Wednesday, November 14, 2012

How to Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis Without Drugs

I want to tell you about a patient I had in my clinical rotation at UConn Health Center.  She was in her 60's, and she was hospitalized following a surgical procedure to fix a pericardial effusion (fluid buildup around the heart).  Other than this acute issue, she had very few health problems, and nothing heart-related.  What she did suffer from, however, was rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a nasty autoimmune, inflammatory disease in which the body attacks its own cells in joints, often in the hands or feet.  Over time, this can lead to deformities in the structure of the hands and feet, like here:


And this is what her hands looked like.  I asked her if her RA bothered her in everyday life, and she said only rarely.  But I saw her hands.  Maybe she could perform easy tasks without any trouble, but she's not opening a jar of tomato sauce any time soon.  Of course, this patient was being treated the same way most RA patients are treated:  with glucocorticoids like Prednisone.  But drugs like Prednisone come along with approximately 4,732 serious side effects, such as increased blood pressure, weight gain, mood swings, osteoporosis, increased risk of infection, and diabetes.  Not exactly "safe" over the long-term.

I am fully aware that a paleo-type diet would help her control her RA; I thought long and hard about whether or not to bring it up with her.  But in the end I didn't, because I'm a student, and paleo isn't exactly protocol at UConn Health Center.  Besides, she eats a super-low-fat, cholesterol-is-deadly, 80s-style diet, full of egg beaters and vegan sausage.  (Her total cholesterol was an extremely low 87 mg/dl by the way, something none of the doctors seemed to be even remotely worried about *palmtoforehead*).  I wasn't about to broach that subject with a 10-foot-pole.  She wouldn't have believed me, and my preceptor never would have signed off on it anyway.

Ironically, later on that week, I listened to a Chris Kresser podcast in which he discussed how he treats RA using diet and supplements.  No Prednisone.  No side effects.  This is the information my patient really needed, along with everyone else who suffers from this debilitating disease.  This is how you get to the root cause of RA and fix it, not simply cover it up with corticosteroids. 



1.  The Foundation of Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment - Heal the Gut!
What does that mean, you may ask?  I haven't talked about the gut much on the blog.  According to Dr. Alessio Fasano, a leading researcher on intestinal permeability (or leaky gut), it may not even be possible to have an autoimmune condition without a permeable gut.  In short, a leaky gut leads to undigested food getting into the bloodstream, and this may be the underlying cause of autoimmune conditions (other similar conditions include multiple sclerosis, lupus, celiac disease, and type 1 diabetes.  Yes, this treatment is applicable to any disease that is autoimmune in nature). 

There are a few things you can do to ensure the integrity of your gut, and this comes directly from Chris Kresser:  Identify potential pathogens, improve stomach acid, rebalance gut flora, and remove harmful foods from the diet.  The first three would require the help of a naturopath or functional medicine practitioner; Google it, I don't have time to go into it here.  But the last one can be done at home.  The paleo diet is perfect for this, as it eliminates most of the potentially harmful foods.  Grains, legumes, and dairy are the biggies, but it may also be worth eliminating eggs, nuts, and nightshades, at least for the first 30 days.  Check out Robb Wolf's autoimmune protocol.

This guy is not your friend.  Plus he steals Christmas.
This is the foundation of RA treatment, and you will not have much success without healing the gut!  But the following factors have also been shown to be important.

2.  Low-Dose Naltrexone
Yes, this is a drug.  But it's mild in low-doses, and in this case the benefits outweigh the risks.  Originally designed to help drug addicts quit their habit, naltrexone blocks the opiate receptors in the brain that are responsible for addiction.  So if a heroin addict took 50 mg of naltrexone, then shot up heroin, he wouldn't feel a thing.  Unfortunately, not only does naltrexone prevent that happy feeling you get from a heroin injection, it prevents happy feelings in ALL aspects of life, making the patient into a mental vegetable.  Not so good.

When taken at a lower dose, however, naltrexone stimulates T regulatory cell function.  T regulatory cells balance the immune system, and they're responsible for turning off inflammation when needed.  And that's one of the main characteristics of RA and similar disorders:  excessive inflammation.  In fact, low-dose naltrexone has been shown to be very effective in Crohn's disease, another autoimmune condition, reducing symptoms in 89% of subjects in one study with no side effects (1).  Even if there's no direct evidence for RA, it's likely to be just as effective via the same mechanism.  And since there are no side effects, there's very little risk but a high potential benefit.

3.  Glutathione
You've probably never heard of glutathione.  But it's the master antioxidant in the body, so it's vitally important.  One of the main functions of glutathione is to promote healthy T regulatory cell function.  Sound familiar?  And, in autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, glutathione levels are typically depleted.  There are ways to check your gluathione status, but I won't go into that here.  Refer to that Chris Kresser podcast I linked to before.

