Is there anything that can be done to manage rheumatoid arthritis?

There are plenty of other drugs and infusions.

My Aunt in the same boat. The Medication is destroying her lungs. Any suggestions appreciated.

My sister, diagnosed with RA maybe 20 years ago, got some new type of infusion for the last few years of her life which brought her back to "normal," although left her bald. It was nice to have her back. Then she started to have a lot of complications and dropped dead of a heart attack one morning. Cause of death, heart attack. There were so many other things that caused her death.

Some tickborne infections such as Lyme disease are frequently misdiagnosed as RA, and treatment with immunosuppressants in such cases can actually advance the infection. I’m not saying that’s the case, but if she is at the end of her rope, seeing a Lyme specialist could be worth a shot just to be 100 percent sure it’s not that. People diagnosed with MS, ALS and even Alzheimer’s sometimes are later correctly diagnosed with tickborne illnesses and recover with treatment. See Kris Kristofferson. Before Lyme disease was known, it was misdiagnosed as a rare form of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis among kids in Connecticut.

The meds for RA can destroy your liver. I have psoriasis and a lot of the same meds for RA can be used to treat psoriasis. I had a doctor prescribe one internal medication but he said I had to quit drinking forever. Curious, I looked up the medication and thought "whoa". I went to another dermatologist who told me that if I'd taken that drug routinely I'd need a liver transplant in 20 years. I chose to stick to the topical creams and deal with outbreaks.

My grandfather was on RA meds and they caused more problems than they solved. There must be other ways of dealing with autoimmune disorders. Its heartbreaking.

Can she move to a marijuana State? Seriously.

Depending on how much destruction of her joints she already has, she could try a clean diet (to further reduce inflammation) together with her medication. She should discuss w/her rheum any and all options.

Has she tried going to a doctor?

Go to a doctor? OP said his aunt lives in a red state.

Vegan diet helps heal inflammation in the body. Particularly avoid milk and anything with milk in it. She’ll feel like a new person within two weeks

R8 if I hear one more person use the term “clean diet,” I’m going to blow a socket. This is a stupid label that does more harm than good when discussing eating. So what is the opposite of “clean eating,” “dirty?” You ascribe some sort of moral value to “clean eating” where there is none. Are you better if you eat “clean” rather than “dirty?”

[quote]Vegan diet helps heal inflammation in the body.

Rubbish! It helps SOME people. It MAY help to avoid dairy products, white sugar, chocolate, tomatoes, white potatoes, aubergine, capsicum and chillis, caffeine and products with yeast.

I know four people with RA and all of them voted for Trump and ardently support him to this day. Is there something about rheumatoid arthritis that affects a person's ability to make sane decisions politically?

R13, right on! I don’t have RA, but I have another chronic pain condition called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. I get so irritated when people suggest going vegan to reduce pain. Sure, it may help a small minority of people, but for the most part it doesn’t work.

People show such lack of empathy to chronic pain sufferers. Hope OP’s aunt finds some relief.

r12....it's gasket not socket....

R16 pedantic asshole

It killed Glenn Frey. Kathleen Turner has it, too.

If she lives in a red state she probably lives on dairy, sugar, and alcohol. Her vote for Trump is probably causing the flair-ups.

Acupuncture.

Agree with R13, as all nightshades make even regular or plain arthritic joints feel worse. Some say removing skins and seeds of tomatoes, peppers, and squash help, but I feel worse the very next day after having eaten them. When I do indulge, I keep the portions miniscule. Voltaren (Diclofenac Sodium) is an NSAID miracle topical pain reliever IMHO. It doesn't work for everyone, but she ought to give it a try. Tell her to ask for samples, as it is quite costly. R20's advice is sound for ANY sort of pain. Steroids have long-term repercussions but do indeed help. Very hot baths and infrared saunas can't hurt either. Tell her to take a pass on all immunizations also, as the last thing she needs is something to stimulate her immune system. Wishing her all the best OP, and remind her at her advanced age that there is no shame in becoming an opiate addict either, if that what ends up working for her.

