i have given up the poison!

karinak

Hello all,
I needed to let off steam .............
As of tonight i have ade a decision to give up the drugs i am on. I have been reading the best part of the afternoon a book called Arthritis and the drug free way by Margaret Hills, Fascinating read and seems to make sense ....I may have made a rash move but my heart is telling me to follow it. I am so impressed by it that i have now bought my own copy!.........Funny thing fate is as my meds fell down back of cupboard so i think it was telling me to do this :?
We all have to have faith so take care Karina x
Night night x

mistywillow

Hi Karina
Im not sure we have spoken before as I have not been able to be on the site much lately. I have RA too and I was a physiotherapist. I know that taking a lot of drugs with unpleasant side effects is not very appealing but please think carefully before you bin them. Firstly some drugs such as steroids have to be reduced gradually over time or it can result in a flare up. Also RA is a condition where your own body's immune system does actual damage to your joints. The disease modifying agents are aimed at trying to reduce this damage before it becomes permanent. We all make our own decisions, but maybe you could discuss it with your GP before you act however inspirational the book that you read was.
Wishing you well whatever you finally decide to do
Gillx

elnafinn

Hi Karina

You must do what your heart is telling you to do. If you don't you will always have that little regret that you did not do so. I wish you well in your new venture and let us know how you are going on.

If you do change your mind in the future and go down the other road again please do not beat yourself up about it - you will have tried what you strongly felt was right at the time.

By all means try alternatives but should your health begin to go down hill, do not dilly dally too long and never feel "a failure" for taking conventional meds to be able to feel much better and get on with your life. I wrote this in answer to a previous thread of yours. I know you have already been thinking about alternative ways of helping yourself with your RA and that this thread is not a rash decision from reading the book you mention.

I do hope it works for you,

Luv
Elna x

scattered

Please make sure you involve your medical advisors in your decision. They need to know what you're doing. If you feel it's the right thing then go for it, just take heed of Misty Willow's warning abut stopping some meds abruptly.

Personally, as much as I'd love to be med free, I know it will never be possible. I flare if I have to cut back on my meds because of illness, or when I'm changing medication. I start flaring 4-5 days before my next Humira shot because it just doesn't last long enough anymore.

Please do think very carefully. If your disease is active damage can be occurring even without pain and swelling. It might be a good idea to ask your doctors to monitor you more closely for the first few months you are on the diet, to see if it's having any effect.

Good luck!

chris101

Hi
I haven't posted on here for ages though I do look in now and then. I wanted to reply to your post because I have read the same book and I too decided to give up all the pills I thought of as poison. I wasn't feeling too bad at the time and thought I could manage very well without drugs. I was fine for a couple of months and then it hit me. The pain was back and much worse than before. I had to admit to the Doctors that I hadn't been taking my medication and I was spoken to like a naughty child. I was so angry with them and asked them if they had RA and when they said no I said they couldn't possibly understand how I was feeling then could they. However, I had no choice but to start taking the pills again and had to take double the dose I was originally on. Even now, months later, I am still on the double dose and taking more pain killers as well. Have had steroid injections into my feet - and a general injection, but still am in pain. Now I am just angry with myself as the RA was under control, but my stopping the drugs has made it flare up so badly. I don't want to upset you and maybe this wouldn't happen to you, but I just felt I had to warn you. I know exactly how you feel about poisoning your body, but when you have RA you need the drugs to help prevent both the pain and the damage. Just think carefully about this please.

skezier

Hi Karina,

Please think very carefully about stopping your meds. The book may sound good but well they very rarely work the way they say they will. As others have said run it past your doctor before you try it. Take care and don't be too hasty. Cris

lindalegs

If it's that easy Karina, why are so many of us on drugs? :?

Please be careful.

Luv Legs

salsal

understand how you feel but as the last poster says dont you think the nhs would like to save them selves alot of money by making us all drink cider vinigar a bit cheaper than humira at £800 a month etc and im not sure what you take but remember the hassle building up the meds like mxt and sulph. why dont you continue taking the meds but do the book along side then if in 6mths you feel better you could work with your consultant to cut down slowly to keep comfortable.
i refused meds for years bitterly regret that as i could have been a lot more active and felt so much better

eckstardeluxe

Hi

Everything is worth a try, you won't know until you try it.

I did once and never again. The sciatica returned within hours and I learned my lesson. But you try it and see what happens if that's what you feel is right. You always have your meds, but make sure you are not on anything that shouldn't be stopped suddenly as you might get bad withdrawal symptoms.

Eck
xxx

barbara01

Hi karinak
isthis the Margaret Hills book that we talked about, if so I would suggest that you follow the program along side your meds to start with and hope to gradually reduce them down when you are pain free... That it what I am trying to do. Message me if you want any more help.. Be prepared that you need to stick to it to the letter and that takes real discipline. Let me know how your geting on.

Love barbara xxxx

sharmaine

Hi

Try it with caution. I tried this recently and my blood pressure went sky high and I was in agony. I managed about 3 days and I was miserable.

I have OA quite badly in the knees and after 3 nights of no sleep and being a miserable cow ...I decided that life was too short and I was obviously meant to take these drugs!!! Before OA I hated even taking a paracetamol now I'm gobbling them down like sweeties.

Let us know how you get on.

