Instead of the flu shot, try Vitamin D3. My integrative rheumatologist put me on 10,000 IU 12 years ago. Normally, that would be too much for healthy people, but we who have auto-immune disorders almost always also have Vitamin D3 deficiency. I was very deficient. I still take 5000 to 10000 a day depending on the time of year. When I first began this vitamin, my crooked fingers straightened up and I could make a fist again.
Miner
May i ask what treatments or alternative approaches (aside from d3) have you done for your RA?
Oh just about everything kayleen. My doctor is a rheumatologist who also is Lyme literate and practices functional medicine. When we first met, she ran a lot of bloodwork and I tested positive for about 31 different microbes. This was 2007. You can't just bomb me with antibiotics, anti-protozoals, etc. We had to work on one pathogen at a time and then take breaks to build my body back up from the bombing. İt was methodical and lasted 7 years. It involved a lot of conventional medications (all paid for by insurance) and supplements (not paid for by insurance). For 5 of the 7 years, I was on Enbrel to keep my immune system from flaring with each treatment. When I met her, I was inflamed in every joint of my body. She called my RA explosive and said she had only seen 3 or 4 patients as bad as me in her 15 years of practice. I was not an easy case, but in 7 months, she had me pain free and I remained so through most of the treatments. In 2012, I was released from care and I have not needed a rheumatologist since. My bloodwork will still show I have RA but it is dormant. My goal is to keep it there.
May I ask what she used to test for microbes?
Thanks for the reminder!
kayleen, she used standard blood testing from standard labs. Quest lab actually had a technician set up in her office. This doctor took a lot of blood to stay on top of things. I used to accuse her of curing me with bloodletting and calling it blood testing. LOL My insurance paid for every bit of blood work because 1-I kept coming up positive on stuff, 2- It was before Obamacare messed up my good insurance.
She told me when she first met me that I probably had layers of infections and that as we cleared some, others would show up. This is exactly what happened.
Susan Marshall, did you test for EBV?
Yes. High levels.
I should get tested. How'd you get it to become dormant or did you?
Viruses are what we fight most. By eating healthy and taking antiviral supplements like Olive Leaf Extract or Cats Claw or oregano essential oil etc and by detoxing. Detox agents like bentonite clay or activated charcoal all help
U aren't from Northern va area by chance ru? I'd love to find this kind of dr.
How fortunate to have such an awesome Doctor!! That is great you have got your health back!! May I ask where you found your Doc?
At the time, I learned about her through Lyme groups. She was 3 1/2 hrs from me and initially I had to spend overnights as I could not do the entire trip in a day. But as time advanced, I was able to make the entire trip in a day. My mother always went with me and we greatly enjoyed these days together. She still speaks of it.
I want your Dr! That's awesome. That is a one of a kind Dr!
She really is. Sadly she has become cost prohibitive. But at the time, she took insurance and that was very helpful. If my lyme ever activates again though, I will run back to her. But I learned so much from her in that 7 years, I am hopeful I will always be able to keep my RA in remission. Diet and healthy lifestyle are key to my success.
That is so awesome and it says a lot about her as a Dr and as a person to care that deeply enough for her patients to figure it out and do what's really best for them. Even though, the meds she could've offered that could had possibly help line her pockets, she chose to find the right solution for her patient/s. That says it all about her. How many Dr's have you ever heard of even close to this. For me, NONE! She is awesome and you are so lucky to have her as your Dr. I would keep going to her even if you don't need to, just to keep the relationship. Because once you are no longer a current patient, there will come a time that she will no longer add on patients. So i would def keep going, even if its to get your BP checked. And did I mention, I'm jealous. LOL But am very happy for you. İ need your rainbow.
What form and brand of vit d do you take
romy, I vary the brand. Vitamin D3 is the type I take. It is not expensive at all.
I get the flu vaccine every year & I also take a large dose of vitamin D3 every day.
I take the Carlson drops for my D3. So much nicer than a pill for me.
I'm on d2 at 50,000 ius a week right now.
rhonda, is it helping? My understanding is that D2 is hard to absorb
I've only been on it for two weeks, but I really feel alot better already. I don't feel the overwhelming sense of extreme fatigue like I have for the past year. My joints still hurt but maybe in time it will help with that too.
Yes Vit D does give you more energy. Research the difference between d2 and d3
Is my condition reversible?
I don’t know. But you can stop future damage.
It has now started on my left hand. I can see the damage increase daily. Also in my feet, it is becoming very painful. How can I stop further joint damage please?
Praying for you.
Nahida Nance i don't know how it can stop. Are you taking RA medications?
Nahida Nance does fasting help at all?
i take Vitamin CODE raw D3 5,000 iu i tested low but not abnormal
I take 10,000 iu of Vit D as well. I never get a flu shot and I’ve had RA for 16 years and recently diagnosed with lupus as well. In that 16 years I’ve gotten the flu twice and that was just this past Nov & Dec. I got it twice in a month.
sherry, you are definitely not trending the right way. Do you work with a functional medicine doctor? If you only do the rheumatoid drugs, your body will continue to decline because of the drug side effects and if infections are part of your picture, they are continuing to multiply unabated and eventually they will win.
Susan Marshall I’m in the process of changing doctors now. I will look in to a functional doctor. I’ve been on the same med for years and it has recently started to affect my eyes and my weight. I’ve just recently started researching holistic treatments as I hate the side effects of my medicine. It rendered me partially blind for about six months.
Yay! I’m so glad to hear this sherry. You can heal. I pray for your healing.