Food is going to be the most important way you can increase glutathione production:  raw milk, non-denatured whey protein, and sulfur-rich veggies like onions, cabbage, and broccoli.  Since glutathione is just a tri-peptide (three amino acids), you can't simply take a glutathione pill; the tri-peptide will be cleaved into amino acids in the digestive tract and that's it.  No more glutathione.  As for supplements, though, S-acetyl-glutathione and liposomal glutathione may be effective in promoting endogenous glutathione production, but they're super expensive.  Like $100-a-bottle-expensive.  I'd stick with the food. 

4.  Vitamin D
Seems like Vitamin D is essential for everything.  See this old blog post I wrote about how it relates to cancer.  Those with autoimmune diseases like RA are often particularly deficient.  No surprise, vitamin D is also involved in T regulatory cell function.  So either get outside and get some sun (without burning, obviously), or try a D3 supplement.  Higher than average vitamin D levels may be beneficial; between 50-60 ng/ml would be good to shoot for.

5.  Fish Oil
It's no secret these days that omega-3's from fish are good for you.  Fish oil's popularity has been skyrocketing lately, as they have some powerful anti-inflammatory effects..  And for those with inflammation-driven diseases like RA, they're even more important.

There are a number of ways to get your fish oil.  The best way would be to eat fatty fish like salmon and sardines.  Shoot for about a pound a week.  If you don't like fish, I would highly recommend the butter oil/cod liver oil blend from Green Pasture.  It's got the omega-3's you need, as well as some very beneficial fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K2.  If you really want to be cheap, you can go out and buy a fish oil supplement at your local Walgreens.  But I'd recommend something a little better if you're trying to treat RA.



So there you have it.  That's how you treat rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune conditions safely and effectively.  No Prednisone, no side effects, no treating the symptoms.  You're getting to the root cause of the problem and fixing it, as it should be.  I only wish I could have shared this information with my patient at the hospital that day.

Does anybody out there have any first-hand experience treating autoimmune diseases naturally?  I'd love to hear about it in the comments section.



26 comments:

  1. I enjoyed reading your article. That's awesome you have found your passion! I'm actually friends with LBI (girlfriend of a friend of yours) who posted a link to your article. I am actually starting up a business that deals with natural products. A lot of people have been having great results (pain reduction to no pain at all) with their arthritis. If you'd be interested I can send you some information (seems like you enjoy reading and researching).

    Looking forward to reading more.

    Alessa L

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah sure, send me some information about it. Thanks for reading!

      Delete


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    3. TESTIMONY OF HOW I GOT CURED FROM HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS
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    4. I Never believed i was ever going to be HSV FREE again, DR.Ehiaguna has given me reasons to be happy, i was HSV positive for 2 years and all the means and medicine i tried for treatment was not helpful to me, but when i came on the Internet i saw great testimony about DR.Ehiaguna on how he was able to cure someone from HSV 2, this person said great things about this man, and advice we contact him for any Disease problem that DR.Ehiaguna can be of help, well i decided to give him a try, he requested for my information which i sent to him, and he told me he was going to prepare for me a healing portion, which he wanted me to take for days, and after which i should go back to the hospital for check up, well after taking all the treatment sent to me by DR.Ehiahuna , i went back to the Hospital for check up, and now i have been confirmed HSV NEGATIVE, friends you can reach DR.Ehiaguna on any treatment of any Disease cos i saw many testimony of different disease like, HEPATITIS,HIV AIDS,EPILEPSY, CANCER,CFS he is the one only one i can show you all up to, reach him on drehiaguna@gmail.com or whatsApp him now +2348073908953. quick contact him for help and you can just quickly drop your number on your first mail as i did for easily conversation

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    5. I want to write a little testimony about the good work of doctor ehiaguna who cured me from Hsv 1 and 2 for just 2 week with his herbal medicine, I never believe I can be normal again and have a good life like others I always regretted the day I got diagnose with the virus, I was lost of hope when my doctor told me there is no cure for it but I keep thinking and thinking about my future, if I can have kids of my own well I am so grateful for my helper who get me cured with his herbal medicine, I go online in search of anything that can help me because I can’t deal with it forever so I found this doc ehiaguna email on a blog of someone who was cured by him I quickly contact him for help and explain all my pain to him, he told me not to worry about it there is cure for real, I never believe until he send me the herbal medicine when I order for it and I have it within 4 days that is how I took the medicine for 2 week and the following week I go for test just to confirm I was 100% cured from this sickness what a miracle in my life I am so happy right now, you can also get in contact with him if you have such sickness through drehiaguna@gmail.com and also WhatsApp him +2348073908953... And He also have herbs medicine to cured the following diseases; eczema,urethra wart,chronic problems.Herpes, Cancer, Als,Hepatitis, Diabetes, HPV,Infections,ulcer  ETC

