HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Antibiotic protocol / Dr Franco

Support Forums
>
Rheumatoid Arthritis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 8/25/2014 3:07 PM (GMT 0)
I am hoping people can give me their perspectives on their experiences with the antibiotic protocol and / or the arthritis center of riverside and Dr Franco. Sounds like insurance doesn't pay and I'm hoping to determine before I spent a lot of money ( I'm on workman's comp currently ie 66% of my already low wage) whether I should get a referral or carry on searching. Can barely lift my arms now or get up and down.

heather

Dx RA 2 years
Previously on:
Enbrel
Doxycycline
Too many herbs, vitamins, minerals to list.
Posted 8/25/2014 3:34 PM (GMT 0)
There is an older thread on here about Dr. Franco and most of it is bad, I believe. If they don't take insurance then you really need to step back and see if you can afford this, he's expensive from what that posts stated and if your not careful you could go bankrupt with these types of "Money" doctors. Call his office and ask exactly how much a new patient visit costs out of pocket. That way you know what you'll have to pay out.
Personally I would only go to a doctor that takes Insurance, many RA doctor's are going back to antibotic treatment, it is an older RA treatment, there are two types of antibotics for this treatment you'll either be on a Sulfa Antibotic and those can really dry you up, or the Erythromycin antibotics. I would say to you to ask your current RA doctor if maybe you could try an antibotic treatment, he/she might be able to help you.
So ask your current doctor about antibotic therapies for RA before seeing a doctor that will not accept insurance.

Also, when you read the older post on Dr. Franco, please do not respond to it as I do not know if the person whom wrote it is still on this forum...
Please keep in mind if it sounds to good to be true then it might be just that, antibotic therapies do not work for everyone but are worth a try...
Posted 8/25/2014 4:41 PM (GMT 0)
My Rh dr is an old fart and am looking for a new young and or open to alternative modalities. I've already tried the biologic route forced on me by above dr. Recently I was on antibiotics for a month due to a sinus flare up and had a remission like state a week in which lasted for several months which is why I'm going this route. Dr Franco's gal is checking my insurance, if its not covered I'm out- $6000-9000 first appointment / testing. $eems a little $hady.
Posted 8/25/2014 10:14 PM (GMT 0)
Are there any other RA doctor's in your area?
For that amount and if you had to buy product just from Dr. Franco you'll be out more more, sounds like a huge con there...
Definitely look for another Doctor, antibotic therapies are an older type treatment for RA and even my doctor tried me on one (was Sulfa antibotic) dried me out horribly...You can google erythromycin and RA and probably come up with some results...
The only thing I would have to say that with antibotic therapy you might become immune to them and build up a tolerance to them where they won't work anymore for even a simple infection...so it's not without it's own harm...But, yeah, it would be nice to get relief on a simple medication...totally understand...but do think about it and then do your research and then find another doctor.
Stay away from Dr. Franco...
Save the $6,000 to $9,000 and buy a nice small hot tub spa for that price tag....if you do go to Dr. Franco just becareful what you sign, ...
Posted 9/8/2014 8:33 PM (GMT 0)
i heard minocycline can be good with RA . alot of rheumatologists will prescribe it. But if you want to try it id defeinetly take loooots of probiotics and eat yogurt cuz you will get a yeast infection right away even if your a male. antibiotics will kill the good bacterias as well and cause candida over growth and that can make ur immune system and symptoms far worse and worsen the arthritis. so just be careful if you do it.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply