Discovering a Cure for
Rheumatoid Arthritis
© 2005 Katherine
Poehlmann, Ph.D.
Suppose you found out that a
scientifically proven method for dealing with rheumatoid arthritis (and a few
dozen other chronic illnesses) was discovered over fifty years ago? Suppose
that this method effectively targets and treats the cause of the
disease, not just the symptoms, and has a 30 to 40% probability for complete
remission? How about a 70-80% probability of measurable reduction of symptoms?
If that weren’t enough, suppose that this method were inexpensive and had
minimal side effects?
Sounds too good to be true?
Well, prepare to be surprised, as I was, when I began to research my own
debilitating case of rheumatoid arthritis.
In
1993 I fell down some stairs and tore ligaments badly in both ankles. When the
injuries didn’t heal in a reasonable time frame, my family doctor sent me to a
rheumatologist, who diagnosed RA. I got a second opinion. And a third and a
fourth. A battery of tests and an MRI confirmed the RA diagnosis.
The doctors prescribed
powerful painkillers and anti-inflammatories and told me I’d just have to live
with it. Facing the prospect of life in a wheelchair, I decided to take charge
of my life and health. As a professional researcher, I approached my condition
as problem to be solved, gathering solid scientific data and analyzing it. One
of the pivotal reference books I read was The
Road Back, published in 1988 by Dr. Thomas McPherson Brown and Henry
Scammell.
Dr. Brown worked with Dr.
Sabin – of polio vaccine fame – in the 1940s. They documented the link between
rheumatic disease and bacterial infection. This groundbreaking discovery was
presented to a conference of the American Association of Rheumatologists in
1949. It was not well received. It rocked the establishment’s boat because
Cortisone had just been hailed as “the answer” to a wide variety of diseases.
Dr. Brown’s scientific papers were sometimes denied publication in medical
journals, despite his formidable credentials as an M.D., rheumatologist,
microbiologist, and Dean of Medicine at George Washington University.
Undaunted,
he continued his experiments in the lab and on zoo animals, perfecting the
treatment. A famous case in the 1980s involved an arthritic gorilla that was
completely healed of the bacterial infection causing painful RA symptoms it had
endured for years.
People reading about this
miraculous recovery in the newspaper appealed to Dr. Brown to help them too.
The treatment was simple: a low-dose, long-term regimen using the tetracycline
family of antibiotics, notably minocycline. The treatment is the same as that
given to teens with acne. Side effects are minimal: sun sensitivity, some
discoloration of the teeth, and upset of the intestinal flora in the gut – the
“good bacteria” needed for proper digestion. Sun sensitivity is easily
countered with high SPF blocking creams, protective clothing and sun hats. A
good toothpaste with whitening agents takes care of discoloration. Intestinal
balance can be regained with yogurt, acidophilus, or probiotic supplements.
This is very important because without that balance one can develop dysbiosis
or candidiasis.
On the other hand, the side
effects of Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) like Prednisone are
frightening. Over time, this synthetic cortisone dissolves bone tissue, leading
to osteoporosis. It also results in peptic ulcers. Still, this drug is
routinely prescribed for RA treatment.
Dr. Harold Clark’s 1997 book
Why Arthritis? describes forty years of scientific tests, case studies,
and obstacles presented by the medical establishment and the pharmaceutical
industry to downplay the successful antibiotic treatment. Dr. Clark was Dr.
Brown’s lab manager, a prominent microbiologist who still writes for scientific
journals. He heads the Mycoplasma Research Institute in Florida. An updated
version of Dr. Brown’s book is The New Arthritis Breakthrough (1998) by
Henry Scammell.
Dr. Brown’s regimen is not a
magic bullet. It doesn’t work for everyone, but it’s certainly worth a try.
Sadly, the medical establishment still considers this treatment controversial
after 50 years of solid scientific evidence and thousands of success stories
reported by many enlightened M.D.s
Once the bacterial infection
is brought under control and your immune system is revitalized to take over,
you can stop the antibiotics. For some people, the treatment takes months or
years. The regimen applies to RA, Fibromyalgia, Lupus, MS, and many other
diseases characterized by joint pain, inflammation, and chronic fatigue.
The Internet can put you in
touch with arthritis support groups. Research sites give you the information
you need to take charge of your health. Some sites give the names of doctors
who will apply Dr. Brown’s antibiotic therapy, for instance, the Arthritis
Center of Riverside.
Fortunately, there are a
growing number of medical doctors willing to listen to Dr. Brown’s message of
hope and work with their patients to cure their illness instead of just
treating symptoms.
*******30*******
Dr. Poehlmann is the author
of Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Infection Connection, available at Amazon.com
and major bookstores, or click here to order now.
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