it be something else. Medicine and dosage has not change in three months. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

[enzed]

Sorry I can’t do links but the live strong website below has an article that says turmeric is composed over 200 compounds, many of which can be toxic to the liver. If you do a google search you will no doubt find more information.

http.//www.livestrong.com/article/462282-tumeric-toxicity

[Krys]

@torps wrote:

…However, I started taking turmeric,…about 8 days ago. On day 5 I was having slight stomach pain, stiffness in all the usual areas I had problems with in the past. I feel like I am having a full blown herx effect, pain everywhere, as well as becoming nauseus throughout day. I have since stopped the turmeric but curious to see if any one else experienced this as well with turmeric or could it be something else. Medicine and dosage has not change in three months. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

I personally think it was a herx reaction. I used to react with big stomach discomfort, sometimes nausea, to curry in Indian food. I don’t know what it was targeting, but at the time I started forming strongly negative opinions about those spices. I love them now and wouldn’t live without them. 😉

I wonder if you may have low body temperature?
It would not explain nausea (maybe turmeric’s property of stimulating digestive juices does, or if your bile ducks are obstructed/infamed or you have some pre-ulcer state?), but raising low body temperature can create big die-off and powerful herx. Prior to my dx and tx, I tried TCM herbs and the prescribed formula for rheumatic problems was very warming and caused a herx from hell. I thought I had a very sudden onset of bone cancer! 😆

As far as toxicty…. I have only heard of Turmeric’s many beneficial effects. It is always described as safe and when I checked pubmed (for turmeric toxicity), I found none. In fact its low toxicty is used in a recent study to mitigate the toxic effects of chemo.
The Livestrong article http://www.livestrong.com/article/462282-tumeric-toxicity does sound very alarming, but does not give any link and ends with the note:

Precautions
Dietary turmeric is considered safe, however, supplements have the capacity to cause side effects. For example, you may experience ulcers and stomach upset if you take higher than recommended doses. … Consult your doctor before taking turmeric if you have gallbladder issues or are on prescription medications. Turmeric has the capacity to interact with blood-thinning medication, antacids and medications that lower your blood sugar.

This article mentions more precautions than Livestrong:
http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/12272/0/Side-Effects-of-Turmeric-Positive-and-Negative.html
This one mentions (under side effects) that it can increase body temperature:
http://www.raysahelian.com/turmeric.html

Nobody can tell what exactly occurred. Unfortunately, many things get clear only in hindsight. You did the right thing to stop, at least until you know what is happening. To me, it seems that nausea and joint swelling and pain are 2 different reactions. I’d think that nausea is more related to digestive issues (low digestive juices, low bile, maybe pre-ulcer state of the lining and reacting to Turmeric’s strong stimulation of secretions), whereas the joints’ reaction may be due to die-off (due to raising low body temp. and even possibly due to anti-parasitic properties of turmeric). But then… if it is a parasite problem … then both nausea and joint problems would be 1 herx reaction. I’m sorry, Torps, I don’t mean to scare you. I hope it all clears fast and you only experience smooth road back to health from now on.

[Linda L]

krys,
It is interesting what you have written about body temperature.

prescribed formula for rheumatic problems was very warming and caused a herx from hell

I have noticed that at night when my body is cooler there is less pain. When I wake up at night and my body is burning there is more pain. Then I drink cold water and this way cool down my body and the pain is smaller. I don’t understand it because I think most of medications like aspirin, Ibuprofen, Celebrex etc. warm us up and help with pain.
Linda L.

RA tried everything: Methotraxate, Arava, Humira. Pneumonia three times. Anemia. Very low iron. Hypothyroidism
AP from April 2014 till August 2015. No luck.
Current medications: Natural thyroid, Mobic, supplements,
vitamins and minerals.
MTHFR heterozygous

[richie]

Hi It is no coincidence -you started turmeric and now after a very short time you feel lousy –it sure was the turmeric –Turmeric is toxic to the liver – go to livestrong.com –it also has interactions with blood thinners and people with gallstones or bladder problems should not take it —there is also a study out there about kidney stones and gallstones -Even though manufacturers sneak under the radar by calling it a food supplement -it in fact is a potent medicine –it has value but should be treated as a medicine –Turmeric is one great example why the supplement industry needs some sort of over sight and regulation –Also -since you were doing so well on minocycline why would you add turmeric -now it caused a setback –In the future -try to remember this —if it aint broke -it dont need fixin —
Richie

[Lynne G.SD]

It might be better to get it from food.1/3 of the world lives on Curry based diet and they have the least incidence of chronic diseases.Trouble is that I just could not eat a curry every day much as I love the stuff.

[jasregadoo]

My mother in law is Indian and eats cury almost every day, and suffers from fibromyalgia, and her mother had horrible arthritis. Perhaps it was osteo, likely it was. But for those who say turmeric is a solution…maybe for some, but not for all.

[Author]

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