Finding doctors who use minocyclin for treatment of RA

[Simba1992]

I would be very thankful for links to doctors who consider antibiotic treatment of RA as en option. I live in France , but any Eruopean country is possible. I need to get started somewhere and so far I have had no luck!😕

[allanah]

Hi. Why are you thinking of antibiotics?

RA is an inflammatory auto immune disease. So the drugs damps down the inflammation to prevent joint damage. Antibiotics kill bacteria so what is the theory they would help?

[helixhelix in reply to allanah]

It is a recognised treatment for RA Allanah. Not much used any more, but it can work in a few people - even if very very slowly. After all, Hydroxy is an anti-malarial so why should that work? But it does.

But I never known anyone who was prescribed it.

[allanah in reply to helixhelix]

Very interesting , amazing the info on here as id never thought how would that work. Suppose the new treatments overtook it xxxx hope you get what you need Simba xxxxx

[Jodale in reply to helixhelix]

First time replying . I was sick and hurting for 4 months as if in a bad flare . I got a cough and de gave me antibiotics and in 2 days I was up and feeling great ! Now I can stay awake all day do house work and my pain Meds work so I'm wondering about antibiotics also

[Simba1992 in reply to helixhelix]

The statistics on the effect of mino treatment is in fact 60%. There are several doctors and clinics in the US that give the treatment. If you are intrested there is a lot of info on the Roadback foundations website. The effect of the treatment sets in usually after 3months, which I understand is the case with mtx treatment as well.

[Simba1992]

I have done a lot of reading on the subject. There are several, actually 200 controlled scientific studies, showing the bennefits of this form of therapy. Dr. Browns work is the best known as is Dr. Mercolas who has treated patients with his modified version of Browns treatment protocol.

[Hidden in reply to Simba1992]

HI Simba

I am also hunting for someone to prescribe me Minocycline and not having much luck!

I saw my consultant last week and she refused, saying she didn't think it would work and Methx is the gold standard (I think not ).

So she has discharged me on the grounds of refusing the medication offered.

She referred me back to my GP with a letter stating she was not opposed to my GP prescribing it to me, but the GP also said no.

So I am in limbo, trying to find a private consultant willing to give me Mino.

I contacted The road back foundation for a list of clinics in the UK , there wasn't many and all at the other end of the country, but I am going to contact them for prices etc.

So if you contact The road back via email which is [e-mail] and request a European list.

Good luck

Pepper

[Simba1992 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Pepperpot! Hope the list will exist. Hope to hear from you if you have any luck😊 Good luck to you too! Simba

[allanah in reply to Simba1992]

Ok that's very interesting and great if it helps people. Let us know if you get some cxx

[Hidden]

Sulfasalazine is an antibiotic as well as mynocyclon. I wonder why it's not prescribed

[Hidden]

I've never heard of Sulfasalazine being classed as an antibiotic Suzannedale? l know it's classed as a DMARD though but also that, similarly to Methotrexate, the liver and white blood cells require monitoring regularly for those who take it. So it's not as benign as Minocycline I would have thought?

I did some fairly rudimentary research into Minocycline a few years ago, having reacted very badly to four DMARDs to date. What I read was that Minocycline takes a long time to work - and as RA is a potentially destructive disease early on for some people - there is this window of opportunity to treat RA aggressively with DMARDs - which can work very well in slowing down or knocking erosive disease on the head. I think this has probably been the case for me. However I was still interested in researching Mino but could find no practitioners in the UK who use it so I gave up.

This is not necessarily an RA related observation, and may well be just coincidence - but the painful parasthesia I've suffered from for several years now in hands and feet and mouth disappeared for each of the seven courses of antibiotics I've taken this past year. So I'm still interested in theory although I do think that MTX and Hydroxy chased off my RA after a couple of years.

[helixhelix in reply to Hidden]

Yup, sulpha is an antibiotic. And that's the basis of this drug. I seem to remember it pops up in WWI literature about treating wounds in the trenches.

[nomoreheels in reply to Hidden]

I think Suzannedale's picked up on that it's made partly made up of an antibiotic Twitchy. Sulfasalazine is a combination of salicylate (the main ingredient in aspirin) and a sulfa antibiotic & in this form is a DMARD. As I understand it it's the sulfa part that works on autoimmune problems & why it's not recommended to take sulfonamide antibiotics (such as sulfamethoxazole & trimethoprin) in conjunction with SSZ.

H is right, topical antibiotic sulfonomides are used in burn treatment. x

[allanah in reply to nomoreheels]

Jeez I'm on that one!

[Hidden]

Gosh this is so interesting to learn - thanks to Susandale, Helix and Heels for educating me! I had an awful allergic reaction to Sulfa and have no idea why but had no idea it contained antibiotic. I learn so much from this place everyday!

[nomoreheels in reply to Hidden]

For what it's worth I agree, starting over again my choice wouldn't be minocycline given that it takes a while to build up, standard DMARDs take long enough & I wanted results & fast! Maybe if there's moderate or low disease activity then possibly it's an option but I would like to think my Rheumy was fighting my corner for me & offering the best meds available whatever the diagnosis. My utmost concern would be to prevent possible damage & a slow acting med could let the gremlins run riot. To be concerned about side effects is natural but until proven I'm in the trad camp. x

[Hidden]

I guess it all depends on the severity of your disease. My rheumy classes my RA as on the milder side and refused to put me on MTX unless it becomes warrented. I now agree with this way of thinking. If milder drugs work then why not use them first, just as long as no damage is being done.

If the health board of Canada or the FDA discovered eating used kitty litter as a cure for RA, I would grab a spoon lol

[helixhelix in reply to Hidden]

Hmmm. Clean kitty litter yes, beyond that I'd have to be hurting bad. But perhaps that's a good measure of how far I've come as I guess if you'd have asked me the same question a few years ago I wouldn't even have waited to find a spoon.

[1placebets]

I AM ALSO LOOKING FOR A DR TO TREAT MY RA WITH MINOCYCLINE