palindromic rheumatoid arthritis

I take turmeric capsules which I get in a health foods store. Drugstores carry it too. I take about 1000 mg a day depending on who makes the capsules. The cherry juice is Knudson's black cherry juice. With these I am taking one quarter of the MTX I used to take.

Thanks! I wonder if you are in USA cos can't find that cherry juice!

I don't know if you have any Wegman's grocery stores around you, but you can find it in the organic/health foods section. But Whole Foods has it and I believe most large chains have it but in the "healthy" section. I wonder if that means that the food in the rest of the store is "unhealthy:" :-}

My first few years were spent getting the MTX dose right and looking around for some more natural things I could take. Right now I take about a gram of turmeric each day in capsule form and pineapple juice and black cherry juice. They help a lot.  Also, I was using mobic for pain and inflammation which gave me microscopic blood in my urine. So I use those only if I really need to.

How do I cope.......

First, this disease is the ONLY thing wrong with me, and I turn 70 in two weeks. 

Second, I started to do some research which led me to taking turmeric in capsule form, krill oil, pineapple juice and black cherry juice. There is a body of research that supports these. They have helped me to reduce my MTX take from 12 tabs per week to 3 per week.

Third, if I have a flareup (about once every 3 or 4 months) I take good care of myself to include rest, hot baths and a pain killer. These flareups last a few days to a couple of weeks and leave as quicckly as they come on.

I am also fortunate in that my rheumatologist encourages me to call him whenever I have a problem. He makes a point to call me back that same day. How many patients can say that?

And a sense of humor is okay, too. I was describing how I almost liked colds because my symptoms went away during the cold and the way I told my rheumatologist had him in stitches.

Finally, I do yoga which helps center me and I feel much better after a session. 

So many ways.....

 

That's amazing.. reducing from 12 tab to 3 tab... I'm turning 41 in two weeks ... I will try the black cherry in capsule soon... I hope it works the same for me ...I'm blessed to find this forum and able to share my experiences with all the kind people and have the same horrible disease ...

Black cherry is a juice and turmeric comes in capsules or pills.

Good luck.

 

I have come across your posting for my sister....she has had RA for two years, nothing much the hospital has tried her on gives much relief....Methotrexate, affected her liver, she is now on Sulphalazine....but my question to you other than pain she suffers is....she gets extreme fatigue and dizziness....she has about 12 hours sleep (lucky her!) every night, but is still tired, is the the norm for RA?....  She has been tested for celiac, anaemia, thyroid, vit D, etc....all ok....

​Thank you for any suggestions!  (will tell her about your naturals that you take)

Fatigue is certainly a facet of a flare-up. Rest becomes important since the body is reacting to inflammation during a flare-up. 

Thanks for your reply, my sister dosen`t seem to get " flare-ups" she is like it all the time, and in pain....this is what bothers me, and wonder if she has right diagnosis, or it`s side affects of Sulphalazine.....think we need to push further....thanks anyway...

Yes my symptons also lasts for 1 to 2 days then It will go the other part of the body . I changed my diet by cutting down meat , no more coffee. It's good to try the natural remedies but I can't take the risk of stopping my medication. I haven't tried Tumeric though. But I use the lemongrass leaves to boil it with water and drink it as tea. Do tk care

I am vegetarian and rarely drink coffee but still have RA. I try to have a healthy diet but don't follow special regimes or natural remedies. I research certain things that can help like tumeric and believe there is some truth to this. But I refuse to buy supplements which make claims to cure. My meds are not working as well as I would like but I know there are drugs which will suit me and its just getting it right. Hopefully now the biological drugs.

It couldn't hurt to take those natural things. Also try black cherry juice.

Hi Tammy:

I know what you mean. I would rather not have to take drugs either. And I talked to my rheumatologist about it. He told me that the disease is worse than the drugs, so it is a beneficial tradeoff. They monitor your blood so if you have any reaction to a drug they can switch you to another. So far I have not had to do that.

This is the arthritis I have too, I wondered what the heck was wrong with me I was really worried I never thought arthritis was anything like this, however I have been on methotrexate fire a few months and no problems apart from tiredness but the biggest thing is no pain