Take care

pottypam

[please be carefully , i fully respect your decision and your body , but going off some of these meds are not good idea, i have had to come off some of them, can not injections for pain any more , the anti TNF not only did not work but made my osteo in my hips worse ,very quickly . i have to be carefully which meds i do take as now on warfrin some have been changed some stopped and i feel in pain all over , feet knees and my hands , if there was a new remedy that worked i would be on it like a shot , but to honest i am waiting for a fully body transplant one bit at a time had two hips ) that is the only proper cure i can think off, please just think it over and keep us informed if you do , take care

karinak

Hello, Just to let you all know im feeling great with no drugs minimal stiffy fingers and following the MH book.
take care all Karina x

woodbon

Hello,
I know its you choice and no-one can make up your mind for you, but if you have given up your medications, please talk to your doctor as soon as you can as some drugs can make you really ill if you just give them up. Also, with RA, some of your medication is slowing down the disease and you need to discuss this with a properly trained person, then you can make a fully informed choice. I'm sorry if I sound negative, but your medics need to know what you are doing. Love Sue

mrsdalloway

Hi I am like Pottypram and a bit like the bionic woman in that they will re-build me! Sorry we are all a bit cynical but a lot of us have suffered for a long time. Good luck and let us know how you are getting on in a couple of weeks. x

elnafinn

Bumped up for Salamander.

As you can see pretty negative responses.

Elnax

tkachev

elnafinn wrote:

Bumped up for Salamander.

As you can see pretty negative responses.

Elnax

Didnt Karina post again later saying she was struggling very badly?

elizabeth

lindalegs

tkachev wrote:

elnafinn wrote:

Bumped up for Salamander.

As you can see pretty negative responses.

Elnax

Didnt Karina post again later saying she was struggling very badly?

elizabeth

Hi Elizabeth,

I've just checked for you and Katrina last posted on 28 Feb this year after a big gap. She's off the diet but still does the cider vinegar concoction. The diet didn't didn't help with arthur :roll:

Luv Legs

chrissie691

Aww I feel for you. I hate taking the MTX as I feel rough for about 24 hours. I hate the painkillers and the constipation it causes. And I'd love to give it all up but I'm thinking of the longterm consequences and I don't want to risk permanent damage to my joints.

It's very difficult I know but please speak to your Rheumatologist before you make any decisions.

Thinking of you
Chrissie xxx

dolittle

Hi Chrissie,
May I butt in?

I went along this route 10 years ago, when they first diagnosed RA and I was in denial. I went to a Chinese doctor (who is also an orthopaedic surgeon) because I hate popping pills. He gave me herbs and I felt a lot better. He said he could not treat me any more until I'd had a blood test, because he needed to know what was going on. Nobody would do it - not even if I paid the £193 for an FCB,ESR and CRP. So I had to stop the herbs. I tried all sorts.

Eventually I had to go back to the very bolshie Rheumy (I think it was her who put me off the conventional treatment really) and start the 'pill routine'.

I wish I'd stuck with the meds from the beginning, because some of them are to stop the progression of the disease and it's getting one's head round that which is a big step. The result of all this was that my hands are very, very badly deformed, my ankles are shot and I have trouble walking, and R Arther has now claimed various other bits of me - because I accepted treatment late. I think the medics must know what I did and, from time to time, I suffer their 'wrath'.

The meds I take scare the helll out of me, but so do the consequences of this 'thing' progressing any further, but I think popping the pills and listening to medics who have 'seen it all before' has been the best avenue for me.
Do (Hope you didn't mind me chipping in)

lindalegs

dolittle wrote:

Hi Chrissie,
May I butt in?.................The meds I take scare the helll out of me, but so do the consequences of this 'thing' progressing any further, but I think popping the pills and listening to medics who have 'seen it all before' has been the best avenue for me.
Do (Hope you didn't mind me chipping in)

Hi Chrissie,

I just wanted to say that everyone's opinion is valued on here and no-one ever needs to feel they're butting in.

Thank you for taking the time to let us know your experience it's really interesting to read.

Luv Legs

chrissie691

Sorry I just realised this was quite an old post. I was worried about the op coming off all the drugs.

I'm still learning so much about RA and find the forums in particular very useful.

Thanks
Chrissie xxx

lindalegs wrote:

dolittle wrote:

Hi Chrissie,
May I butt in?.................The meds I take scare the helll out of me, but so do the consequences of this 'thing' progressing any further, but I think popping the pills and listening to medics who have 'seen it all before' has been the best avenue for me.
Do (Hope you didn't mind me chipping in)

Hi Chrissie,

I just wanted to say that everyone's opinion is valued on here and no-one ever needs to feel they're butting in.

Thank you for taking the time to let us know your experience it's really interesting to read.

Luv Legs

salamander

Thanks Elna for bumping this up. Having read all the post I think I might pass on the diet! As much as my rheumy nurse irritates the hell out of me, she did tell me that I would damage my joints if went down the diet route. I just thought she was being snippy with me!

elnafinn

Hi Sally

Perhaps your rheumi nurse will not annoy you quite so much now.

Luv
Elna x

frogmorton

Sal

Going down the diet route might not be the best idea, but some rheumy nurses ARE snippy

For what it's worth I think you are doing teh right and sensible thing

Love and hugs

Toni xx

dreamdaisy

As I stated elsewhere, if it worked we'd all be on it and AC wouldn't exist! DD