Well a friend in my National Guard Army Band, Leanne told me about this documentary called Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. It's a true story about an Australian guy named Joe Cross who suffered from a debilitating autoimmune disorder called Urticaria. I don't know a whole lot about that particular autoimmune disorder except that it causes itchy rashes on the skin. Different things can trigger the outbreak such as the cold, touch, and anything that causes a histamine response. That sounds pretty horrible to me. He was on the traditional medicine that one with an autoimmune disorder is prescribed, Corticosteroids and Methlotrexate. He was also very overweight. It sounded like that was because of his diet, but I'm sure the meds did not help that situation. Also while on the medications he still had outbreaks, poor guy. Now he actually cured himself with a juice fast. And that's the basis of the whole documentary. He also ran into a guy along the way at a truck stop named Phil. Phil ended up trying the juice fast as well and after a lot of discipline and a lot of juice lol, his Urticaria went into remission as well. AWESOME! :DDD Here's his website: http://jointhereboot.com/
In my opinion the documentary is worth watching for everyone, even if they are not currently sick. It is very motivational! I have to tip my hat to Joe Cross and Phil Staples. That juicing diet can feel very socially isolating! It takes a lot of discipline. Good job guys! I am so glad they were rewarded for their efforts. :))
Now this documentary was shocking to me and was not shocking to me at the same time. A while back while I was very sick and waiting through many months of testing to find my diagnoses my condition kept worsening. That's when I decided to partake in self research. I truly had nothing to lose. I ran across this woman's article. She used a vegetarian diet and carrot juicing along with a lot dose antibiotic which is part of Doctor Brown's antibiotic therapy: http://www.roadback.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/studies.display/display_id/397.html
I ordered the book.
The story about Dr. Brown's therapy in the link above is really quite the read. Dr. Brown discovered that a low dose antibiotic was effective even when tested with double blind studies done by The National Institute of Health. Effective enough where people have actually achieved remission on the antibioitics. Not everyone does, but many benefit some from the antibiotics in significant ways. We are dealing with debilitating diseases here. Diseases that leave people wheelchair bound. It seems worth a shot, especially when the treatment here is a low dose of minocycline. That's the same antibiotic that people often use for acne actually. This thereapy is not common practice though.
Quoting the article, "Not everyone was surprised. When Tom Brown had made his final television appearance on Good Morning America back in 1988, Joan Lunden said his approach to arthritis was "turning the medical world upside down." His answer was a quiet, "I'm trying to turn it rightside up." I have met several of Tom Brown's patients who have controlled their connective tissue disease with minocycline for decades, and the only other effect they ever noticed was that they almost never were bothered by the common cold."
Too bad this therapy was not mentioned to me by my rheumatologist. Hmmm...I wonder why. Really, I do wonder why! Nothing against anybody, I just really am curious.
Here is Karen's story: http://www.roadback.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/community.display/display_id/267.html
To sum up Karen's story, she was working in a factory where a handful of people came down with rare autoimmune disorders. I believe one of them died, but possibly two of them. She personally was diagnosed with Lupus and Dermatomyocitis and gained remission while on the corticosteroids. But after a while her symptoms flared up, her symptoms became horrifically intense and she found herself in the hospital, not responding to the traditional treatment. That is what lead her to use alternate treatment, incorporating diet, supplements, and a low dose antibiotic. I also want to add that when I emailed her questioning her about her article she responded the very next day. She also wrote me a huge, compassionate email. She was so nice! I am very glad that she has been in remission for 5 years after her tough experience! I hope to follow in her direction.
I am possibly going to follow this form of treatment. Currently I am trying to get rid of a strep throat infection. That's a whole story in itself....
......
...
........anyways...
It's actually doing pretty well right now, but it is an interesting story thus far.
One more study that I'd like to share here is what got me interested in Celiac Disease possibly being a cause to my disease. I found a research study from Quebec in which a woman with Dermatomyocitis gained remission on a gluten free diet.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2659927/
I remember finding this study I ran downstairs, showed it to my roommate, and began jumping up and down. lol Wouldn't you????!!! :))
Quoting the article, "After she was put on a strict gluten-free diet, both nutritional deficiencies and the dermatomyositis resolved... It is suggested that patients with newly diagnosed dermatomyositis be investigated for concomitant celiac disease even in the absence of gastrointestinal symptoms."
So all of this is pretty cool isn't it?? :p
No comments:
Post a Comment