Re: health supplements & PA (bad idea ?)

[Guest guest]

Hi :

Yes shortness of breath (SOB) or asthma or trapping air in the lings are all

symptoms of PA. In April when I complained to my rheumy's nurse practitioner

that my SOB had gotten worse (one the two symptoms of the indicates a major

flare coming on) she was worried because I was on MTX and Vioxx at the time.

She made me go to my FP for a chest X-ray. My FP has done specialized

training in pain control because his wife has fibromyalgia. Anyway he also

did pulmonary function tests which showed I have great lung capacity but I

trap air and don't exhale all that I take in. Both my FP and rheumy said

that this is due to the tightening of the chest muscles and the ribs caused

by the PA. I am on a pulmicort inhaler 2 puffs twice a day. I also find the

my pulmonary symptoms get worse when beautiful Phoenix has temp inversions

and the sir quality goes down.

Charlene

[ ] health supplements & PA (bad idea ?)

> Can anyone give me an feedback on why it is a bad idea

> to take immune boosters ???

>

> I have PA, asthma, and psoriasis .... the asthma

> started in last year and I haven't been able to shake

> it totally... sometimes I get to coughing and coughing

> ... I read something about PA affecting the lungs ....

> anyone heard this ???

> The doctor has me on Zyrtec and Serevent for the

> Asthma - with Singulair at night.... and Vioxx 50 mg a

> day with Hydrochloroquine for the PA and Elocon creame

> for the psoriasis .... I am 26 years old and feel 86

> ...

>

> About a month ago I decided to start taking vitamins

> regularly so I have been taking a multi - vitamin , an

> extra C, extra E, ginsing, chromium picolinate, 1000

> mg of concentrated echinacea/goldenseal, and a green

> tea capsule ....

>

> I noticed the echinacea/golenseal really helped my

> breathing problems - I still wheeze occaisonally but

> don't need the zyrtec .... I use the serevent when it

> starts up .... The green tea really helps soothe my

> tummy from all the arthritis meds .... and the ginsing

> must be helping to because my energy is better than it

> ever has been - but I was reading something that

> someone wrote about never taking anything that boosts

> your immune system because PA is caused by a

> hyper-active immune system .... can anyone confirm

> this ???

>

> My PA has not gotten any worse in the month I have

> been taking the vitamins - if anything it has made it

> more managable ???? I was just curious if anyone's

> doctor has told them to stay away from immune boosters ???

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 10/25/2001 12:00:24 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

ski2002us@... writes:

<< Can anyone give me an feedback on why it is a bad idea

to take immune boosters ??? >>

- PA is an autoimmune disorder, which means that our immune systems

are reacting to something in our system as if it is a foreign body and

attacking it. This means that our immunities are already in overdrive.

Taking methotrexate or some of the other drugs lowers our immune system

(which is what it is supposed to do). If you are taking immune boosters, you

are certainly fighting against the MTX or other suppressants and " reving " up

your immune system even further. I don't know if it is medically proven that

enchineca and other herbs which strengthen immunity have a direct corelation

to a PA flare, but it sort of make sense that if the immune system is already

operating on overdrive and that is the problem, then adding extra immune

boosters is adding fuel to the fire.

Please discuss with your rheumy.

[Guest guest]

This is really a fascinating disease because it is so different from

other autoimmune conditions. One outstanding feature that

differentiates it is the response to HIV infection. THat type of

immune suppression will cause most autoimmune conditions to go into

remission but will make psoriasis and PA worse. So there is really

so much more to understand about this. I feel that by sharing our

experiences we are really on the frontline.

> Can anyone give me an feedback on why it is a bad idea

> to take immune boosters ???

>

> I have PA, asthma, and psoriasis .... the asthma

> started in last year and I haven't been able to shake

> it totally... sometimes I get to coughing and coughing

> ... I read something about PA affecting the lungs ....

> anyone heard this ???

> The doctor has me on Zyrtec and Serevent for the

> Asthma - with Singulair at night.... and Vioxx 50 mg a

> day with Hydrochloroquine for the PA and Elocon creame

> for the psoriasis .... I am 26 years old and feel 86

> ...

>

> About a month ago I decided to start taking vitamins

> regularly so I have been taking a multi - vitamin , an

> extra C, extra E, ginsing, chromium picolinate, 1000

> mg of concentrated echinacea/goldenseal, and a green

> tea capsule ....

>

> I noticed the echinacea/golenseal really helped my

> breathing problems - I still wheeze occaisonally but

> don't need the zyrtec .... I use the serevent when it

> starts up .... The green tea really helps soothe my

> tummy from all the arthritis meds .... and the ginsing

> must be helping to because my energy is better than it

> ever has been - but I was reading something that

> someone wrote about never taking anything that boosts

> your immune system because PA is caused by a

> hyper-active immune system .... can anyone confirm

> this ???

>

> My PA has not gotten any worse in the month I have

> been taking the vitamins - if anything it has made it

> more managable ???? I was just curious if anyone's

> doctor has told them to stay away from immune boosters ???

>

> __________________________________________________

>