It's a matter of time until the truth about alzheimers comes out. This
disease is simply an infection. I am being treated by a Lyme guru who
believes that that bacteria is the culprit. Truth is there are many
possible bad guys out there that could cause this. I am also fighting
strep pyogene which I know can cause seriouse mental problems. The
toxins kill every organ in the body. Luckily I will survive(i hope)
with only fairly bad memory problems. drmirkin.com is a good source
along with the CDC for info on this. here is his post for reactive
arthritis. reactive infection is when the bacteria is in other parts
of the body(sinus, spinal column, brain, etc.) Note,the cure is very
painfull and can actually kill the patient.For example,STSS strep
toxic shock syndrome in which I am all to familiar with. good luck
all. Heres the post.

REACTIVE ARTHRITIS

Gabe Mirkin, M.D.

I am absolutely amazed that more doctors do not treat at least some of
their arthritis patient with antibiotics because there are hundreds of
papers showing that hundreds of different infections cause arthritis.
Doctors do not have laboratory tests to diagnose many of the germs
that cause arthritis. Failure to treat arthritis early can cause
permanent cartilaginous damage so that no treatment can be effective
later. The most common cause of arthritis, particularly in people
under 50, is reactive arthritis that often follows an infection.

If you develop sudden unexplained pain in one or more joints, your
doctor should check you for an infection. You should be asked if you
have a urinary tract infection: burning on urination, discomfort when
your bladder is full, a feeling that you have to urinate all the time,
getting up in the middle of the night to urinate. Check for a stomach
infection: belching and burning in stomach or chest. Check for a lung
infection: chronic cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, burning in
your nose or soreness in your throat. Check for intestinal infection:
diarrhea, belly cramps or blood in stool. Also check for gum disease,
chronic stuffy nose, chills or fever.

The following can cause reactive arthritis: Salmonella intestinal
infection (1), mononucleosis (2,21,25), parvovirus, chronic hepatitis
B virus and hepatitis C) virus infections (3), Retroviruses (4,5).
Venereal diseases, such as chlamydia, mycoplasma, ureaplasma,
gonorrhea and Gardnerella cause arthritis (6,7,8), mycoplasma (9),
Human T Cell Leukemia Virus-1 (10,33), chlamydia
(11,15,16,17,18,24,34), urinary infections with chlamydia, ureaplasma
and mycoplasma (12,26,27,39), many different intestinal infections
(13,35,41,42,43,44,45,46), ureaplasma (14,27), Lyme disease (19,23),
Salmonella diarrhea (20), parvovirus B19 (22,36), cytomegalovirus
(25,26,32), streptococcal sore throat (28), cat scratch disease (29),
human herpes virus-6 (30), hemophilus influenza bacteria (31), AIDS
(HIV) (33), hepatitis B and C (36). staph aureus bacterial infections
(37,38). Additional references are provided below.

I treat my reactive arthritis patients with Minocycline 100 mg twice a
day, but this must still be considered experimental; many doctors are
not yet ready to accept antibiotics as a treatment for reactive
arthritis. Many patients with rheumatoid arthritis do not feel better
for the first few months after they start taking minocycline. If a
patient does nor feel better after taking 100 mg of minocycline twice
day for 2 months, I add Zithromax 500 mg twice a week. If the patient
does not feel better after taking the two antibiotics for 6 months, I
do add the immune suppressants that most rheumatologists prescribe.
But as soon as they feel better, I stop the immune suppressants and
continue the antibiotics. The treatment of reactive arthritis with
antibiotics is controversial and not accepted by many doctors; discuss
this with your doctor.

1) F Kanakouditsakalidou, G Pardalos, P Pratsidougertsi, A
Kansouzidoukanakoudi, H Tsangaropouloustinga. Persistent or severe
course of reactive arthritis following Salmonella enteritidis
infection - A Prospective study of 9 cases. Scandinavian Journal of
Rheumatology 27: 6 (1998):431-434.

2) T Schifter, UH Lewinski. Adult onset Still's disease associated
with Epstein-Barr virus infection in a 66-year-old woman. Scandinavian
Journal of Rheumatology 27: 6 (1998):458-460.

3) LB Siegel, EP Gall. Viral infection as a cause of arthritis.
American Family Physician 54: 6 (NOV 1 1996):2009-2015. (parvovirus,
chronic hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C) virus infections.

4) K Nakagawa, V Brusic, G Mccoll, LC Harrison. Direct evidence for
the expression of multiple endogenous retroviruses in the synovial
compartment in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis and Rheumatism 40: 4
(APR 1997):627-638.

5) K Eguchi, T Origuchi, H Takashima, K Iwata, S Katamine, S Nagataki.
High seroprevalence of anti-HTLV-I antibody in rheumatoid arthritis.
Arthritis and Rheumatism 39: 3 (MAR 1996):463-466.

