Rheumatic

Hi Angela,
A few years ago I found my ankles were tremendously swollen. They looked
like my Mother's and she is on a number of heart medications. I'm sure had
I gone to another doctor he would have put me on Lasix. I went to my Dr.,
he ran some tests, nothing was discovered. I did some reading and stumbled
on the idea that the swelling was caused by an inability of my body to
digest proteins (which made sense as I'd increased my protein intact and
reduced carbs). I found this info in the Balch's book, Prescription for
Nutritional Healing. I contacted my Dr. with my find and he immediately
recommended taking Wobenzym (three with each meal) or Inflazyme Forte. I
started taking the Wobenzym and my feet and ankles (and later I realized my
face and other body parts) went back to normal. What a thrill to see the
bones in my feet again! When I get lazy and don't take the Wobenzym for a
few days, the ankles begin to swell again.
I find the sweet tooth is a thing of the past once I found a good probiotic.
I still use a little organic sugar in my tea. As for bread, I find I can
tolerate the sprouted products. I use the Alvarado Bakery's reduced carb
flaxseed bread. I tolerate brown rice well. I'm not sure there is any one
answer so you have to experiment and keep track of what works for you. I
think I can tolerate grains however I have to be careful with proteins. I'm
limited to chicken, turkey and fish. But not daily. As for fruit, I avoid
certain fruits as they supposedly affect the thyroid (pears, peaches). I
find it best to rotate what I do eat; i.e., I only eat a food once every
four days. I wish I could help re breakfast. That's the hardest meal for
me to 'create.' Often I eat dinner for breakfast and then have cereal or
eggs at night for dinner!
I've seen a lot of responses today on this and they are all great! Thanks,
El
_____

I think you'll find that it's not a question of being bad for fertility but
rather a question of damaging the foetus.
Marian

Hi. I recently started on Enbrel and after the first injection all
seemed to be just fine. A day after my second injection I had an
injection site reaction. The area turned red to the size of a large
egg, got warm to the touch and was slightly raised. Two days later,
my first injection site started showing the same symptoms. I thought
it was very odd that my first injection site didn't show any reaction
until over a week had passed. Now I've had four injections and the
3rd reacted the same as the 2nd. The 4th has been byfar the worst.
The redness is about the size of a tennisball with a lot of heat and
my leg feels hard and swollen underneath.
I know that there have been many comments about injection site
reactions, but what I was wondering is if anyone has had such a
severe reaction and if it has actually gotten better for you with
future injections.
Thanks for any input.
Christine

Two topics
HEATHER- If you can only do one exercise, do range of motion. I
exercised for strength, and lost alot of range of motion in my
wrists and Lspine. Try stretching after pain meds and hot bath in
the AM. Don't get your body mad at you just before bed. The ache
from exercise is usually better than losing function, in my 30 years
of treatment. But if swelling gets worse (use a cloth tape measure),
that is too much exercise. Don't panic, the swelling can come and go.
Raising kids, I have four, the youngest is 16 now and almost a full-
time job. But I am a guy, parenting is different for guys.
KAREN/ re good mattress/ TRY memory foam, at least 2 inch, 3 inch
better. Try overstock.com with their 3 dollar shipping/ thats where
I got mine. If thats not thick enough, then get the mattress. The
add-on pad is cheaper to try and easier to install than a whole new
mattress. I have a piece in the back of my van I use at lunch time
and of course one on my bed. Great stuff!!
Pete from Baltimore

