Re: [APchat] Back from Dr. Franco's

[Guest guest]

Carol Hi,

Sounds like Dr Franco has you started on the right track I m so glad

for you. Hope you feel really good after the herx.

Just curious what kind of insurance do you have? I think you are lucky

it ays for you to see a doc out of town. My ins only pays for docs in

the system

Hugs cooky

Carol wrote:

>

> From: Carol <carscott@...>

>

> Hi group!

> Well, I've been back one week actually. Dr. F put me back on minocin

> MWF, 100mg. And Zithromax on Tues and Sat., 500 mg.

> I've had one week of the therapy only and I want you to know that I am

> in the worst herx I have ever experienced. I cant hardly walk. If I had a

> wheel chair, I'd be using it, but it would have to be an electric one

> because my wrists are so involved too.

> Dr. F is a very nice man and seemed very thorough. (Did I spell that

> correctly?) He also wants me to take about $200 worth of supplements per

> month too. I really cannot afford that much though.

> I have very much inflammation. Worst places are my feet and wrists.

> Shoulders and hips are great, thank goodness. My Creatine was high, but I

> cant remember exactly how high, my sed rate was 85, my RF 666, so there

> really is alot of inflammation. He also wants me to take Vioxx once a day.

> He dictated a letter to my rheumy and my gp as to how he wants my RA treated

> and he would like me to come back every six mos. or so, which I will, if I

> can afford him.

> Don't ask me what exactly is causing the herx.....I started the Olive

> Leaf a couple of weeks before going down there also. And by the way, he said

> to stay on it for the candida problem. Even though this is the mother of all

> herxes for me, I am not backing down on the meds right now. At least not for

> a few more days if I can stand it. I could barely get to work the last

> couple of days. Luckily I only work part time on a really flexible schedule

> due to my RA. I'm very lucky there. I could not work full time. I wouldnt

> hold up. Just 16 to 20 hrs per week is difficult.

> I havent gotten the results from the mycoplasma tests he took yet. They

> said that would take a couple of weeks. He tested for candida, clymidia

> (sp), and the other I cant think of right now. You have to take in soooo

> much information when you're there; its hard. I'll think of it though. It

> will wander its way through the fog. :-/

> Strep was negative, cbc was 10 something, so that's better than it was.

> When I had my surgery at the end of april I was down to the low 9's. Dr.

> Franco diagnosed my RA over all alittle before moderate. The scale being

> low, moderate and extreme. He said if I had not been taking the minocin for

> the last two years, I would be much worse than I am now. I told him I didnt

> think I had responded to it at all, and thats when he told me how much worse

> I would be without it.

> At first he wanted to do the Clindy IV's. But I am so hard to find a

> vein on that he said I could do the oral Zithromax instead. I was glad of

> that. I may have to do the IV's someday though.

> I think the other mycoplasma test was for the pnemonia bug...whats it

> called? I really cant think right now, and I'm exhausted. Hopefully

> getting to the yeast problem with the OL will help that as it seems worse

> than the pain most times. (not right now, but most times!

> Okay, thats all I can do right now. Gotta go lay down and herx, herx,

> herx!!!! Maybe I should cut the Zithromax to 250 mg. per day on Tues and Sat

> instead of the 500 mg. And maybe I should cut back on the OL alittle. I'm

> attacking it aggressively with 2 pills 3 x per day. Thats what they

> recommend when you are fighting something like candida. More on what I

> learned about the OL later.

> Missed you guys. Hope everyone is okay. I had to delete MANY messages,

> darn it.

> HUGS:)

> Carol **

> RA 5 yrs, AP 2 yrs.

> No. California

>

> ---------------------------