6)S Francois, G Guyadiersouquieres, C Marcelli. Reactive arthritis due
to Gardnerella vaginalis - A case-report. Revue du Rhumatisme 64: 2
(FEB 1997):138-139.

7) F Li, R Bulbul, HR Schumacher, T Kieberemmons, PE Callegari, JM
Vonfeldt, D Norden, B Freundlich, B Wang, V Imonitie, CP Chang, I
Nachamkin, DB Weiner, WV Williams. Molecular detection of bacterial
DNA in venereal-associated arthritis. Arthritis and Rheumatism 39: 6
(JUN 1996):950-958.

8) T Schaeverbeke, JP Vernhes, L Lequen, B Bannwarth, C Bebear, J
Dehais. Mycoplasmas and arthritides. Revue du Rhumatisme 64: 2 (FEB
1997):120-128.

9) A Franz, ADB Webster, PM Furr, D Taylorrobinson. Mycoplasmal
arthritis in patients with primary immunoglobulin deficiency: Clinical
features and outcome in 18 patients. British Journal of Rheumatology
36: 6 (JUN 1997):661-668.

10) High seroprevalence of anti-HTLV-I antibody in rheumatoid
arthritis. Arthritis and Rheumatism 39: 3 (MAR 1996):463-466.

11) M Leirisalorepo. Therapeutic aspects of spondyloarthropathies - A
review. Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology 27: 5 (1998):323-328.

12) U Lange, M Berliner, W Weidner, HG Schiefer, KL Schmidt, K
Federlin. Ankylosing spondylitis and infections of the male urogenital
tract: Exploration of urinary tract infection in correlation to
rheumatologic parameters. Zeitschrift Fur Rheumatologie 55: 4 (JUL-AUG
1996):249-255.

13) H Mielants, M Devos, C Cuvelier, EM Veys. The role of GUT
inflammation in the pathogenesis of spondyloarthropathies. Acta
Clinica Belgica 51: 5 (OCT 1996):340-349.

14) O Vittecoq, T Schaeverbeke, S Favre, A Daragon, N Biga, C
Cambonmichot, C Bebear, X Leloete. Molecular diagnosis of Ureaplasma
urealyticum in an immunocompetent patient with destructive reactive
polyarthritis. Arthritis and Rheumatism 40: 11 (NOV 1997):2084-2089.

15) L Cirasino, A Marccotti, C Barosi, F Massaro, A Silvani.
Misdiagnosis of post-traumatic splenic rupture in a patient with acute
cold agglutinin disease due to Mycoplasma infection. Scandinavian
Journal of Infectious Diseases 29: 5(1997):522-524.

16) Y Aihara, M Mori, T Kobayashi, S Yokota. A pediatric case of
polymyositis associated with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.
Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology 26: 6 (1997):480-481.

17) Braun et al. Chlamydia pneumoniae- a new causitive agent of
reactive arthritis and undifferentiated arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis
1994;53:100-105.

18) Gerard HC et al. Screening of synovial tissue from reactive
arthritis patients for the presence of chlamydia pneumoniae. Arthritis
Rheum 1995;38:S394.

19) IT Kufko, OM Lesnyak, VG Melnikov, NS Baranova, OF Ryabitseva, ZI
Sokolova. Comparative clinical and laboratory characteristics of Lyme
arthritis and reactive arthritis. Terapevticheskii Arkhiv 69: 5
(1997):12-15.

20) F Kanakouditsakalidou, G Pardalos, P Pratsidougertsi, A
Kansouzidoukanakoudi, H Tsangaropouloustinga. Persistent or severe
course of reactive arthritis following Salmonella enteritidis
infection - A Prospective study of 9 cases. Scandinavian Journal of
Rheumatology 27: 6 (1998):431-434.

21) T Schifter, UH Lewinski. Adult onset Still's disease associated
with Epstein-Barr virus infection in a 66-year-old woman. Scandinavian
Journal of Rheumatology 27: 6 (1998):458-460.

22) P Roblot, F Roblot, A Ramassamy, B Becqgiraudon. Lupus syndrome
after parvovirus B19 infection. Revue du Rhumatisme 64: 12 (DEC
1997):849-851.

23) S Priem, GR Burmester, T Kamradt, K Wolbart, MG Rittig, A Krause.
Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi by polymerase chain reaction in
synovial membrane, but not in synovial fluid from patients with
persisting Lyme arthritis after antibiotic therapy. Annals of the
Rheumatic Diseases 57: 2 (FEB 1998):118-121.

24) HC Gerard, PJ Branigan, HR Schumacher, AP Hudson. Synovial
Chlamydia trachomatis in patients with reactive arthritis/ Reiter's
syndrome are viable but show aberrant gene expression. Journal of
Rheumatology 25: 4 (APR 1998):734-742.