Clean diet is a term used for eating food that leaves little or no ‘debris’ during the digestive process. It’s a common protocol for ppl experiencing acute inflammation. It’s a suggestion only, not a cure by any means for moral or other ailments.

Dr Jack Kevorkian had the best cure for chronic illness. Ask Jackie O.

I'd like to thank the people who suggested infusions. I called the immunology department at the hospital in my aunt's town (I'm a few states away). As it turns out, the hospital does these treatments.

My aunt had never heard of this type of treatment; none of her doctors suggested it. She is going to see a new primary care doctor on the 20th and she will talk to him about starting infusion treatment. I am feeling very hopeful.

Thank you, thank you.

Other DLers, she's a Poor and a Flyoverstani (the poor and old part means she can't just pick up and move to Colorado) but she's not a Trumper. She's not a heavy drinker, although up until a year ago she made her own dandelion wine and gave that canned salsa from her garden vegetables as Christmas gifts. Like most old people who live alone, she does look forward to her afternoon ice cream, but she's not obese. Don't let all this Trump shit make you lose your hearts, people, we're supposed to be the good guys.

Lyme test advocate, thanks. My aunt's mom also had RA, and she died from it. My aunt actually used to bring her mom pot when nothing else would do.

Try Kratom, it might help.

There's been some positive testing done for CBD oil and RA. It appears to reduce inflammation and slow the progression. Its worth looking into.

This is NOT a disease. Believe it or not, it's a tryptophan deficiency. This deficiency causes immune system dysfunction, which in turn causes autoimmune diseases. Turkey, every single day, and a helping of complex carbohydrates. 1000-1500 mg of pumpkin seed oil - this is one of the few plants extremely high in tryptophan.

They want to make you believe it's a disease. Some people need more tryptophan than others. No idea why. Could be a genetic adaptation. Nutrition will always be the first line of action, but you have to be smart about it. Meds are ALWAYS a slippery slope. Doesn't stop big pharma from profiting as it sends you to a painful death.

OP, my aunt has RA and is now symptom free because she eliminated gluten and dairy from her diet.

Mind you I don't partake regularly myself, but now might be a good time to instigate an introduction to your local Mr Pookie and Boo-Boo for a steady supply of some of the Bob Marley stuff. Have you ever watched that video of the guy with Parkinson's after having put a few drops of Hemp oil under his tongue? If you haven't, then here ya go:

Big Pharma DOES NOT want us taking Pot and CBD oil. Go figure.

Actually they do and they want to charge us 350000 dollars for it.

R27 that's interesting. Its weird the way doctors don't share the latest stuff with us patients. Its not like they have any real solutions themselves.

my partner knows a lady in VT. that performs apitherapy(bee sting) for RA

Look into nicotinamide riboside and nicotinamide mononucleotide.

Manuka honey can help. Dissolved in hot water with lemon or just tea. However, it isn’t too cheap.

This was the first link I found to this, but my mother's doctor put her on a nightshade-free diet for her rheumatoid arthritis. It kept down her swelling and kept her from having to take the medications. Her doctor wanted to put off these medications for as long as possible and she never had to take them. She loved tomatoes and grew her own. She'd eat some of her fresh and her hands would swell up and she'd ache all over. Surprise for me, tobacco is in the nightshade family as well. She had stopped smoking after her heart attack though.

Beeline tablets- they are amazing

I don't know if it's too late once you develop RA but what about Vitamin D? There was some article I read about Vitamin D deficiency being a cause and I didn't pay too much attention to it until I looked at my own family history.

My mother had severe RA ---but she had peaches and cream skin tone in her 70s because she covered herself from head to toe when she went out during the summer. Hat, long sleeves, long pants, and heavy makeup with SPF. Great skin, hardly a wrinkle on her face but she had the worst RA. Meanwhile, my aunt who lived in Texas had skin like shoe leather. She loved to garden, was out in the sun without sunscreen. She never developed RA, just a mild osteoarthritis. Same thing happened with a second aunt and my maternal grandmother. The more sun they got, the milder OA they had. The only one with severe RA was my mother - who had very little sun contact.

This is why I take a Vitamin D supplement when I had a blood test done and found my level to be very low.