Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...

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Acupuncture/Alternative treatments?

Donnarae
Donnarae
As I'm very new at this, I have a few questions please. I'm not currently on any meds... just went last week to the RA dr. and she wanted to 'wait and see' for a month as the 7 day treatment of prednisone completely 'fixed' my initial pain/swelling in my hands. Well, 2 weeks after the last pill, it is back. I have researched alot of foods/herbs/natural stuff and acupuncture for help. I'm taking tumeric/Bcomplex/celebrex (not natural I know)/D3. I went yesterday and had acupuncture at my chiropractor... first time ever. Didn't seem to help much, but was first session. I called my RA dr. this morning and I'm going in on Friday. My initial bloodwork shows my RA Factor at 19 and Sed rate at 13... she will probably do the other bloodtest now, but wanted to pull my hospital records from last year (had a PE and terrible vertigo) and see what all they did. Anyway, the question is has anything other than the real drugs helped anybody? I know that there are so many side effects with them, it scares me, BUT, the pain in my fingers is worse than the fear I think. Thanks much, Donna
MKP1952
MKP1952
Welcome to this area. You will find a lot of help here. A few years ago, I started ordering grass fed, organic beef and pork. I have also used organic foods whenever possible. I quit smoking almost 7 years ago. When I found out my trygiicerides and cholester were high, I changed how I ate, enough that my Dr said I did not need drugs to control it. Yet, in the last year, I was diagnosed with RA. So, for me, diet sure didn't help avoid this issue. I know for some people, it is a big help, it just was not for me.

I had been seeing an orthopedist, off & on for a few years now. I also had been seeing a Physical Therapist off & on. When nothing they would do would help, (except Celebrex), they both felt I should see a Rheumatologist. Blood tests (9 tubes worth) showed I was healthy (except for a really low vitamin D level). The Rheumatologist listened to me, examined me, diagnonsed the RA. I was put on methotrexate (and folic acid) right away, 2 months later doubled the dose. This was not helping. He added Humira to the mix. He told me if I not improving after 3 months, he would change the drug. Humira kicked in quickly. It is not perfect, but I am happy with my results.

Hopefully, you can find relief soon!
deleted_user
deleted_user
*sigh*
I'm brand new to all of this too! I was just diagnosed with RA last week! Took my first dose of Methotrexate last Friday...(My RA Factor was 30!) the whole thing is overwhelming... I just completed a year long battle with breast cancer...and was PUMPED full of chemicals to kill it off!! I HATE the idea of more drugs...but understand getting a jump start on keeping this disease in check can make all the difference! Wishing you the VERY BEST Donna!!
Donnarae
Donnarae
I'm going back to the RA Dr. tomorrow as I have had another flare... both hands are a mess. Very swollen fingers. She talked about putting me on Plaquenil, as when I was in, I'm wasn't having a problem... had completed 1 week of prednisone and swelling was gone. So, now not sure if that is still going to be her course. I, too, hate taking drugs and trying to all the natural things that I can do, but not being able to use your hands is horrible! Good luck also. Are you having any side effects from the methotrexate?
davidrn
davidrn
About 10 years of RA, have used Methotrexate, Arava, Prednisone, and now the Meth and Embrel. I have found two things, that my rheumatologist didn't agree with, but is accepted by most everyone else. I do believe changing my diet makes a difference, MKP is right about grass fed, I am eating sort of Paleo/Weston Price. I drink raw milk, and meat and veg/fruits, but dropped grains and legumes. I also have issues with hypothyroidism, MD said not related, but seems most people have both issues.
One thing I have found over the past few years is to know what you want before seeing the MD., they stick with what they know. Good luck, please ask more questions, and if I can help let me know.
peppyest
peppyest
I hated the idea of the drugs.i'd been pumped full of chemo yrs before my ra dx so i just hated the idea of more meds. but this is what i've learned over the last 10 yrs...
the ra meds are no worse than the terrible things that can happen to your body from chronic INFLAMMATION...
I regret embracing the prednisone so much( kind of had to as i had to keep working)take the lease amount that you need and taper off as soon as you are able.long term steroid dependency is not a good place to go...
try as much as you are able to hang in there with the ra meds.i tended to give up on them(and i''ve been on ALL of them )too soon.
Diet can do wonders for many people but again it may take a while.didn't do too much for me but do your own homework.

look at the" alternatives" as a pie.,there are alot of pieces ,choices and i think they can really help but they don't cure the disease.but i believe in them.
if you can afford massage acupuncture ,by all means try it.

the medical field does not know what causes these nasty autoimmune diseases so it's important for you to get to know what you're body needs to quell the inflammation.it's very random and it's because RA is really a "syndrome" vs a single disease entity.
i so wish you the best...and some of your BEST advice will come from online support groups like this one.OOXX