Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives Alternatives and ALCHEMISTS Quitters of Rx drugs

Hello all

I have quit these so called Rx drugs, I have been doing well since. Compared to when i was using mtx and tramadol. I have been with mtx for 13yrs and i quit. Tramadol as i remember i think is my 5th kind of NSAIDS for the pain. Before i quit my rheumy recommended me injectable Enbrel. After all those years inflammation went up and down. Range of motion was limited. By now i resorted to all natural products for pain and trying to supplement my body with all the vitamins and minerals processed naturally.
Can someone please help me if they found other nutrients and naturals that help them with there AS.

Joemar
Philippines

I managed to wean myself off all Rx drugs and improve my AS.

Nutrients that helped
- Glutamine - fuel for the gut
- omega 3's

Naturals that helped
- Boswellia extract - has been researched and has been shown to be an anti-inflammatory and tnf-a inhibitor
- Olive leaf extract - immune system booster
- Green tea, ginger, honey and apple cider vinegar

Good luck

just though I would mention that tramadol is an opioid analgesic not an NSAID. as long as it doesn't have starchy fillers it can't really hurt, and it is quite enjoyable =D. however I believe that no drugs should be used on a regular basis as the body comes to rely on them.

herbal medicines and supplements that may be beneficial are:
devil's claw
cat's claw
nettle leaf
turmeric(curcumin)
skullcap
holy basil
ginger (be aware ginger contains starch so make a tea, juice or extract)
boswellia
bromelain
quercetin
rutin
MSM
fish oil

that's all I can think of off the top of my head, will add any more as they come to me. there are a few threads floating around with quite good lists in them, try searching for them.

Hi all. Have to say I quite agree with the natural route. My rheumy - when I say 'my' he's someone I just consulted - prescribed nucoxia 120 for 2 months after which I am to see him with blood test reports and x-rays with the possibility of fresh MRI scans - my last lot were done in 2008 and showed no fusing yet. Btw I'm 45, had back trouble since 16 which was diagnosed as AS when I was 30. Have had flares every once in a while but till 35 or so I could still run a bit. The last two years have been a lot worse though and just looking at me you can tell I'm an AS kicker.

Over the years I have tried acupuncture and acupressure (helped with attacks), ayurveda (came out after 1 month in hospital in far better shape but reverted to form when diet and lifestyle did), chiropractics (not much help), homeoepathy (reduced my NSAID and painkiller usage by over 75% for years until this last attack), chinese medicine (was wary of those and did it with the acupressure but don't really know how effective it was).

Currently I'm clawing my way out of an attack - two terrible spasms a month apart. I've gone completely NSD, no dairy and no sugar until I get this under control and then will begin to reintroduce foodstuffs in a controlled manner and eliminate anything that causes digestive issues.

I really believe that a lot of the pain and quite possibly the inflammation can be reduced by watching what we eat as digestive issues always lead to back trouble for me. Which brings me back to the meds. The rheumy says NSAIDs for 2 months and says quite possibly for life (what else would he say). While I do need the damned things now I have no intention of living on them.

In this last attack one of the painkillers I was prescribed was tramadol. Blows away the pain but I can't say I was comfortable taking them. Some good mary j would have helped a lot more I feel - sadly not Px here.

Nemesys, being from NZ I was wondering whether you know anything about green lipped mussel extract? I've got a bottle but haven't started taking them yet. Right now I just want to safely negotiate my way out of the current attack and things are working out so far.

Take care people. Keep up the fight

How r u feeling now a days. Me I have been able to do things i previously cannot. Example before I can't pick up anything straight away. I need to bend both my knees just to pick up something in front of me. And now i can lift my 4 year old child. Before I can't pick her up. I still continue my regiment of MSM, Glocusamine and Chondroitin together with my food supplement of chlorella. I used to take Devil's claw food supplement, this is with boswelia, quercitin and other natural anti inflamation naturals. But when i went home here in my country i can't easily find this product. But these anti-inflamatory naturals are quite effective with less side effects than these Rx drugs.
I also have an exercise regiment to make my posture and help the weak muscles that where abuse during the time when I was in pain.

Hoping to hear more from you. To ur regiment. Goodluck. God Bless

Joemar
Philippines

Oh, oh, I thought it was an NSAID. Before also i used to take Nemesulid. Which was later taken out of the market because of its side effects my rheumy once said. By the way my last meeting with my rheumy was in April of 2008.
All the natural products that you stated are all naturals. I have tried all of these. These are all very effective against pain management. But they are I think come at a price. I used to take these when I went to work in abu dhabi I buy it from a store which sell all natural products. I even saw their website. I think it was sourcenaturals.com. Glad to hear many are trying to get away from these synthetic drugs that cause more side effects than heal a certain disorder.

God Bless

Joemar
Philippines

I used to take these tramadol. Also mtx. But i quit. My last intake of tramadol was last year i think it was between March or april 2009. I enjoy eating cake, rice and other breads as of now. But before i used to have attacks after i eat these things. But now I am free with minor pain at all. I also drink goji juice which also promotes increase flexibility in the joints. I only started last december. I'm only on my 3rd bottle. Because it is expensive for me. But it helps a lot to ease my inflammation. And helps in protecting my gut lining and balancing the nutrients in my body.

Hope you find the things that would help u in your inflammation.

Kick AS

God Bless

Joemar
Philippines

You can eat cake! You can bend and pick up your kid! Joemar you lucky guy you. No, but seriously, glad to hear that it has worked for you and do stay well. I'm not sure whether all the supplements - devil's claw, boswellia, etc, etc are even available here in Muscat. Will scout about. (the Green Lipped Mussel Extract was parcelled to me). One thing I'm sure of is that the NSAIDs are doing damage even as they do good.

Take care and stay well

Jay

Hi Joemar,

I had to shorten this message, because it started to turn into my life's story lol. Anyways, what works for me is:

Boswellia 300mg ~ 65% boswellic acids. 3 times daily.

Apple Cidar Vinegar ~ 2 teaspoons in 8oz of tea or apple cider. at least once a day. I'll use honey too if I have any.

Calcium + Magnesium + Vitamin D3 supplements.
with a ratio of 1000mg 500mg 400iu. 3 times daily.
This is for osteoporosis and kidney stones, but it is helping with AS pain too.

Whole food multivitamins: I prefer this type because I actually feel better taking these. They break down in the digestive tract better. 1 serving a day. This is for osteo and deficiencies mostly, but it helps my AS and fatigue too.

I also have a bunch of allergies. So I try to avoid as much allergens as I can.

I use Aloe Juice for my psoriasis too. Hot peppers (cayenne variety) seem to be helping me now too.

hope this helps.
Take care,
James.

I was able to buy these when i was assigned in abu dhabi. When i went home in the philippines. I can't find the same. But i check out one of the natural websites. I found some which are almost exactly the same. You could check the website of sourcenaturals.com. I think it is near middle east. You could also check out about these goji juice. I have been using these since december. It helps alot in flexibility also with inflammation. By the way I am a smoker and i also drink. After a drink I feel a minor discomfort and pain on my joints. When i smoke too much the pain also is triggered. That's why i try to be away from smoke and drink if I can.

Regards

God Bless

Joemar
Philippines