Beech Bark Medicine

Book Excerpt: A commentary on a 50-year-old medicine, which raises the question: ‘Why is pentosan polysulphate not a treatment option?’ Essential reading crammed with information for those diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis.

Pentosan Polysulphate A Medicine Made From Beech Bark

Linda Curreri had rheumatoid arthritis for 28 years, from 1974 at age 26.

In 2001 her GP began treating her with muscular pentosan polysulphate injections.  Over the following three years, blood tests showed conclusively that her rheumatoid factor had returned to a normal limit and no health anomalies were present. Linda experienced not one adverse effect from this medicine. Her health is undeniably in very good shape. However, the same cannot be said of her musculoskeletal system, which was severely damaged by the disease of arthritis. Her book brings the many profound facts about this medicine from beech bark to our attention and includes an account of her efforts over four years to source pentosan polysulphate. Her introduction to pentosan polysulphate was in May 1996, while on a visit to Australia. Here is how it all began.