It’s been 9 weeks since my last Humira injection and surprisingly, I’m doing well. Now, please keep in mind that when I say I’m doing well it means that I’m moving and not in intense mind-blowing pain (like I was pre-Hurmira). I still have plenty of aches, pains, and fatigue; however, I’m moving, I’m functioning, and I’m “biologic drug” free (and I am VERY thankful).
Over the last 10 weeks or so I have been taking a tincture my naturopathic physician gave me. Thank you Dr. Amy Chadwick for sending me this information:
The tincture is a combination of the following Gemmotherapies and Mother tinctures:
Tilia tomentosa Gemmotherapy (Silver Linden Tree Bud)
Passiflora tincture (Passion Flower)
Sambucus nigra glycerite (Elder Berry)
Leonorus tincture (Mother Wort)The combination addresses the underlying endocrine imbalance that aggravates the auto-immune terrain and psoriatic inflammation. Tilia tomentosa and Passiflora are central nervous system calming and nourishing. They support healthy sympathetic and parasympathetic tone so that the body is not stuck in a fight/flight pattern. Elderberry helps with brain fog by assisting prolactin in the relaunching of dopamine in the central nervous system. The combination helps with pain, but indirectly. It is more about addressing the underlying terrain and working to create long term healing.
I really thought it was important to post this information for the rest of you, because I think the tincture is helping. I take about a ½ teaspoon twice a day, and although it doesn’t taste amazing, it’s a whole lot easier to take than injecting my thigh with a needle.
I saw my rheumatologist today and I could tell he was surprised I was feeling so well. He took a look at my right Achilles (the one that’s been swollen for forever) and made a comment that he thought it wasn’t as swollen as it has been in the past. He was very interested in Dr. Amy’s tincture, and actually, I had to pull out my phone to read her email to him explaining what was in the tincture. He didn’t say too much about it, but he was definitely intrigued and did say to take it as long as I thought it was helping (which I will).
Also during my appointment today, my rheumatologist wrote me a prescription for the NSAID, Mobic (Meloxicam), to take when my neck is really stiff and sore (it’s all part of my spondylitis). I don’t plan on taking it regularly, but it will be nice to have something to take on days my neck is being……. a pain in the neck.
Alaska is being pummeled with hurricane force winds and heavy rain. Each time a storm moves through I feel it in my bones. I’ve heard other friends with various autoimmune diseases say the same: when the weather is bad, I feel bad.
Thank you for all of your continued prayers and support. I am incredibly blessed to know there are people out there who don’t even know me, but pray for me, think of me, support me. Big hugs to all of you.
How have you been feeling lately? What are you struggling with?
xoxo
Megan
cyclechick says
Megan – This is great news esp since I’m one of those who don’t know you but pray for you 🙂 I, too, know when the barometric pressure changes and my husband says my body/head are more accurate than the weather man. Thx for the info on the tincture. So glad it’s helping you and you are having better days 🙂 Will continue to pray for you and thx 4 all you do for all of us. Your choc chip cookie recipe is my kids fave – and even my non-gf niece asked me to send her a care package of them to her while she’s at college 🙂 God bless!
Megan says
Your prayers are so appreciated, cyclechick! Thank you! 🙂 Very glad to hear your family enjoys the cookies!
Love of love to you!
Megan
Davina Spafford Stuart says
so far not as bad as I was most of last winter.. but not liking the fact that this is all starting so early this year.. *sigh* most of my aches and pains, i am semi-happy to report, are currently confined to my lower back/left hip and knee.. the areas most damaged by my car accident from 2007.. so far the whole body pain that use to torment me prior to going GF has stayed away.. though my entire back and shoulders get stiff and sore from time to time as well, though likely from scrunching up from the cold, or compensating for the lower back.. *sigh*
but, hubby’s new job has much better insurance coverage then his last one, and, it appears they will even cover occasional visits to an ND.. so, am hoping to get in to see Dr Amy at long last here in the next few months (gotta build our savings account back up first a bit though, since i’ve already got to see one doctor this month..)
Megan says
Hi Davina,
Thank God for a new job with better insurance coverage! I hope you are able to get in to see Dr. Amy soon. Hang in there!
Hugs,
Megan
Shirley @ gfe says
Megan, so glad you have found a solution that is working for you! Hoping and praying that the tincture will also help with the neck issues over time.
xoxo,
Shirley
Megan says
Thank you, Shirley!
xo
Megan
Melissa Pope says
Megan, may I ask how you prepare your tincture? Do you mix equal parts? Do you mix it all together and store it in a bottle or do you mix it for each dose?
Our stories so very closely parallel one another… And I’m sure encouraged by your post:). Thank you so much for taking the time and putting this much of your personal business out there. It really does benefit others!
Melissa
Megan says
Hi Melissa,
You are welcome! It makes me happy to know what I share truly benefits others!
I actually don’t prepare the tincture – it is prepared by my naturopathic doctor. Dr. Amy Chadwick gave me the information to post here on my website. It is pre-mixed in a bottle, so I just take about 1/2 teaspoon twice a day.
🙂 Hugs,
Megan
Vivien says
Hello Megan,
I just found your blog today and read about your experience with biologics. My prayers go out to you for the challenges that you encounter daily.
My 24 yo son has been recently diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis (as well as having Crohn’s since 2004), and is due to start biologics next week (not sure if it will be Humira, or another type). I am wary of the side-effects of these heavy-duty drugs, and researched a dietary approach to ‘AS’, which is to go completely STARCH free. That is quite a bit more complex than simply gluten and dairy free.
I am wondering about your spondylitis and whether switching up to this kind of diet would help to alleviate your symptoms.
Vivien
Megan says
Hi Vivien,
Thank you for your note, although I’m very sorry to hear about your son’s recent diagnosis. I hope whatever biologic he tries agrees with his body and helps alleviate his symptoms. I will keep him in my prayers.
You are very right, starch free is more complex than simply eliminating gluten and dairy free. I’ve found that my body prefers a limited grain diet, and I do limit my starches, but haven’t eliminated them altogether. I honestly don’t think eliminating them completely would make much of a difference for my spondylitis.
Hugs to you and your son.
Megan