Pickle Juice for RA

[Morticia32]

 

Ok ok i know this sounds crazy. But i have had several elderly people with RA in my town, tell me to drink Pickle Juice. They swear by it. And it must be sliced pickles not whole dill's LOL!

 

Anyone tested this or heard this before?

 

btw i hate pickles, but am willing to learn to like them if they help.

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Diagnosed: Hypothyroid 1990, Endometriosis 1997, Agrophobia 1998, Objective Tinnitus 2004,Rhematoid Arthritus Feb 2006.

Procedures Done: Gallbladder Removed 1994, 3 Endoscopes, 5 Laps for Endo, Hysterectomy 2003, Angiogram 2003.

Medications now: Synthroid, Lexapro, MTX, Lortab.

[redoncue]

I'm actually from the Lupus chat but the chemistry that causes RA in you also causes the joint pain we go thru. Ouch...had me, a 24-year-old bed ridden. Ugh...

The pickle brine works, period. I wanted to know more about why it works and what I'm finding is that basically it clears away from of the acid your muscles build up when you excert yourself. You know that burning sesation you get when you life something really heavy, and your muscles burn and shake. You muscle is releasing acid--it's serves a purpose but it can also build up on the surface causing muscle cramps.

Atheletes use it, often combining it some sport drink like Power Aid or Gatorade. But for people like me who love pickles to begin with, I rather enjoy it like a fine drink. Sometimes I crush the ice and make a pickle slushy. Yum...I like the hamburger dill pickle brine.

Hope that helps a little. So drink up--you in your case. Maybe mix it with some lemon-lime drink, may dumb down the bitterness.

Take care

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DX: Lupus Nephritis likey Diffuse Proliferative Glomerulonephritis

[Ducky]

Very cool! I've never heard of that before and I absolutely LOVE pickle juice, I may gross out the hubby and kiddies, but I'm gonna try it! Very cool! Thanks guys!

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Diagnosed January 2005 - Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondylitis

[layne]

Hey guys, I've never posted, but read here to learn a lot about the RA that I was diagnoised with last year.  I'm on prednisone and MTX.  Doing so-so to me, but very good compared to some of the good folks here.  I have always loved to ride my horse, and thankfully I'm still doing it.  I'm almost 59 now.  My question is about the pickle juice - how much do you need to drink?

[user11]

Hello Layne & welcome to HealingWell.
I love horses as well. I really wanted to go for a ride for my birthday, but couldn't. Hoping this summer is a different story.
Was your RA caught early & treated before it got too complicated? And how has the MTX been? Do you take it by injection or oral?... doc says I might have to add that to the cocktail of meds I'm on.
The best to you.
Write back soon.
Erin

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Active, Severe RA. Crohns Disease. Chiari Malformation & Right Brain venous anomoly. AS. Emphysema. Rheumatic Lung. MVP and Tricuspid prolapse. Had Lymes disease for 10 years.

[layne]

Hi Erin, my doc says it was caught early.  For several years, I had foot pain and aches and pains that I attributed to "getting older". LOL  Then a couple of years ago I had a spell while on a horse camping trip to the mountains, that my hip started hurting in the night so bad that by the next morning I actually couldn't walk on it without holding on to something.  Within a couple of hours it had abated enough that I still was able to ride.  Within the next few months, I started having more and more extreme and intense pain all over my body: neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers, hips, knees, and especially toes and the bottoms of my feet.  My regular doc did a blood test and I tested positive for RA.  When it kept getting worse, he referred me to a rheumotologist.  The week before I got to the rheu. doc. I had gotten so bad that I could barely get out of bed.  My first appointment with the rummie (is that how you spell it?) he told me that he didn't think there was any doubt that I had RA.  My inflamation level was out-of-sight!  Anyway, he put me on the prednisone and the MXT.  Within two days I had a remarkable recovery, and have done very well since, with the exception of some flares that last about 24 hours.  I am trying to get off the 5mg pred once a day, but so far I haven't been able to.  Doc assures me that at that small dosage, it is OK.  MTX hasn't caused any problems at all.  BUT what I wanted to say, was I tried the pickle juice last night and this morning was the best morning that I have had in two weeks!  Don't know if it was the pickle juice, or just the ups and downs of RA, but I'm gonna keep drinking pickle juice for a while and see.  This is a nice spot and I'm sorry for the long post, but since I've been reading about a year, I feel like I know you guys.

[curley]

I don't know about pickle juice for arthritis but my mother told me to drink pickle juice for charlie horses and it does work.I tell people that and they look like I'am crazy.

