Ayurvedic Remedies

[Sistah_SolulJah]

Hi All.

I am a newbie. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and have been struggling with the idea of taking drugs although i understand the consequences of not taking them. Please tell me of your experiences of taking various drugs for RA and what things you did that worked for you.

I have recently had a series of ayurvedic foot masages and i am feeling less pain in my ankle and foot. In the mornings my foot and ankle would be very swollen and stiff, but since the ayurvedic massage they have been much better.

Is anyone else familiar with ayurveda?

Looking forward to your replies.

[Hidden]

Hi - I think this ayurvedic massage sounds wonderful as a complimentary option, but would be very hesitant myself to see it as an alternative to conventional medicine. And I speak as someone who is currently drug free with my consultant's blessing. I don't tolerate drugs at all well and like most people was very apprehensive about taking them to begin with. But I did meet someone who has had this disease for many years and, like you, felt unwilling to try the drugs that were available to her when she was diagnosed. She has lived to regret this decision I have to say and is now on Methotrexate and doing very well although the disease has already done a lot of damage.

I have taken Sulfasalazine, Methotrexate and Hydroxichloraquine and Prednsilone over the past three years. I had quite severe side effects with each of them but I know I'm quite unusual and I did at least try each of them for as long as I could. Methotrexate and Hydroxichloraquine have almost kicked my RA into the long grass it seems. Whether it will come back or not I don't know but if it does then I would try others rather than let the disease do damage to me in the long term. I now try to keep active and watch my diet and avoid wheat, sweet foods apart from fruit, and take vitamin supplements which I have researched having been tested for deficiencies.

The only alternative I would consider is to see a naturopath - but this would cost a lot of money which I don't have and I would only consider this having tried and failed to tolerate so many drugs myself. For many they work wonders and are well tolerated.

No one can predict how a drug might make you feel unfortunately - we are all entirely different in both the way the disease progresses and the way we respond to drugs.

[Sistah_SolulJah in reply to Hidden]

Thank you twitchytoes. I am newly diagnosed and finding it a little difficult to digest I constantly worry that at 30 I have no children yet or a partner and fear these things are gonna be harder to attain now given the diagnosis. Many people tell me I am still young and have plenty time but it just feels like the odds are against me. Sorry. Enough wallowing now. I guess I just feel a bit lost and so frustrated. I have waited 2 years for a diagnosis. Relieved but lost. I will be starting my hydroxychloroquine tomorrow.

I am vegetarian so I don't eat much junk food really though I love chocolate! I eat lots of fish and greens and I don't drink alcohol. I am trying to drink more water and I don't like cheese so my diet isn't too bad.

Thanks again for the advice and hope today is a good day for your joints.

Love and light.

[Hidden in reply to Sistah_SolulJah]

So sorry that you've had this diagnosis. It is very hard indeed to take in I know so be kind to yourself and read up, learn all you can.

I do hope the Hydroxichloraquine works wonders - it was good for my RA and I had no side effects until I started to swell and itch after about 16 months on it. It is the mildest and least toxic of the DMARDs as I'm sure you know.

Your diet sounds brilliant and I've no doubt at all that it will help you get the RA under control. You are young but then kids sometimes get this disease and the sooner you find a drug that controls it well the sooner you will get your full mobility and energy back so I would say you are more likely to find a partner and have kids etc if you take the medicines as advised than you will be otherwise. RA is a serious disease and you don't want to end up with eroded joints plus if you don't have to. Try and do all you can to halt the progress of RA with drugs and with complimentary therapies, keeping to your great diet (chocolate has anti inflammatory properties!) and read up and learn as much as you can about RA and autoimmunity. It will all help you as it has helped me! Twitchy x