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Rheumatoid Arthritis
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Posted 10/28/2009 5:21 PM (GMT 0)
Just wondering if anyone here has tried Minocycline for rheumatoid arthritis?
Posted 10/28/2009 5:42 PM (GMT 0)

No, I haven't used it myself, and from what I understand it's an antibiotic (tetracyline?) used to treat bacterial infections? so I'm not sure how it could help with RA, unless it was taken in the early stages of diagnosis to rule out an infection as the cause of symptoms causing the joint pain etc.

Hopefully someone will come along who has used it successfully.

Posted 10/30/2009 7:13 AM (GMT 0)
I've heard it works for some people and not others. But you have to go off all meds to take it so I felt it was too big a risk to take. Anytime I've gone off meds I've regretted it!!! I was told it can work for people who developed RA from a virus. But there aren't many doctors prescribing it and it sounded a bit left field so to speak. I was too cowardly to give it a go, they said you get worse for the first year and then get better. The year part was too long for me with 3 kids. Anyway, I've heard of it but haven't taken it. I may be wrong, it may be absolutely wonderful but I don't know.
Sorry its not a very good answer, golitho
Posted 11/2/2009 2:32 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Golitho..My rheumy never even suggested anything like it as a treatment even though he thought my joint pain may have been caused by the parvo virus initially, and for several months we waited out that train of thought.  Thinking back maybe I should have asked for something like an antibiotic because I know my joint pain came on after a horrid stomach virus but here I am some five years later, and like you with kids, there is no way I can stop all meds now, not for a year or more! I recently stopped my mtx for about a month, and all I can say is at the end I was so stiff and painful I couldn't get in and out of my car, and I had the most awful face rash ever, it was a disaster.

Rob...If I'm not mistaken, I believe there was a posting on here somewhere about a doctor that devotes his practice to antibiotic treatment, somewhere in California, although I could be wrong, my memory isn't what it used to be, but it is worth a look.

Posted 11/3/2009 4:38 AM (GMT 0)
It wasn't my rheumy it was an osteopath who told me about it. One of his clients took it, so I rang up and asked about it, thats why I don't really know much about it. But you're right there was someone here who had taken it to great benefit for 10 years before it stopped working for him. If you're starting out it may be worth researching but then I think if its so good why isn't it recommended by rheumy's??? There are so many different therapies why isn't it listed as one?
Maybe someone will come along and clear this up for us?
golitho
Posted 11/20/2009 3:18 AM (GMT 0)
Hi. I am new here - my husband (just turned 50) has AS and nothing works for him (humira, embrel, remicade, etc etc etc) and is in constant pain.
He was misdiagnosed for 20 years - and then about 5 years ago we finally got the correct diagnosis of AS.
The trouble for him is that his back on an MRI looks pretty darn good - so the doctors don't know what to do about his pain.

Today we spent the evening in the ER due to extreme pain that made it hard to breathe. Couldn't sit, stand - he just paced, winced and suffered.

Anyhow - we have been investigating antibiotics and will hopefully start treatment.
We noticed that anytime he went on the Zpack for some sickness (strep throat, etc) his back felt really good. (and he is in pain everyday)
We mentioned it to his rheumy and she talked about how prior to the biologics that antibiotics were sometimes used.
The doctor in California is Dr. Robert Franco at the Arthritis Center in Riverside, CA. The first dr to look into antiobiotics was Dr. Thomas M Brown.
There is an informative website "The Road Back" that is about the usage of antibiotics.
Once he starts the therapy I will have him post about his experience.

I think because everyone focuses now on the biologics - other remedies aren't taken seriously. Maybe b/c the drug companies would prefer us to use the expensive money making drug over the cheaper antibiotics?
Posted 11/20/2009 4:23 PM (GMT 0)
I'm so sorry to hear your husband is in such terrible pain, and I hope that he can find relief with an antibiotic treatment.  When I started out several years ago with my RA, my rheumy never suggested any such treatment and I had never heard of it, and so I have tried just about every med under the sun it seems. I don't think many doctors use it for whatever reason, but I'm glad you found one that does! I wish your husband the best in his treatment and I hope it works for him.
Posted 11/22/2009 8:53 AM (GMT 0)
Hi I am new to the forum. I was told in 1999 that I had some form of Arthritis and then in March 2009 they told me I HAd RA and Osteo Arthritis, I took Plaqunil and had a reaction,So I am on the Minocycline treatment. Only for the last couple of months . The only thing I really Notice is it has take down the inflammation alot. I had to go of a couple of weeks to let the Stomach rest. It Really upsets the stomach its like a soar stomach. But I'am willing to giving it a go. Compared to all the other heavy drugs I thought it was worth a try. They told me it doesn't work for everyone. They been using it since 1949 in RA. I will drop you another line if there is any change.
Posted 11/24/2009 11:39 PM (GMT 0)
I was diagnosed five years ago with RA.  I had been taking plaquenil and arthrotec for about 2 years when I found a dr who thought that I may have Lyme Disease.  I started taking doxycyline for abotu six months until that dr retired.  In that six months all of my symptoms disappeared.  I went into complete remission. I stopped all other medictions and felt great.  WHen I told my rheumy that I was no longer taking any of my meds and said 'hey look at me" i can move my hands and arms she said that antibiotics can act as antinflammatories. I dont buy it for one second. Because if 75 mg twice a day of arthrotec wasnt' helping with the inflammation there is no way that the doxycycline was doing it.  Bottom line is that I truly beleive that RA is an autoimmune disease taht is caused by a virus or its lyme disease and a longer course of abx would have kept me in remission forever by way of a cure.   Its difficult ot find a adr to prescribe the antibiotics, although I dont' knwo why.  One dr in B.C. will see you but he also believes in gettign your vitamin d levels so low to make your own body do the work..or something along those lines.  Doesnt' seem like a good idea since they think that low vitamin d is the cause of alot of diseases. Anywya I hope anyone who can find a dr who would give them abx tries it becuase I thikn you would be shocked at how cured you may feel.
Posted 11/25/2009 6:04 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah I heard that about the vitamin D, they think even if you have low vitamin D like me it isn't really low. That we are all killing ourselves with too much vit D and fish oils.
It started to sound really out there to me at the time. I'd forgotten about that.

But if its viral why do antibiotics work? Aren't they bacterial fighters not anti virals.

Glad its working for you JCT. A friend of mine has gone off all his meds and is doing fine without anything. We are just all so different,

If it works for you then its definately worth a try, golitho
Posted 11/25/2009 4:53 PM (GMT 0)
Ya I dont' really understand why the abx worked but it did, for awhile. Maybe I dont' even have RA. From what Ive learned so many of these autoimmune diseases are alike. Promising news for those with MS though :)
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