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Thanks

[CaMama]

You guys are nuts! Are you really serious about this working? No one really answered the question:

[Ducky]

I love pickle juice... Dill only though... I'll have to find out more about this too... CaMama, you're funny! hee hee hee

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Diagnosed January 2005 - Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondylitis

[curley]

CaMama I want you to know that I got a really good laugh out of what you had to say.

Now for charlie hoses I drink a cup of dill pickle juice about twice aweek and believe mo not I do not have thoes charlie hoses any longer I use to get them really bad.As crasy as it sound's it does help.

OH and CaMama you drink it strait no sprit not ginger ale either.

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Thanks

[Ducky]

Ok I got the following info from this website.. click here

There is lots of info here also... Apparently pickle juice is good for lots of things...

2/6/2006: Carol from Jacksonville, FL writes, "ACV cured reflux x 6 years ...arthritis....mental health. I am going to share something with you that I recently discovered. I'm sending this to everyone I can think of who may have or have family members (husbands, mothers, fathers, etc) who have issues with arthritis or indigestion. Please read to the end.

I've been taking a generic Prilosec (antacid) daily for the last 6 years or so at about $39/3 month supply. Whenever I ask the doctor if I can discontinue - he says if you have acid reflux, you will just have to keep taking it. And when I miss a dose, I'm miserable. Well, I'm pretty suspicious of that drug as I think it's contributing to some health problems I have and I've never felt comfortable taking it all this time. Finally, I read where you shouldn't take that for more than 6-8 weeks as it can cause absorption issues (i.e., calcium, iron, etc.) which has caused me some issues in the last few years. So. I took the brave step and stopped the medication a week ago.

RAGING HEARTBURN - like a firebreathing dragon - a boiling volcano. Nothing helped and I mean nothing. Someone mentioned to me that when they get heartburn, they take apple cider vinegar. So I took a swig one day and although it worsened things for about a minute, the reflux stayed away all night. So I researched it. The websites advise to take organic "Braggs" apple cider vinegar with the "mother" in it and suggested mixing it with raw, organic honey. So -
off to the healthfood store. I took 2 tsp mixed with a little warm water and mixed in some honey and swigged it down the other night when I was having issues trying to sleep with heartburn. Heartburn gone - I slept all night for the first time in years. And I woke up with a feeling of euphoria - well being and an unusual feeling of peace. I'm not sure how to describe it. No joint pain - no stiffness and no heartburn all day. So I'm thinking this surely could not be from the vinegar??? After researching websites I find that others are having similiar experiences. I'm just amazed. Supposedly, this drink twice a day cures: arthritis, acid reflux , allergies, sinus and a whole list of things. It is considered a health drink and has cleansing properties. Today I had a big spicy italian meal and had no issues after. If you try nothing else, try this.

So, I guess take from it what you will... it can't hurt right?  Good luck to all of you and let me know if you try and it and how it works for you and I'll do the same!  - Duck

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Diagnosed January 2005 - Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondylitis

-Currently taking 50mg shot weekly of Enbrel
Diagnosed May 1998 - Graves Disease
-Complete Thyroidectomy September 1998 - While 11 weeks pregnant
Other Complications - GERD/Scoliosis/Hiatal Hernia/Graves Disease of the Eyes

Current Meds -  Enbrel/Prevacid/Synthroid

Past Meds - Inderal/PTU/Prednisone/Voltaren/Feldene/Mobic/Cortisone and Steroid Shots

[CaMama]

Well, I can't take credit for the humor - I was just feeding off of RedonCue's comments of how to tolerate the pickle juice by saying to enjoy it like "a fine drink" and the pickle slushy comment! Then all of you agreeing how it works and some of you actually LIKE it!

The site you mentioned said that it was the vinigar in the pickle juice that is helpful and also the apple cider vinigar is good (which a book I have on liver health mentions that drink a small mixture of apple cider vinigar before you eat will help indigestion.) most of the results say it is for acid reflux (which i also have) so i guess it can't hurt to try since nexium costs me $35 a month and a few jars of pickles are much less.

My husband loves me to put pickles on his sandwiches like a slice of meat - filling the whole slice of bread. I guess I'll start making sure we have pickles in the house and seeing if just eating a few juicy pickles will do as some people claim. .... I did find some interesting comments on one of the sites that might work:

you cut celery into pieces that fit the (pickle) jar. This is great even if you only have a little bit of juice left because the veins in the celery will draw the juice up through the stalk. Et viola, pickled celery. It's an interesting flavor. Use them as a garnish in Bloody Marys or fill them with cream cheese or chop them up and put them in a green salad or tuna salad. I'm pretty much tapped out on uses for celery here.