From pljera, Pete from Baltimore
You show up in the ER because you try to do too much. Of course,
what is too much varies with the PA ups and downs.
You asked what they did for me in the Er. Depends on who saw me. I
am sort of lucky since I often work at hospitals and know the
routines and a few docs and RNs and RTs. Usually I presented in Er
with inability to walk or sit up to drive home. Three (or 4?) times
it was an ambulance ride, at least 3 times I was working at that
hospital and was found on the floor. First, the ER treats the basic,
airway, breathing, and circulation. When I tighten up my back, I use
those muscles to crush a disc or two into the spinal column. Somehow
this translates into lower respirations and heart rate and low
oxygen in my blood. If I am concious, I tell them what's wrong and I
am sometimes right. I have difficulty staying awake when my o2 sats
drop into the 70s, so on a few occasions I was tested and treated
for overdose, since that was a good guess, (not supported by blood
test results later). Usually I get xrays, physical exam, blood
screening, initial monitoring, and eventually CAT or MRI.
The drugs given have been morphine, percocet, other pain
injectables, soma or other muscle relaxers, and bedrest which I
refuse as soon as possible. The docs often add a course of steroids
to reduce inflamation and swelling. Once I can move, I have a bed at
home, and a bathtub. I take home pain meds, and muscle relaxants,
and rest. The longest I stayed in bed was 2 weeks, but I often
return to work part-time after that.
My ER diagnosis is compounded by my previous PA therapy which was
aspirin to near toxic levels. In hindsight, that and antibiotics led
to some major ulcers and significant internal bleeding on a few ER
occations. GI problems are way too common with PA people for several
reasons. Some is the meds, some is not enough of the right meds,
including meds to keep your mind from short circuiting your body. I
still think Valium gets a bad rap. It really helped ease things in
the 1970s in small irregular doses. Of course a steady diet of
valium needs close monitoring. Its a shame you can't take valium,
percocet and steroids all the time. You can't. Withdrawal from heavy
pain meds is not much fun either, but it helps you lose weight.
Your Er visit, hopefully NEVER, depends on whats wrong. Don't follow
my old example, get treated by a rheumy and stay out of the ER.
Enbrel costs more than aspirin, but it isn't associated with
bleeding to death. Methotrexate and Enbrel have been lifesavers for
me. Aspirin may be the most useful and dangerous legal pill
available.
When things are realy bad, keep a log of medications you take and
when. An alternative is to ration pills in those day/nite weekly
plastic divider pill boxes, if you can keep the days straight. It is
easy to overdose when the pain or meds cause the dreaded "brain
fog". If you feel bad ,it is good to check what was prescribed. With
10-20 prescriptions a month and similar looking generics, I have
gotten the wrong stuff or wrong dosage prescibed several times.
I have been off full-time work since November, but will restart
full-time in two weeks.
Pete from Baltimore (not the other Pete)

I have been on Cymbalta for 3 months,it has helped,especially the
numbness in my feet.I can now get up at night and go without my shoes
to the bath room.It has some side effects,but hang there,it works.
hb

if it helps ken why not do it. for 12h of energy work 200 is a very good
price. i have ried some energy work and haven;t found it helps me too
much but i know one woman who cliams energy work got her off all meds.
who knows? like i said in my last post maybe you need 200 mg of minoo a
day for 6 mos or so? i started with 100 mg mino a day and then after a
year still a lot of pain so upped too 200 a day and wihtin a month was
in full remission. that lasted 2.5 years until i had to stop mino b/c
of yeast issues. i shoudl have dropped down to 100 mg MWF and reated
the yeast but at the time doc told me to stop mino as we didn't know
that yeast was making me so sick. anyway now ttreating yeast and using
zithromax to try and get full remision again. 4.5 mos into it. better
but not at remission.
best
monique

In a message dated 2/16/2005 1:12:25 PM Eastern Standard Time,
woodworkerdp@... writes:
It is another medication to take but if it relieves the pain that is
coming from between the joints, it will be worth taking. He gave me
a months sample to try and if it seems to be working he will give me
a prescription for it.
I will let ya know if it works.
Hi Dick,
Please let us know if it works because the Vicodins are starting to not cut
it anymore. I also have the PA and fibro.
Janet

hi ken
ah i see. thanks for clarifying. have you considered upping to 200 mg a
day until you hopefully reach remission and then lowering to 100 mg MWF
to keep you there? i myself went into remission origianlly at that dose
as did several others i know.
as for the lump, where is it? i had a ganglion cyst near my wrist and
one day it just went away. coudl also be a nodule? i had one of those on
my thumb and it went away with hydrocortisone. my doc rx'd low doses of
it 20 mg cortef = 5 mg prednisone. i took 20 mg a day divided at 1st and
have now weaned down to 5 mg cortef a day and hope to be off that within
a month. ap is helping me to get off it. william jeffries book talks
about using hydrocortisone to replace what adrenals may not be making.
it really helped my energy too. nodule hasn;t come back now that i am
weaning off.
monique
Hi Monique
Sorry to be misleading and unclear the extract about methotrexate was
not by me, at all. It was by a friend who tried it after 6 years of AP.
Due to a flair. i have upped my Minocin from 100, 3x a week to 100, 2x a
day. Seem better. What do you think?
Monique. I have tender, squishyswelling on my hand, it moves when
touched. What is this liquidy thing?
I hope you are well.
Ken.

I want to thank everyone for the insight. I am 31 and have extreme
pain in my elbows, wrists, hands, knees and ankles. My feet feel
inflammed too. I have slight swelling in my left hand (can't wear
wedding rings/e-ring:() and sometimes in my right knee and right
thumb. I do not have any children but would like to down the line.
But everyone's responses have me thinking about the MTX. How bad can
it be for fertility? THanks!