25) M Mousavijazi, L Bostrom, C Lovmark, A Linde, M Brytting, VA
Sundqvist. Infrequent detection of cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr
virus DNA in synovial membrane of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Journal of Rheumatology 25: 4 (APR 1998):623-628.

26) T Schaeverbeke, M Clerc, L Lequen, A Charron, C Bebear, B
Debarbeyrac, B Bannwarth, J Dehais, C Bebear. Genotypic
characterization of seven strains of Mycoplasma fermentans isolated
from synovial fluids of patients with arthritis. Journal of Clinical
Microbiology 36: 5 (MAY 1998):1226-1231.

27) TV Poggio, N Orlando, L Galanternik, S Grinstein. Microbiology of
acute arthropathies among children in Argentina: Mycoplasma pneumoniae
and hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum. Pediatric Infectious Disease
Journal 17: 4 (APR 1998):304-308.

28) S Ahmed, EM Ayoub, JC Scornik, CY Wang, JX She. Poststreptococcal
reactive arthritis: Clinical characteristics and association with
HLA-DR alleles. Arthritis and Rheumatism 41: 6 (JUN 1998):1096-1102.

29) MC Jendro, G Weber, T Brabant, H Zeidler, J Wollenhaupt. Reactive
arthritis after cat bite: A rare manifestation of cat scratch disease
- Case report and overview of the literature. Zeitschrift Fur
Rheumatologie 57: 3 (JUN 1998):159-163.

30) A Krause, G Krause. Arthritis in a patient with erythema
infectiosum. Zeitschrift Fur Rheumatologie 57: 3 (JUN 1998):164-165.

31) C Alba, B Bailly, C Sauviat, B Depernet. Arthritis due to
Haemophilus aphrophilus: A case report. Medecine et Maladies
Infectieuses 28: 6-7(JUN-JUL 1998):529-530.

32) HJ Anders, FD Goebel. Cytomegalovirus polyradiculopathy in
patients with AIDS. Clinical Infectious Diseases 27: 2 (AUG
1998):345-352.

33) D Vassilopoulos, LH Calabrese. Rheumatologic manifestations of
HIV-1 and HTLV-I infections. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine 65:
8 (SEP 1998):436-441.

34) B Svenungsson. International Journal of STD & AIDS 6: 3:(MAY-JUN
1995):156-160.

35) S Aoki, K Yoshikawa, T Yokoyama, T Nonogaki, S Iwasaki, T Mitsui,
S Niwa. Role of enteric bacteria in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid
arthritis: Evidence for antibodies to enterobacterial common antigens
in rheumatoid sera and synovial fluids. Annals of the Rheumatic
Diseases 55: 6 (JUN 1996):363-369.

36) LB Siegel, EP Gall. Viral infection as a cause of arthritis.
American Family Physician 54: 6 (NOV 1 1996):2009-2015. (parvovirus,
chronic hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C) virus infections.

37) D Tabarya, WL Hoffman. Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage in
rheumatoid arthritis: Antibody response to toxic shock syndrome
toxin-1. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 55: 11 (NOV 1996):823-828.

38) T Origuchi, K Eguchi, Y Kawabe, I Yamashita, A Mizokami, H Ida, S
Nagataki. Increased levels of serum IgM antibody to staphylococcal
enterotoxin B in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Annals of the
Rheumatic Diseases 54: 9 (SEP 1995):713-720.

39) TV Poggio, N Orlando, L Galanternik, S Grinstein. Microbiology of
acute arthropathies among children in Argentina: Mycoplasma pneumoniae
and hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum. Pediatric Infectious Disease
Journal 17: 4 (APR 1998):304-308.

40) M Wuorela, K Granfors. Infectious agents as triggers of reactive
arthritis. American Journal of the Medical Sciences 316: 4(OCT
1998):264-270.

41) H Mielants, M Devos, C Cuvelier, EM Veys. The role of GUT
inflammation in the pathogenesis of spondyloarthropathies. Acta
Clinica Belgica 51: 5 (OCT 1996):340-349.

42)RQ Silva, JB Garcia, JAF Sanchez, FJ Casillas, CO Calvo, RH Mesia,
JLS Lombrana, AR Perez. Silent axial arthropathy in inflammatory bowel
disease. Clinical, radiological and genetic characteristics. Revista
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43) M Leirisalorepo. Therapeutic aspects of spondyloarthropathies - A
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44) F Dekeyser, D Elewaut, M Devos, K Devlam, C Cuvelier, H Mielants,
EM Veys. Bowel inflammation and the spondyloarthropathies. Rheumatic
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45) E Markerhermann, T Hohler. Pathogenesis of human leukocyte antigen
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46) F Dekeyser, D Elewaut, M Devos, K Devlam, C Cuvelier, H Mielants,
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48) TL Moore. Parvovirus-associated arthritis. Current Opinion in
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