Risky bone med Prolia approved for RA patients

‘Molotov cocktail’ med approved for RA patients

Needing a drug to treat a disease of symptoms caused by another drug is nothing new.

But what happens when that “fixer” medication causes even more problems – maybe even worse ones?

By the looks of it, Big Pharma will be waiting in the wings with yet another prescription for you to take… the next in an unending line of meds that’s so long, you might forget what you were being treated for in the first place!

And the latest example of that – the FDA greenlighting yet another use of Amgen’s nightmare drug Prolia – sure is a win for Big Pharma.

But it’s a loss for everyone with rheumatoid arthritis who’ll now be encouraged to take it.

Despite what you may have heard from your doc, you don’t have to keep trying different drugs until you find one that relieves the pain and stiffness of RA. You can get off the merry-go-round of meds. Here’s how.

An even bigger risk

Having RA is hard enough. What you don’t need is a pile of other painful and potentially deadly diseases on top of it!

But that’s exactly what happens when some RA patients try drug after drug to get some relief.

For some, steroids like glucocorticoids are the only things that help – and while they can work wonders to combat inflammation, they should be reserved for the short-term treatment of flare-ups.

Because if you use them long enough, they could weaken your bones.

That’s why Big Pharma is champing at the bit to pitch its osteoporosis drug to be used on RA patients.

But in this case, taking Prolia can take you out of the proverbial frying pan and right into the fire.

Prolia is one of those drugs that makes you wonder just what the feds were thinking when they allowed it on the market eight years ago. It’s so dangerous, in fact, that one expert called it “a health Molotov cocktail!”

It’s been linked to a condition called osteonecrosis of the jaw, where the jawbone disintegrates, as well as major fractures of the thigh bone.

Then, there’s the bone and joint pain. Just what an RA patient needs, right?

But take Prolia off the table — along with the steroids that can cause the osteoporosis it treats — and you still have the pain and suffering of RA.

Unfortunately, modern medicine doesn’t really understand autoimmune diseases such as this. The truth of the matter is, there are other things you can do.

For example, HSI advisory panel member Dr. Mark Stengler advises that if you’re carrying around some extra pounds, losing weight can work wonders in helping to slow down joint damage and ease pain. In fact, a recent study found that being overweight may even be a bigger factor in RA than inflammation!

Other non-drug ways to help RA include:

A Mediterranean-style diet, meaning less red meat and more fish, nuts, fruits, and veggies (as well as exclusive use of extra-virgin olive oil), which can help reduce the inflammation associated with all types of arthritis.
Anti-inflammatory foods — such as mangoes, bananas, peaches, apples, blueberries, and ginger – and the spice turmeric.
The ancient practice of acupuncture is another proven inflammation buster. Acupuncture has been found in several studies to decrease pain and even reduce certain markers in the blood that indicate inflammation is present.
Yoga! OK, I guess doing a downward dog or balancing on one foot might seem out of the question, but it really shouldn’t be. What you need to do is find an instructor who’s versed in yoga for arthritis patients, one who will allow you to go at your own pace. Standing on your head not required!
Swimming is another exercise that can help with RA symptoms. Check out your local YMCA for arthritis classes or just take a leisurely swim or “walk” in the pool.

They might not provide the fast relief that steroids will… but then again, they won’t destroy your bones in the process!

“Prolia approved for glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis” May 22, 2018, MPR, empr.com