Worsening of RA after much improvement

[spfister]

Hi:

I haven’t been on the sight for a time because my RA has been so much improved since using 100 minocycline 3 x a week for several years now.

Then about a month ago I had an virus and not sure if strep was involved also. During the virus had temps for a couple of weeks of 100 and went through a 10 day prescription of augmentum. Then after finishing the augmentum the fever returned and I went through a 5 day RX of zithromax. Anyway through this whole time I had so much body pain, sometimes I could hardly roll over in bed. Now after finishing the zithromax 5 days ago I am still having sever body pain.

Anyway was wondering what advise one of you might have for me to do next to get back on track. Should I check and see what my strep titer is and maybe pursue more antibiotics for it if it is elevated. I have a very good Family Practice doctor that is treating me with minocycline that I found from the RB. Dr K practices in Woodbury Minnesota and haven’t seen him for quite some time. I will be follow up with him to see what he advises also.

Thank You,
Shari

[Maz]

Hi Shari,

@spfister wrote:

Then about a month ago I had an virus and not sure if strep was involved also. During the virus had temps for a couple of weeks of 100 and went through a 10 day prescription of augmentum. Then after finishing the augmentum the fever returned and I went through a 5 day RX of zithromax. Anyway through this whole time I had so much body pain, sometimes I could hardly roll over in bed. Now after finishing the zithromax 5 days ago I am still having sever body pain.

Really sorry to hear you’re in such pain after such a good long run. It sounds like it must have been a bacterial infection if you’d been given a penicillin and then azithromycin…as you say, strep? In any case, it sounds like a proverbial herxheimer. What this probably means is that although you were doing great on the low, pulsed protocol, either a new infection or reactivation of a chronic low grade infection is causing you probs. If this is indeed herxing, then it is a good sign there is more work to be done to get that pathogen load down.

Anyway was wondering what advise one of you might have for me to do next to get back on track.

Have you tried working on detoxing? It’s those circulating antigens (endo-toxins) that create so much havoc and inflammation for RAers…Brown called it “bacterial allergy,” because RA tissues are just so hypersensitive to these toxins. The faster one can get these out of the body (they are the result of dying bugs), the better. Unfortunately, for acute infections, high dose abx are a necessary evil to kill the infection, but it leaves RAers in fits of agonies as a result.

Should I check and see what my strep titer is and maybe pursue more antibiotics for it if it is elevated.

Yes, not a bad idea, although it may still be quite high from your recent infection, so not really an accurate result. Might be better to wait until the herxing dies down first? Just speculating here, but it might not be a bad idea to jot an email to Dr. S. in Iowa, to ask him for his insights on this. I can pass you his email if you would like – he is so kind to freely answer emails from rheumatic patients.

The other side of this is that in patients who had a history of strep (even if titres were low or non-existent) or elevated titres, Brown recommended treating these patients with a penicillin, pulsed into the protocol on the mino off-days. Dr. S. could advise you on how to do this properly, because these two abx should not be mixed. Alternatively, it’s also possible to combine azithromycin with minocycline, as a combo protocol, because these two abx complement and work really well together. If you have a copy of The New Arthritis Breakthrough, it is worth re-visiting those pages to see why Brown felt it important to deal with strep, as well.

Thing is, whenever the abx protocol is altered in some way – a break and then resuming, an increase in dose, the addition of a new abx, etc, this can elicit more in the way of herxing.

I have a very good Family Practice doctor that is treating me with minocycline that I found from the RB. Dr K practices in Woodbury Minnesota and haven’t seen him for quite some time. I will be follow up with him to see what he advises also.

Great to hear you have that back-up, Shari…let me know if you’d like Dr. S’s contact info and I’d be happy to send it in a PM to you. Hope you feel better soon!

[spfister]

Yes Maz I would like Dr S email in Iowa. Where in Iowa is he and does he take new patients? I am not that far from Iowa here in Minnesota. Anyway the pain is still very bad and I have been off all the other antibiotics for awhile now so t think I need to get a new plan.

Thanks,
Shari

[Maz]

@spfister wrote:

Yes Maz I would like Dr S email in Iowa. Where in Iowa is he and does he take new patients? I am not that far from Iowa here in Minnesota. Anyway the pain is still very bad and I have been off all the other antibiotics for awhile now so t think I need to get a new plan.

Hi Shari,

Will send you a PM with this info. 😉

[m.]

Hi Shari,

I’m reading this thread with interest! Please update us as time goes by.

Best,

m.

[spfister]

Hi all
I went and saw Dr K in Woodbury that was recommended by The Road Back. He spent an hour with me and was very kind and he wanted to do the IV Cleocin after I tried it by mouth. But first increasing my mioncycline to 200 mg 3 x a week. He has many patients from The Road Back and is most understanding in trying to help.

I did receive Enhansa curcumin powder to address fungal and inflammation problem. I went with the powder form so I am starting at a low low dose 100 milligrams and increase daily to the recommended dose i think 600 mg s x a day. As Maz said if I continue with it I will check and see if insurance covers next time and order through my Doctor. I guess most of the time it is covered by insurance which make it very affordable.

Since seeing the Dr I quit meat and am eating fish and vegies and fruit. I also got some tart cherry juice and am giving that a try too 1 Tbl with water. The doc recommended a fiber called Konsyl it’s just psyllium nothing extra which I got from Wallgreen, this is to help with the detoxing process.

So with these changes I am actually feeling better today!

Has any of you used L glutamine to repair the gut I am thinking of getting that again too.

Hope this helps anyone who is following this link!

And you find the Road Back to good health 🙂

[Valsmum]

I am glad you are feeling better, that is great news. I hope you continue to improve!!
Take care!

[Author]

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