Use the juice in any recipe that calls for vinegar, like a marinade or a vinagrette.

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[Ducky]

Very cool! Maybe we can make our own pickle cook book for arthritis patients! :) hee hee hee

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Diagnosed January 2005 - Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondylitis

[cbrossman]

Pickle Juice is popular in the endurance athelete crowd as well.
Since I strive to be one of those, and I am with RA, I think I may give it a try.

Do they have beer flavored Pickle Juice? ... Craig

[user11]

no, no you see...add the pickle juice to a Guinness.  BRILLIANT!

i have a bottle of MOET in the fridge, & we're still chickening out on making a black and tan with GUINNESS and MOET. it was served at a NYC restaurant, wanna give it a shot...but oh what a sin it would be to ruin a G-Boy if it came out wrong. talk about pressure.

i'm buying this pickle thing theory, it makes sense. the chemicals and nutrients in foods are amazing with inflammation...if anyone finds any great articles on this post a link please!

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Active, Severe RA. Crohns Disease. Chiari Malformation & Right Brain venous anomoly. AS. Emphysema. Rheumatic Lung. MVP and Tricuspid prolapse. Had Lymes disease for 10 years.

[layne]

Guys, I originally asked how much, when I didn't receive an immediate reply (no patience here, LOL) I took 2 Tablespoons, mixed with a little ice cold water.  Believe it or not, it wasn't bad.  I now take it every so often when I feel like I'm going to have a bad night.  I really feel like it helps.  Funny thing is that I mentioned this to my reummie doc last visit.  He laughed at first, but then when I told him that it really seemed to help.  One night I could not raise my arm (shoulder inflamed) and next morning, I could.  I admitted that it might be a fluke, but it had happened more than once.  He got kinda serious and said that he wanted me to keep track and see if I really got results every time, because if I did, he wanted to do some research.  I love my reummie!!!  I have since found out that athletes do use it quite often.  Only thing I can think of that might make you want to use some caution is the amount of sodium in dill pickle juice for those of you that need to limit sodium.

[CaMama]

That is so cool about your doc! What a cool-sounding guy!

Only 2 tablespoons - I could probably handle that!

Is it supposed to be Dill juice only or any pickle juice?

I haven't been drinking the juice, but am having about 1/2 a dozen very juicy pickles with lunch...I soak up some of the juice with my bread (if I'm having a sandwich) - not sure if it's working yet or enough - I'm not awful feeling, not sure I'd say awesome though....I did, oddly, wake up feeling decent this a.m.  - but, the rain is on haiutus as well. We'll see.

I think my next attempt is making some tuna and start putting juice and/or relish (like my grandmother used to do) in it.

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[layne]

I think from what I've read that it has to be dill pickles, and this I don't understand, but it needs to be "sliced" dill pickles. Sounds strange, but far be it from me to worry about something sounding strange.  If it works, I don't care.  Yeah, my rummie doc is absolutely great, and this is coming from someone who doesn't do doctors of any kind normally.  What I really appreciate about him is that he listens to me and tries to work within limits that I'm comfortable with.  He knows that, never having been sick before, that I hate taking medicine, and he tries to keep me on the lowest dose possible and has even worked with me to get me on lower doses (which didn't work), but he tried and will try again.  He even said that because mine started later in life, and responded so well initially that he has hopes that I may go into a remission within a couple of years.  No guararantees, but hey - there are no guarantees in life.  I'll just keeping dealing with the hand I'm given.

[lucyjean]

OK I'm really confused. around how much dill pickle juice is OK? How about the juice. Do you drink the juice from hole or sliced dill pickles? Can you eat the pickles instead of drinking the juice? Please help, so I can get started drinking dill pickle juice. Mar

[Ocicat]

petewayne, nice to meet you. Just wanted to say you posted a good question, but on a very old posting and we do not know if some of these member are around from 2006. Hope you don't mind starting a new thread and introducing yourself some...this is a great forum with lots of wonderful people and there are always some home remedies that work, I'm not sure if this pickle remedy works it might be helpful. Tart cherry juice in small amounts(1/4 cup at night as it can make you sleepy) can help with some pain.
Will look forward to you posting and many well wishes and a big Texas "Howdy" to you...

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* So many dx's I could write a book* "It would be nice if we could use the edit button in real life"...
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