Re: Arthritis -thanks tracie

[Guest guest]

Tracie...Thanks for the informations. Again I will be saving it for

future reference. I picked up shoe inserts for the Plantar

Fasciitis Thursday and since they are hard material it seems to be

making them worse. Going to call them tomorrow. I've been waiting

for several weeks for these. Is there anything that helps? It is

really bad first thing in the morning. I've been doing stretching.

My primary care says sometimes a difficult case need to be cast, but

if it is the sarc would that really help.

thanks again

Ruth

>

> In a message dated 7/11/06 11:19:54 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

> olehomepla@... writes:

>

>

> > What do you mean by " hard

> > muscles " in your back? I have been struggling for a while with

> > morning back pain in the large muscles between my shoulder

blades

> > and my lower back...and have been told it is Fibro. Are these

the

> > same muscle you are talking about?

>

> For me, all the muscles thru my back and chest are like concrete.

I can

> exercise, and initially- they get " more solid " or " pumped up " as

body builders

> would want them to become. But for me, they don't soften up--even

after an hour

> massage. they are so atrophied that any small injury becomes a

huge problem.

> This is what sarcoidosis does to muscles and ligaments. It takes

the

> " elasticity " away. I can run my hands down my arms, and feel the

granulomas down my

> forearms, and you can visually see the lumps.

> In the lymphs-- mine feel like a " land mine. " Depending on where

the

> inflammation of the day decides to settle, it can be a constant

problem spot, or it

> can come and go. Unlike a cyst, where you can generally feel the

free floating

> sac-- these are anchored--and when the flare is really in its

nasty stage--

> its a bitch.

> I am learning what makes mine more severe--dairy and refined

sugars and

> dehydration. So I've been cutting the dairy out of my diet- going

with Rice Dream

> for cereal, and non-dairy yoghurts, Almond or Soy Milks, but soy

is difficult

> to digest.

> I also swear by Milk Thistle tea and capsules, MSM powder for

muscle and

> joint pain (no condrontin (sp)). My liver enzymes and Liver

function tests are

> all normal now, and I don't get as much of the lactic acid buildup

that I was

> suffering from since I cut out the dairy.

> Also, since I'm not gorging on dairy, I can take a small amount of

> calcium/magnesium and not have a problem with it.

>

> I too have CT, but I never > realize that it could be from the

Sarc nor has

> > anyone mentioned it. I now am dealing with Platar Fasciitis...is

this more

> > granduloma too? This is one thing I'm not too familar with--

Plantar

> > Fasciitis that is. What they do know is that sarcoidosis loves

feet and hands. The

> > bones in my feet are " lumpy " -- and my ankles have both severe

arthritis as

> > well as sarcoid granulomas. my Rheumi injected one of the ankle

joints to see

> > if it would help-- but I got so little relief, he stated that

it's sarc

> > damage to the bones rather than arthritis. (We get the 'spurs'

that many people

> > get- but the inflammatory reaction shows that it's not

bursitis. LOW ESR

> > rates generally--and if it was 'true arthritis'--that sed rate

would be way up.)

>

> > I am thankful that I am on the remicade...this last treatment

left

> > me very tired for about a week, but my left eye is showing no

> > inflamation and the right is very little. So the iritis is

settling

> > down a lot. I am still having the swelling in my upper inner eye

> > lid. Have wondered about seeing an ENT about it..what do you

think?

>

>

> Yeah on the iritis! This is excellant. Very excellant! As far

as the

> eyelids-- an ENT--EAR, NOSE AND THROAT-- isn't gonna help. An

Ophthalmologist (EYE

> MD) is what you need.

> Restasis is showing alot of improvement with helping with those

lacrimal tear

> glands that are under the eyelids. (The conjuctiva--the white of

the eye)

> actually goes from the inside of each eyelid starting at the

eyelashes, and up

> and around the fold of the inside of the eye- then over the eye to

where it

> connects to the cornea.

> There are a large number of lacrimal (tear) glands along the

conjuctiva, and

> if they are inflammed by dryness or inflammation (even crying

dries out your

> eyes) so using artificial tears is very, very important.

> Restasis is a 'cyclosporine' eye drop, and it reduces the

inflammation of

> those glands. When the glands become less inflammed, they produce

more of the

> right balance of tears-- so you're eyes aren't as sore feeling.

It is by

> prescription-- and the MD can probably give you some samples to

try-- along with

> Sustane or Hypotears or something on that line. Use the tears as

often as you

> feel the need (actually more often--since we wait till we're in

pain to do

> something)-- and use the Eyegel tears at night-- and you'll see a

huge difference.

> (Use the Restasis as directed--it is an antibiotic type eye drop).

>

> > My neuro systems are greatly inproved. : )! I see the

Neurologist on

> > Thursday for a check up and an wondering what he will say. He

has

> > talked about NS and Multi system Sarcoidis but has never wanted

to

> > give me that dx.

>

> Our MD's hate the dx of multi-system or NS. Once they give it to

you, they

> then throw up their hands -- and arent about to admit they know

crap about it.

> So that's where we come in. We've gotta learn about it ourself,

and take the

> info to them. ARRGGH.

>

> Since the Remicade has shown such great > improvement I hope

he will see

> > the light now.

>

> Take in some of the articles written by Dr. Sharma and Dr.

Baughman. These

> guys are doing everything they can to figure out this disease, and

what's

> happening is amazing. The American Chest Physicians has some

articles by them, as

> does the American Rheumatology and Immunology Journals.

Neurologists don't

> seem to be onboard-- unless we come in with the boat.

>

> I'll look forward to hearing what your MD's have to say when they

see how

> well you're doing now that you're on the Remicade.

>

> Take care,

> Tracie

> NS co-owner/moderator

>