RA and Pollution: Is there a connection?

Copy and paste the web site below into your browser. New research is showing that people who live near highways or heavily traveled roads tend to develop RA more often. Whether this is a cause or not is not known yet for sure. More research is needed.



I lived on a busy road for about 20 years of my life. T his is an interesting study to say the least. Pollution is not good for us no matter where it comes from. Is this something we can believe when it comes to RA? Can we de-toxify? I am looking into just that. I've tried the RA drugs. I stopped taking them 2 years ago. They didn't help. I am told that even if the drugs help, they don't work past 5 years, then they wear off. The best I can expect from poisonous drugs is "remission", but that is only temporary. Then what? Remission is not a cure. There are also side effects from these drugs. Two of these side effects can be fatal: tuberculosis and lymphoma. No thanks. Some clinicians suggest that the patients who develop TB or lymphoma would have developed it whether they were on the RA drugs or not. Really? That's scary. It reminds me of the statement "which came first, the chicken or the egg?" What surprises will medical science come up with next? I know they mean well, but when Big Pharma is involved, I'm sure the almighty dollar is involved too. Don't experiment with my health, thank you very much. Why do they insist on releasing drugs to the public just to be recalled in a year or two? We're guinea pigs for the pharmaceutical industry. Did you know that you don't have to be a nurse or physician to be a drug rep? That's scary too!



http://www.ehponline.org/members/2009/0800503/0800503.pdf



In conclusion, I guess what I'm trying to say is "do your own research." Don't just take a pill because your doctor prescribes it. He/she doesn't really know for certain if that pill will work anymore than you do. They just have the "experimental science" and the drug reps to rely on. So, I have provided you with some of the same. This report may be hard to understand, but do your best. I think it's time for patients to try to cure themselves. Patients should still visit their physicians. I do not recommend stopping your doctor visits. It's important to have your blood checked and x-rays taken of your joints every so often. However, trying the healthy approach can't hurt either. Check out http://www.youcanbehealthy.org/ and http://www.maximizedlivinghealthsite.com/ and see what natural health care can do for you.



I have this vision: What if RA patients started to improve or better yet, their RA was cured? And, all they did was start eating healthier, exercising, and avoiding pollutants and medications? Wow! That would certainly open the eyes of the medical community, wouldn't it?

Until next time,

Oh My Aching Bones, Part II

In August, 2001, I was being treated for carpal tunnel syndrome by a hand specialist. He had already given me two cortisone injections in each wrist to reduce unexplained swelling and pain that I was having. As he was examining my wrists, he announced that he wanted to do some blood work on me. He was concerned that I might have rheumatoid arthritis. I was shocked. No one in my family had ever had this disease. I knew unrelated people who had it, and of course, I had read about it in nursing school. But, in no way did I even remotely think that my aches and pains were RA.

So, I had the blood work done and a week later, the doctor told me it was positive for RA. He referred me to a rheumatologist. Thus began a long journey into the land of uncertainty. I had heard about the drugs used for treating autoimmune diseases and the side effects are frightening. However, my doctor started me on very low doses. He prescribed methotrexate and Plaquenil. Being the medical sleuth that I am, I researched the drugs. Methotrexate is a liver toxin and Plaquenil, although rarely, could cause eye damage. So, here I was with the decision, "should I risk destroying my liver and eyes?" I went ahead and tried the drugs hoping that my pain would go away. I figured it wouldn't hurt to give the drugs a chance.

It would be another 6 years before I realized that these medications weren't doing anything for me. In fact, my liver enzymes increased dramatically and I had to have a liver biopsy. At that point, I quit taking methotrexate. I also stopped the Plaquenil because my platelet count was dropping.

For most of my adult life, I have been a so-called "health nut". I use high-quality nutritional supplements and try to eat healthy. I avoid sugary foods and have stopped eating red meat. I use pharmaceutical-grade fish oil in large doses. Fish oil is an anti-inflammatory. I increased my intake of fruits that were high in antioxidants. I eat a lot of salad and always have a vegetable with dinner. I love sweet potatoes and carrots (high in antioxidants). I lost 25 pounds, which not only made my clothes fit better, but took a lot of pressure off of my hips and knees. I joined a water aerobics class sponsored by the Arthritis Foundation. Water is our friend, especially if you have any form of arthritis. The water cushions your joints while you exercise. It is difficult to hurt your joints in water, and it feels wonderful. Exercising in water helps build muscle which in turn helps support arthritic joints.

It has been 8 years since I was officially diagnosed with RA. In my next article, I will explain the differences between RA and OA. Both are painful, both can be debilitating, but both are as different as night and day when it comes to treatment options.