      Delete
    6. Grateful to dr ehiaguna all his help for my life, i was having Herpes  Virus, and we were planing on getting married on early December, when we decided to get ourselves tested first and we found out that my fiancee was HSV 2 Positive, my fiancee was so unhappy, because this was a barrier for us to get married, so i went out to search out a remedy for my partner, and it was so surprising how DR ehiaguna  has been a blessing and healing to the masses, after reading about his work on a blog i immediately emailed him: (drehiaguna@gmail.com) and he wrote back to me that my fiancee will be OK and that we we get married this same year, i couldn't believe it, after doing all that is needed to be done, i was surprise that after 2weeks of using his medicine my fiancee went to the doc and was diagnose negative. For more info contact his email drehiaguna@gmail.com or WhatsApp:+2348073908953 He also cure Lung cancer Blood Cancer Hart cancer Asthma cure Autism cure....COPD'Lymeget your ex backpregnacy herbal medicinehepatitis b   

      Delete
  2. I'm not sure how you can work at places that don't side at all with your beliefs, resulting in other peoples' (and your) suffering. I surely would have bitten off my tongue by now. I really hope people start thinking about their health and using science to guide their beliefs instead of relying on ideas that are decades old.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's frustrating, that's for sure. I don't like it, but it's part of school so I have to deal with it for now. Once I graduate, I don't think I'd be able to work at a hospital like that, which unfortunately is just about every hospital in the country.

      Delete
  3. Thanks for the information... I really love your blog posts... specially those on Arthritis Treatment @ Chennai


    Hey great stuff, thank you for sharing this useful information and i will let know my friends as well.

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  4. Thanks a lot for sharing this useful information about arthritis. There are several treatments that can be used to treat this condition such as through the use of supplements like green lipped mussel products.

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  6. I have had joint disfiguration since I was 38. they told me it was osteo. 7 years ago my pcp tested me for ra and said the test came back borderline. she didn't pursue I further. 3 years ago I requested a rheumatologist. she came in, felt around on my disfigured hands, said "you have osteo, not ra" and WALKED OUT. no testing. 4 days ago I was at the drs, seeing th nurse practioner, and I requested to be tested again. she was on it. "of course! go down to the lab and take this order with you". the next day her nurse called me with positive results. I am so aggravated with doctors. I started going to a homeopath about 3 months ago. I also have ibd, barretts esophagus, hiatal hernia, acid reflux and diverticulosis. I went to him because there doesn't seem to be any safe foods I can eat. 3 years ago I was literally going in and out of starvation. I requested a dietician then and was told I didn't need one. I REALLY THOUGHT DOCOTS ACTUALLY CARED. but that isn't true. the homeopath has helped me more in the last few months than any doctor. he has helped firstly by diet, using eastern techniques adjusts me, then supplements and has started doing acupuncture. I haven't felt this well in a decade. I know the "greater than GOD" drs will want to put me on a slew of meds but I don't want to take them. my bp shot up @ weeks ago and they were VERY judgmental toward me (raising eyebrows at me) when I refused their bp meds. the homeopath started acupuncture then and my bp dropped to a safe range (it was 207/104) dropped to 148/90, now varies down to 128/82, 118/78. no meds. I don't know whats down the road but I don't want to take man made synthetic drugs into my body. I hope you don't allow "the norm" to change your thinking. don't allow your peers to stiffen your thoughts and opinions. you give me just a glimmer of hope in mds. I have no faith in them at all.

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  9. I have been dealing with rheumatoid arthritis for my whole life, it started about in my early 30s back in the 90s. I would have my hand swell up to big red balloons around my knuckles and I wouldn't be able to move the hands at all. What I did notice that helped relieve the pain, but not the swelling was Absorbine Jr. The arthritis cream made it easier with the stiffness and the pain when I had the worst conditions. The swelling and the movement were still bad though and sometimes that made it hard to do the easiest of tasks around the house. The thing I noticed at first and the early signs were pain and the swelling. The swelling where my knuckles would get red where the first indications that I had rheumatoid arthritis I searched for alternative treatments and started on rheumatoid arthritis herbal formula i ordered from Health Herbal Clinic, my symptoms totally declined over a 5 weeks use of the rheumatoid arthritis disease natural herbal formula.i read reviews from other previous patients who used the herbal formula,i am now active, i can now go about daily exercise!! Visit there website www. healthherbalclinic. net or email Info@ healthherbalclinic. net herbs are truly gift from God.

