Off topic,,,,Doctor just put me on ENBREL FOR RA.,,,Any thoughts good or bad ?
Posted May 24th, 2008 by doctor011
output
General very mild RA,,,Do not want to take the standard methotrexate heard its basically chemo,,,,,,just a discussion because I trust the people here.
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The pharmaceutical industry
don't want to cure you, they want to prolong your condition. If they cure you, thats money out of their pocket. Be sure to research natual cures.
pharmaceutical warning: do not use this drug unless you are in a very healthy state, this drug may cause danagerous side effects.
Have you exhausted non-pharmaceutical options?
One of the great ironies of our time is the "War on Drugs" begin wages while the pharmaceutical industry wages a campaign to get us all on some kind of drug - for life.
RA is NASTY - I do not want to make light of your condition. However, get your magnifying glass out and read the fine print on the package insert and ask yourself if you are willing to risk the possible side effects and complications. If they give you pause, at least try some alternative therapies - there are MANY things that work that the FDA will not approve for reasons that have nithing to do with safety or efficacy.
yes
first exhaust your non-pharmaceutical options, change your lifestyle first. don't suffer needlessly however.
I'd say it is a lack of desire by the pharmaceutical industry that prevents certain products from being FDA approved. Nobody wants to throw down millions on a clinical trial for an herbal or natural product that they cannot patent, or that is readily consumable without processing. That is unfortunate because without good clinical trial data it is difficult to determine what the best treatment options are, given pharmaceutical trials are massively funded, the majority of information doctors' have at their fingertips regarding therapy is skewed toward drug-related therapy.
Precisely
Add in the TERRIBLE process of "clinical trials" that is pretty much run by the pharmaceutical industry itself, and people these days have WAY too much faith in "modern healthcare." If you need emergency medicine or trauma care, trust your MD. General health? Stay as far from "western" medicine as you can!
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More food for though
If you want to try an "alternative" to Enbrel you could try this, though I'd recommend it as adjunctive therapy... I might get a little too sciency but better to have the info in hand to better talk with your doc.
There are some studies that indicate that taking Omega-3 fatty acids with aspirin (probably any NSAID will do though) the Omega-3s are transformed into very potent (active in the nano and pico molar ranges) molecules which promote the active termination of inflammation. The class of molecules they are transformed into are being termed resolvins and protectins. No human clinical trials have been performed yet, so it is theoretical, but I've tried it and I thought I noticed a difference. Taking Omega 3 fatty acids by themselves will not be sufficient. The metabolism of these fatty acids into protectins and resolvins is dependent on the blockade of the cyclooxygenase (COX) pathway. (you may be familiar with Vioxx or Celebrex...COX-2 inhibitors....all NSAIDS block COX-1 and COX-2). By blocking the COX pathyway with aspirin, the Omega-3 fatty acids get shunted down the lipooxygenase (LOX) pathway where they are metabolized into these active protectin and resolvin molecules. As RA is an inflammatory condition, anti-inflammatory therapy is what you want, be it from drugs, but also very importantly diet, stress reduction, excersise, and good sleep.
I'm in a Pharm.D. program, I
I'm in a Pharm.D. program, I also have a rheumatoid condition. I've had success with sulfasalazine, indomethacin, diet, excersise, stress management, and sleep hygiene.
I would consider Enbrel for treatment when other therapies have failed. In your case it may or may not be the best choice yet. It can have very unpleasant side effects as it is a recombinant immunoglobulin, which basically means it's a protein, which means you could have much more severe reactions to it (because your body's immune system may react to it).
Also, I don't know who said it, but "boosting your immune system" is not what you want to do, even if you could. RA is caused by an "over active" immune system.
The yahoo Health and Healing
The yahoo Health and Healing group may be good for you to start with learning other therapies but I wish to caution you about getting overwhelmed. There are so many different ways (modalities) that you might end up feeling more helpless. You sound like you're starting from scratch. One place I would look is does your area have a good acupuncturist? No it's not a cure all but it's a wonderful foundation to start with. A good acupuncturist has a lot of knowledge about other therapies and may refer you to other good therapists. Good nutrition of course is important but often it's not the 1st place people start. It just depends on what kind of person you are.
I agree with you
that one can be overwhelmed. However, we all had to start at that point at some time... and whilst there is a lot to learn, questions can be asked all the time... with references to look up and learn for self. That is something most doctors, and established practitioners often overlook.
With professionals on board, and with many who can relate from personal experience and others having been involved in the alternative health field for over 30 years.. plus the sharing of all kinds of information you will not find in mainstream media, I'd say worth considering.
As an aside... joining the group and being a member is all for free...all information given is free and can be accessed in one's own time.
Please
feel free to join us on Health and healing: http://groups.yahoo.com/g...
'us' meaning a great bunch of knowledgable people on alternative health approaches. Join and ask away, you will be amazed for the wonderful references as to be able to heal yourself away from the death trap of allopathic medicine.
Just tried to join Health and Healing..
No matter what I feed in as a profile name, it will not allow me to join...what really pizzes me off is I have verizon/YAHOO email account.....
I am very interested in joining this...am ex-Nurse...don't believe, for the most part, in pharmaceuticals. I believe in natural methods whenever possible. Also, I have hypothyroidism and am always interested in reading about herbs/etc that help with that condition...
Oh, well...
Enbrel
If you want to give the pharm. industry your money and future health, it's great. Boosting the immune system is the best way to treat issues. Read the book: "The cancer cure that worked" by Barry Lynes. You will get an idea how corrupt the AMA and many other "health" organizations are. They are about the MONEY!!!
Do your own research as you only have one life.
your body can heal itself!
www.hacres.com
live the diet!
If you want to talk more...let me know.
Be the Miracle!
What kinds of alternative
What kinds of alternative therapies have you tried?
At this point methotrexate and predazone
Did not like side effects of methotrexate.
Enbrel
I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in '99. When I see ads for Enbrel which links lymphoma (a blood cancer) to Enbrel...it immediately becomes suspicious to me. On a couple of the discussion boards for lymphoma I belong to, several patients list long term use of Enbrel as a possible causative effect. I believe in integrative medicine and that is one of the reasons I was drawn to Dr. Paul's message.
IT'S DOABLE