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Rheumatoid arthritis and steroids

Posted By Cindyhead (Charlotte, North Carolina) on 09/07/2012

I have been on prednisone since Feb of 2012, I have RA and who knows what else. My doc has been having me wean off of prednisone because of my weight gain and round face effect and I need to get off. But oh the pain trying. I tried going from 20 mg everyday, to 15 mg for a day for a week, then 10 mgs everyday for a week, then 5 mgs a day for a week, oh the pain, then 5 mgs every other day. Then he gave me 1000 mg of solu medrol IV infusions 3 in a week period. nasty stuff. Then my right wrist swelled up big 3 days later. Still doing the prednisone, but I have upped it doing 10 mgs a day. My muscles in my arms hurt so bad if I don't take it. I also am on plaquenil, I stopped taking it cause last time I was on it my muscles in my arms hurt so bad. Now I don't know what to do... In the middle of the night, wide awake no tears, or crying can be heard because the screams and tears are on the inside from the intense pain in the muscles in my arms.... Owie.... So back to prednisone and tramadol until I can figure something out... Help.

Please help me get off of prednisone. And please help me get back to where I was 11 months ago, feeling great and alive. I've had RA for years but it just decided to attack me last Oct after we moved from Mi to NC. I would love to go all natural. Sick of steroids, and docs. Thanks, and God bless [does boron really work. I am taking d3 5000 units, vit C, dhea 12 mgs. Krill oil 300 mgs. Sublingual B, biotin, folic acid, curamin till it runs out, too expensive, 170 mg of magnesium citrate but someone told me yesterday it needs to be mag. Malate, what else can I do? So tired of my muscles and joints hurting. My RA factor is 31.]

Replied by Art (Tustin, Ca. Usa) on 09/08/2012

Cindyhead, I have a friend with RA who was on prednisone, a chemo agent, folic acid and methotrexate for RA. She had been taking the prednisone for years and her doctor told her she needed to taper off and quit the prednisone, which she tried to do on many occassions throughout the years, but was never able to quite make it to 0 and always ended up having to raise her dose back up.

She started taking 3 grams of l-lysine spread throughout the day. After three weeks she was able to taper off of the prednisone for the first time in years. She also said it improved her RA significantly. After she was able to eliminate the prednisone she reduced the lysine to 2 grams per day and she says it continues to help her with the RA.

I did not find lysine to be effective for my arthritis at up to 6 grams per day for a short duration.

Lysine is available cheaply at most drug stores and large chains like Walmart.

I use borax myself and find it helpful for my arthritis. My friend tried borax also, but she quit using it because she said it made her itch intensely. I haven't heard of that side effect before, but we're all different and it can affect us differently.

If you haven't checked out the RA section here on Earth Clinic, it is very worthwhile with lots of tips on what has worked well for others.

I have another friend with arthritis who swears by the gin soaked raisin remedy at 9 raisins per day.

I also find Ted's topical dmso/castor oil mix to be very helpful. I make a slight variation of his version though and my neighbor finds it quite effective also for her arthritis and other pains.

I hope you find a remedy that is effective for you and let us know how it works for you.

Art

Replied by Isabel (Tampa, Fl) on 09/08/2012

I Know what are you going thru, I took prednisone and gained 38 pounds in 4 months. Try LYPRINOL it is very good for joints swelling.

Replied by Denise (Lake Park, Fl) on 10/12/2012

Try taking 2000mg twice a day (4000mg total daily) of 6 hour bovine colostrum. The PRP's are immune modulating.

Replied by Samdi230 (Ontario) on 09/29/2014

hi Cindyhead.

Arthritis - what is arthritis? I'm one of how was suffering of the severe pain in my right hand thumb which make my dominent hand useless. My DR told me no cure for it, try the painkiller. That not the answer I was looking for. I went home search for arthritis my DR was correct so I was home alone stuck with the pain. I look to my thumb it was swollen and redness. Before I gave up I try shut in dark in the past I used to use successfully hydrogen peroxide for different reasons, so I cut piece of towel, saturated it with HP from the pharmacy and and wrapped it around my thumb. To my surprise the pain subside - and I regain my strength. And I found out that I must keep doing it on and off all the time. Now, if your pain in different part of your body use your creative to apply HP on your pain. Good luck

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