Scared by Side Effects

[crimson]

After reading the pharmacy sheets listing side effects of the medications I take for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), I can't help but wonder if the "cure" is worse than the disease. Is it possible I'd be better off skipping the medications and taking my chances with the RA?

_____________________

This is one question usually asked by people who recently got diagnosed by RA.

So what will our fellow community answer to this.

[naturelover]

I would like to rephrase the question, 'Can't we survive with RA by taking other natural medicines than normal medicine?'.

To answer your question, long time ago in one of my posting I have mentioned that my sister who is having RA and constantly getting pain in her shoulders is following a very strict diet, do very normal exercise and of course, she is taking the medicines prescribed. But, even the doctor has wondered how come she is able to cope up without taking full course of medicine for RA.

She or even, no one in my family don't know the answer. I believe the diet is main reason behind keeping the RA at bay.

[leighdu]

Honestly, I do skip the meds. The ones I have been on made me blow up like a balloon, experience nausea, hair loss, and a plethora of other side effects, and even though it reduced the pain, the pain was still there. I'm into herbal remedies and cutting out certain foods in my diet. It is working for the most part but there are still some awful flares. I usually take Excedrin Back and Body and it does help a bit.

[kageyd]

Crimson, many people, including many here, do not experience bad side effects, and my guess is that many of those who read and do not post (see the huge number of "views") also do not suffer (at least do not suffer badly) from side effects. My own feeling over a long life of illnesses and meds is to try them out - for the most part side effects have been minimal and the help from the meds very great. Hey, I'm still here and functioning. Go for trial and error - like the rest of life!! (including the herbals...)

[naturelover]

It seems herbal medicine and Ayurveda medicine are also very useful in treatment to RA. We don't mind if a GP is not able to diagnosis properly RA and about the medication. Whereas, we do umpteen number of enquiries before going for Ayurveda or herbal medicine?

[kageyd]

As we answer this question, shouldn't we be addressing meds that are strictly for reducing pain (e.g., all the NSAIDs), those that are strictly for retarding the progress of RA (e.g., sulfasalazine and plaquenil (spelling?)) and those that may do both (e.g., methotrexate or the biologicals). Certainly it's hard to say that a med that reduces progress does not also alleviate pain, but it's an important point. As a newly diagnosed RA person, not yet in any serious RA pain, I'm personally most interested in the meds that halt further progress of the disease (and I've already learned my med lessons with pain in dealing with osteoarth... for over 40 years). Just a thought I had that might clarify which meds are helping to do what. Kageyd

[naturelover]

Kageyd wrote:

Go for trial and error - like the rest of life!! (including the herbals...)

I have taken my wife for herbal medicine for a trial and error basis, of course with full support from my GP. I hope for the best for my wife. If something is strange and will be beneficial, I think we have to take risk and try give a chance. (I am praying nothing sort of adverse happens to her).

[kageyd]

Naturelover, I googled for dangerous herbals. Here is a beginning URL, and a quote from it, that might cause you to look carefully at the specific herbals you are taking. Of course many, probably most, are fine, but there is a family of dangerous herbals (I learned a lot about this from people on my atrial fibrillation forum who were very knowledgeable about herbal approaches). So just FYI.

Quote from the URL:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Alternative-Medicine-991/dangerous-herbal-medicines.htm

The best place to find a listing would be with the FDA. You can call them direct or check out the website and request information.

~ Do not use bone meal or oyster shell tablets as sources of supplemental calcium. They have been found to be high in lead, mercury, cadmium and other toxic metals.

Some Fish Oil capsules contain high levels of mercury. Some Shark Cartilage which is used in many herbal supplements also contains high levels of mercury.

These "culinary" plants contain livertoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids:
Germander (Teucrium chamaedrys)
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)
Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara)
Borage (Borago officinalis) (flowers and seeds are nontoxic)

See the comfrey controversy, external links: http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/PAs/PAs.html

http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/faqs/medi-2-15-comfrey.html

This "culinary" plant is toxic unless picked at the correct time and prepared correctly:
Pokeroot or pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)

[prasanth5]

Allopathy drugs certainly have side effects. But on the contrary Ayurvedic drugs are sans side effects. But the only complaint is that it takes a long time for the results to appear. But it does not matter. As naturelover has pointed out Ayurveda is a wonderful procedure.