Just wanted to stop in and say "welcome." Don't be put off if you don't get a lot of replies the first time you post here. There is no reason for that. It's just that some days things seem more active here than other days and some topics seem to hit a chord with more people at times. I don't have any advice on trying to treat RA naturally, other than keeping your weight down, try to keep exercising, experiment with eliminating different types of food (some people see a correlation to foods; I never did), and try to find ways around straining your joints. There are a lot of ways to avoid stressing the joints. It may take some thought and creativity, and even (oh no), asking others for help. Best of luck to you on finding alternative methods.

Hi. Welcome to this area. I do agree that the drugs can be bad, but for me, they have been so helpful. I tried changing the way I ate - sure could not hurt to eat healthier! It didn't help me any, but again, eating healthy can only be a good thing.

I have taken Humira, Enbrel, Orenzia, Cimzia, Actemra, and now Rituxan.I also take methotrexate, and folic acid. Rituxan seems to be helping the most. What will happen if it stops working, I do not know. I am running out of options

Welcome!

It took me ten years of suffering with mod-severe RA before I stumbled across my magic bullet that gave me remission. In my case all of my RA and IBS inflammation seems to be caused by developed food allergies/sensitivities. Didn't spot the connection until I went on the paleo diet to lose the prednisone weight. The strict elimination diet remove all the foods that caused my inflammation. Side effect being full natural remission.

Later allergy tests confirmed over 24 flare foods. Stay away from them - I'm healthy with just residual mild joint damage. Eat certain flare foods - I'm bedridden and locked up/can't move.

Mine is just one case. Try an elimination diet to see if you're lucky/unlucky to be the same. Takes months of strict elimination to identity the culprits. Not for the week of will...lol

Welcome.
I'd love to know a natural way of controlling this disease but never came across anything that works. There are those who find diet matters as you've read.
The meds are not fun. Although life seems more livable with then without for me anyway.
Enbrel did wonders for just under 2 yrs. yes nasty side effects at times.
MTX was not an option for me. Spent 4 days recovering after a small dose.
I do take supplements & really feel better with them then without.
So many search for natural ways of treating. I believe everything we need to treat our bodies is out there provided by nature. We just have not stumbled across it. As you'll learn there are treatments the derive from nature already used.
We are all different & respond different so I wish you luck.
Sammy

welcome.

we are glad you are here.

i find that the natural stuff makes my over all NON ra issues better. so why not? i figure I am just as responsible for my lipid, blood pressure, weight, cholesterol, sugar, health habits, sleep (what's that, sleep? lately...) mind patterns, caring, giving, and blah blah blah and as the next person who does not have RA.

that being said yup i took enbrel for a year or two also. i'm on orencia now.

the meds are just as bad as the disease you find? by this are you saying that you are worse off on enbrel and mtx and prednisone than before any treatment?

i would be in assisted living I figure without the meds so I do not happen, for my own personal physical opinion, to agree. i like being able to wipe myself (sorry a little morning humor) and live in my own home so I am OK with my non natural regime of biologics and nsaids and meds.

natural to me is just a code word for taking care of myself. i feel better when i take care of myself. but that does not mean my RA evaporates with my meticulous care of myself and i aint stopping my non natural regime because I would become a statue in the middle of my town square. they could enshrine me and I could become a stop on the US grand tour. no thanks

depot

Thank you all for your replies its nice to meet everyone. I in no way trying to offend when i said i was looking for natural ways to fight this instead of the meds. Before i got diagnosed with ra i spent two years with tons of misdiagnosis before i was tested for ra. During that time my flares were almost like clock work ten days a month it was a living he'll and the rest of the month i felt normal. Now since i started taking meds i still have ten sucky days granted less intensity, and i feel like i have a nasty flu all the time... so i guess what im saying is the cost of less intensity ten sucky days is every day flu? I just think there gotta be a better way.... im frustrated...

have you had any occasion to have no meds (like a hospialization for pneumonia or some such other thing maybe? or another surgery that caused you to have no meds for 30 plus days? i ask so you can tell me what you are like when are free falling with no prednisone, no enbrel, no nsaids, and no disease modifying anti rheumatic drugs. what are you like? does the 10 days go to 30 for sucky days?

I solidify when these things happen

i call that knowing my baseline which sucks versus my off the grid where I am totally immobile -

i want to have empathy with you - and let you know there is no day when I do not feel like I have the flu. sometimes i fantasize and try to recall but all i can do is watch old home movies from say 10 years ago to see myself in the pre flu mode. I wince and as you can imagine old home movies night with popcorn is not my favorite thing to do :)

my rheumatologist says my numbers are climbing and I am not in a holding pattern so i guess it is time for both of us to re-work our treatment plans?

i figure this time this summer I will be on actermra or rituxan rather than orencia. i have already been on humira and enbrel.

i get pnemonias in the winter so no change for me this winter per my rheumatologist.

hugs
depot

That makes me so sad... i am sorry to hear that. Hugs hope u find what's right for u... gentle hugs