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  10. I have been dealing with rheumatoid arthritis for my whole life, it started about in my early 30s back in the 90s. I would have my hand swell up to big red balloons around my knuckles and I wouldn't be able to move the hands at all. What I did notice that helped relieve the pain, but not the swelling was Absorbine Jr. The arthritis cream made it easier with the stiffness and the pain when I had the worst conditions. The swelling and the movement were still bad though and sometimes that made it hard to do the easiest of tasks around the house. The thing I noticed at first and the early signs were pain and the swelling. The swelling where my knuckles would get red where the first indications that I had rheumatoid arthritis I searched for alternative treatments and started on rheumatoid arthritis herbal formula i ordered from Health Herbal Clinic, my symptoms totally declined over a 5 weeks use of the rheumatoid arthritis disease natural herbal formula.i read reviews from other previous patients who used the herbal formula,i am now active, i can now go about daily exercise!! Visit there website www. healthherbalclinic. net or email Info@ healthherbalclinic. net herbs are truly gift from God.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Apple cider vinegar is also very effective in providing relief from many of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Being rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus, it helps reduce pain and inflammation. Learn more about natural remedies for rheumatoid arthritis visit http://www.jointpainclinic.com/body-aches-pains-natural-relief-for-muscle-joint-pains.html

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  14. I Never believed i was ever going to be HSV FREE again, DR.Ehiaguna has given me reasons to be happy, i was HSV positive for 2 years and all the means and medicine i tried for treatment was not helpful to me, but when i came on the Internet i saw great testimony about DR.Ehiaguna on how he was able to cure someone from HSV 2, this person said great things about this man, and advice we contact him for any Disease problem that DR.Ehiaguna can be of help, well i decided to give him a try, he requested for my information which i sent to him, and he told me he was going to prepare for me a healing portion, which he wanted me to take for days, and after which i should go back to the hospital for check up, well after taking all the treatment sent to me by DR.Ehiahuna , i went back to the Hospital for check up, and now i have been confirmed HSV NEGATIVE, friends you can reach DR.Ehiaguna on any treatment of any Disease cos i saw many testimony of different disease like, HEPATITIS,HIV AIDS,EPILEPSY, CANCER,CFS he is the one only one i can show you all up to, reach him on drehiaguna@gmail.com or whatsApp him now +2348073908953. quick contact him for help and you can just quickly drop your number on your first mail as i did for easily conversation

    ReplyDelete
  15. I want to write a little testimony about the good work of doctor ehiaguna who cured me from Hsv 1 and 2 for just 2 week with his herbal medicine, I never believe I can be normal again and have a good life like others I always regretted the day I got diagnose with the virus, I was lost of hope when my doctor told me there is no cure for it but I keep thinking and thinking about my future, if I can have kids of my own well I am so grateful for my helper who get me cured with his herbal medicine, I go online in search of anything that can help me because I can’t deal with it forever so I found this doc ehiaguna email on a blog of someone who was cured by him I quickly contact him for help and explain all my pain to him, he told me not to worry about it there is cure for real, I never believe until he send me the herbal medicine when I order for it and I have it within 4 days that is how I took the medicine for 2 week and the following week I go for test just to confirm I was 100% cured from this sickness what a miracle in my life I am so happy right now, you can also get in contact with him if you have such sickness through drehiaguna@gmail.com and also WhatsApp him +2348073908953... And He also have herbs medicine to cured the following diseases; eczema,urethra wart,chronic problems.Herpes, Cancer, Als,Hepatitis, Diabetes, HPV,Infections,ulcer  ETC

    ReplyDelete
  16. Grateful to dr ehiaguna all his help for my life, i was having Herpes  Virus, and we were planing on getting married on early December, when we decided to get ourselves tested first and we found out that my fiancee was HSV 2 Positive, my fiancee was so unhappy, because this was a barrier for us to get married, so i went out to search out a remedy for my partner, and it was so surprising how DR ehiaguna  has been a blessing and healing to the masses, after reading about his work on a blog i immediately emailed him: (drehiaguna@gmail.com) and he wrote back to me that my fiancee will be OK and that we we get married this same year, i couldn't believe it, after doing all that is needed to be done, i was surprise that after 2weeks of using his medicine my fiancee went to the doc and was diagnose negative. For more info contact his email drehiaguna@gmail.com or WhatsApp:+2348073908953 He also cure Lung cancer Blood Cancer Hart cancer Asthma cure Autism cure....COPD'Lymeget your ex backpregnacy herbal medicinehepatitis b   

    ReplyDelete
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  18. months ago I felt some pains and I went to the hospital my doc told me I had Herpes about 1 year ago and I need to start the treatment early, he gave me some medicine to be taking and I told him no I’ll not, because I hated taking medicine when I won’t not see cure for the purpose. After I got home I started getting worried searching for strong advice and I found valid natural treatment online a lot of people says they got herpes cure from DR ODUDU and I contacted DR ODUDU that same day I purchase his cure online, after three weeks of taking the herbal treatment i got cured totally. i tested negative all thank to DR ODUDU you can reach out to him through his email: [dr.oduduherbalhome@gmail.com ] or message him on WhatsApp +2348101571054 stay safe and bless you

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