Antibiotics for RA?
I recently required several stitches and incurred some lacerations on my hand. When the NP noticed I took Methotrexate shots weekly she prescribed 1000 mgs of Cephalexin daily for 10 days to insure against infection.
I don't even know the amount of drugs that I have taken and infusions I have been given for my RA with nothing having more than a miniscule effect on my symptoms. As of late I have been taking 10 mgs of prednisone daily and still having flares about every 10 to 14 days. After nearing the end of my antibiotic run I realized that for the first time in several years I was symptom free. No pain, no stiffness and no fatigue. I had forgotten what it was like to feel "normal".
I contacted my rheumatologist and told him about this and he said there are no guidelines for the use of antibiotics in the treatment of RA and he would contact an Infectious Disease Dr. for me and see if they could/would treat me with antibiotics.
Has anyone else here encountered this type of situation or used antibiotics as an RA treatment?
Thanks
Bill
Hi Bill, thank you for taking the time to share your experiences. Antibiotics can sometimes have an anti-inflammatory effect. Minocycline (a tetracycline) is typically the one doctors have given for RA but there's not really a lot to back up the long-term usage and it does tend to create issues long-term especially in the gut etc. Here's a couple threads and questions others wrote in about it. Hope it helps: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/forums/antibiotics and https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/forums/antibiotics-for-treatment -Effie, team member
