Well Martin--I beg to differ--RA is in fact a Auto Immune Disease, especially the RA that I have. I suffer from two different Auto Immune Diseases. Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia (a Non Hodgkins Lymphoma & Rheumatoid Arthritis. Neither one is curable but they are treatable. I was diagnosed with the Waldenstroms's in 2007 and under went a two week treatment that improved my bloodwork. I was dx'd with the RA May of this year.
Stanford is very good! My daughter's mother in law was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer about 10 yrs ago and she is still alive. That's were she went for treatment.
Has anyone here hear of, or used, Collagen in powder or gel tabs? Collagen is chicken cartilage and, from recent online research I've done, is better than Glucosamine Sulfate which use to be one of the top vitamin supplements for osteoarthritis pain/joint protection. I'm sending my VA doctor a message asking her which she thinks is better to use........Glucosamine Sulfate or the Collagen. Before trying the Rose Hips, I was taking 500 mg 3x daily of the Glucosamine Sulfate and now back to taking it again. Around 5 years ago, my PCP that I had recommended that I change from using MSN to using the Glucosamine Sulfate. My plan also is to seek out another Ortho Doctor/Surgeon and have him tell me his feelings about my first MRI in 2012 on left shoulder (before surgery) and my second MRI a couple of months ago (same shoulder after surgery last March 2015). I want a second opinion on how that surgery went, by way of the MRI, and why I'm still experiencing daily achy pain in the shoulder. Taking 800mg of ibuprofen twice a day (sometimes three times daily), isn't good for my stomach in the long-run. So, will see what you folks say and what my VA doc says. Won't buy the Collagen Gel Tablets until I know more.
A while back my Dr. discussed a series of injections for my RA. Remember that the side effects were quite serious, more than I wanted to deal with. I guess it was a last resort type of treatment. I declined. 'Over the counter' takes the edge off most days and on the real bad days, I just lay low. When the weather turns cold, I have a wrap for my knee and one for my elbow that helps retain body heat on the joints. I never go out without glove when the weather turns. Got to save that body heat. Works for me.
When I had the heart operation, I learned about inflammatory foods, and anti-inflammatory foods, and then stopped eating most of the inflammatory foods to help my heart heal better and the inflammation from the operation to go away sooner. A side effect of stopping the inflammatory foods was that my arthritis pain, and episodes of gouts also seemed to pretty much stop. I still have stiff and sore days, of course; but not like I used to have, where I could barely walk. When I do have bad days, it is usually because I indulged in some inflammatory food , and once I get back on track, I feel better again. I know it will be a trade-off; but as long as I don't do it too much, or too often, I can still eat some of the inflammatory foods now and then without too much resulting pain. Cold weather does make me stiffen up worse, and if I can keep warm overnight, then that seems better; but I still try to bundle up, like @Tim Burr mentioned, when winter comes. We just ordered some of those copper-infused elbow and knee sleeves that are suposed to help with joint pain. I also take the MSM and glucosamine-chondroitin every night, and that helps, too. Sulfur is a great pain-reliever.
I also read that living in higher altitudes ease arthritis pain. Currently, we are living almost at sea-level, but when we return/move back to Colorado, we'll be at approx. 7,000 feet. Yes, we will be going back to cold/ice/snow weather, but back to living in an area we really like. Don't have to buy a Winter Parka, still have ours from living there before .
This is a very interesting article from the Arthritis society.... http://www.arthritis.org/living-wit...nti-inflammatory/eat-to-beat-inflammation.php
Interesting, yes, But, neither of us are going to become vegetarians. As the lion in the Wizard of Oz says........."no way, no how". We'd rather change what we can (ok, want to) and take a vitamin supplement. But, that's us.