posted by tendon_tinker 1mo ago

Managing an autoimmune condition on top of a tendon injury, anyone else juggling this?

I have been tracking my tendon flare-ups against my autoimmune markers for about two years now. Whenever my systemic autoimmune stuff flares up (ankylosing spondylitis in my case), my left Achilles and tennis elbow instantly lose load tolerance. Even basic isometric holds trigger heavy tendinopathy symptoms within 24 hours. I've been running sub-q BPC-157 (250mcg twice daily) for local tissue recovery and added glutathione (100mg twice a week) plus NAD+ to try to lower the systemic inflammatory baseline. My spreadsheets show recovery times cut in half during mild flares, but during heavy autoimmune spikes, load progression stalls out. Anyone else balancing a chronic autoimmune background while trying to run rehab protocols and peptides?

Measure it or it did not happen.

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CoachTerrellAtlanta, GA7 points1mo ago

You're overthinking the numbers mate. If your immune system is actively attacking collagen pathways, no amount of load programming works until that background noise drops. You can't out-rehab systemic inflammation.

You cannot inject your way out of a bad program.

JSJohnson_ForceLos Angeles, CA10 points1mo ago

Same battle here with psoriatic flares. When the autoimmune side hits, tendon tissue is dry tinder. Systemic TB-500 plus BPC is the only combo that got me through.

Discipline is the shortcut.

jumpers_knee_jessOmaha, NE7 points1mo ago

This. My patellar tendinitis gets twice as bad every time my thyroid antibodies spike.

Isometrics before ice. Every time.

NOuta_ResearchKenya5 points1mo ago

Are you tracking specific inflammatory markers alongside your symptom logs? Glutathione and NAD+ target mitochondrial oxidative stress, but if the primary driver is TNF-alpha driven autoimmune pathways, the mechanism of action might not overlap directly with tissue repair.

Science is only useful if people can use it.

MarlinaV_PNWSeattle, WA6 points1mo ago

Glutathione was the game changer for my flares. 200mg IM twice a week keeps my tendons from feeling like rusted iron cables when my immune system acts up.

Own your outcome.

DavePT_CTHamden, CT6 points1mo ago

That's placebo mate. Glutathione isn't turning off an autoimmune cascade during an acute flare.

Always be great.

DrBauer_CLTCharlotte, NC2 points1mo ago

In clinical practice, we frequently see patients try to push tendon rehab while completely ignoring a systemic rheumatological baseline. Local BPC or GHK helps localized tissue turnover, but if cell signaling is overwhelmed by systemic cytokine production, repair stalls out completely. Combining antioxidant pathway support like sub-q glutathione with targeted peptides gives the tendon tissue a clear window to actually respond to rehab loading.

Independent primary care, whole person.

tendon_tinkerAustin, TX2 points1mo ago

Week 4 update: CRP dropped on my latest lab run, and load tolerance on Achilles isometrics is finally climbing back up.

Measure it or it did not happen.