Author: Pippit (---.aep.bellsouth.net)
Date: 11-13-03 00:28
Marilyn,
You have come to the right place for help. Benicar (an ARB which also controls inflammation) will be very helpful to get things under control. Start this for 2 weeks by itself at 40 mgs. 3 times a day (every 6-8 hours) and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much better you feel.
In Sarcoidosis Vitamin D levels are likely to be too high and make the symptoms worse, so you should take all sources of vitamin D and calcium out of your diet. Calcium and Vitamin D supplements are not good for you either. These will actually make you flair worse. It is better to stay out of the sun for awhile too as the vitamin D from the sun is something sarcoidosis patients are particularly sensitive to.
It is possible that the steroid eye drops affected your bones even though they were local. Obviously your eyes reacted immediately in an adverse way. It doesn't take much steroid to cause side-effects.
Minocycline should be started at 25 or 50 mgs. every other day once you've been taking the correct dosage of Benicar for two weeks. This will start to kill the bacteria that are at the root of the disease and you'll temporarily feel worse ( referred to as Herxheimer) but don't panic; this is just temporary and only signifies that the toxins released by the dead bacteria are flushing out of your body. You can look at it like when you have an immunization and you get a little bit of toxin in your system but it goes away. This is what's supposed to happen and is not an allergic reaction. It means it's working. The Benicar will make this alot less intense by putting up a blockade, and if you find that the herx is getting too much for you you can take the Benicar slightly closer together and that should help.
Meanwhile take a look at the papers for doctors and patients on the front page and print them out for your doctor. This will give him a basis for which to prescribe these medications to you and describe the science showing how and why this works.
Once bacteria is imbedded in the cells of your immune system at a level that causes Sarcoidosis the only way to truly get rid of them is with these antibiotics. You should see results fairly quickly but the entire result takes time just as any medication does, so be patient. Part 2 is when Azithromycin is added but that's awhile down the road. Trevor has discovered that the two antibiotics work especially well together.
Read through the posts of others and you can track our success for yourself, and if your doctor is willing have him look through the site as well.
I've been on this about a month now and I have much more energy, almost all my pain has gone away, I breathe better, and I'm more alert. Before I started this protocol I was in bed all day every day. Now I only have to take naps at times, and sleep more the first few days after I increase my dose.
Please let us know how it goes with your doctor and if he has any questions Trevor, or I, or one of the nurses will be glad to help.
Pippit
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