Elimination Diets and Fasting

[Guest guest]

Hello,

Have you or anyone you know tried an elimination diet or fasting to treat their

arthritis? Is so,

please describe your experience.

Thanks,

[Guest guest]

Hey ,

A couple years ago I was on the Dr. Bernstein Diet. The jist is: no

dairy, no sugars, very little carbs, about a pound of no carb veggies

(no carrots, corn etc.) and 7 ozs of protein a day (and of course a LOT

of water). While I was on this diet, not only did I lose a ton of

weight really fast (obviously) but I had absolutely no arthritic pain

(not even morning stiffness). I felt fantastic.

After coming off the diet and returing to my not so good eating habits,

I experienced a nasty flareup (duh, I should have known better).

Throughout my own elimination trials, I have found that dairy and

sugars definately have a negative affect. Especially dairy. I also find

that spring and fall are the worst times for me.

Hope this helps you. I would like to hear of any of your experiences.

Maddy

>

> Hello,

>

> Have you or anyone you know tried an elimination diet or fasting to

treat their arthritis? Is so,

> please describe your experience.

>

> Thanks,

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the reply, Maddy.

I'm encouraged that you saw some positive results by changing eating habits. I

plan on trying fasting and an elimination diet in a few weeks. There are two

websites that prompted me to try this. They are:

http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/

http://jhackett_ra.tripod.com/index.html

By changing diet, I see a possibility for a cure. With only taking medication,

I see no such possibility. I will keep you updated on my progress.

[Guest guest]

, I couldn't agree with you more. I strongly believe that what we

put into our bodies has everything to do with how we feel (positively

and negatively) and I am also strongly opposed to taking medications, I

believe that a lot of the time, they do more harm than good (that has

been my experience anyway...and i've been on a lot of meds in my time).

Thanks for the sites. I have actually read Joe Hacketts story before

and agree with a lot of what he says.

Another thing I want to mention to you is Aspartame. This is found in a

lot of diet products (soda, yogurts, gum etc.). Aspartame is proven to

be extemely bad with almost 100 known side effects. I really believe

this had a lot to do with my pain. I encourage you to research the

subject and strongly consider removing it from you diet entirely.

http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-side-effects.html

Let me know how things go.

Maddy

>

> Thanks for the reply, Maddy.

>

> I'm encouraged that you saw some positive results by changing eating

habits. I plan on trying fasting and an elimination diet in a few

weeks. There are two websites that prompted me to try this. They are:

> http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/

> http://jhackett_ra.tripod.com/index.html

>

> By changing diet, I see a possibility for a cure. With only taking

medication, I see no such possibility. I will keep you updated on my

progress.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Mandy, do you think it might be that people who are so disabled that they

can't get out of bed to make a living for their families or to care for them,

that this might be the reason a lot of us are on " drugs " ? I have been

screaming, on the floor, at times with my disease. Also, I've been curled up in

a

fetal position from pain and desperation.

It is my belief that doctor's will not prescribe a drug unless the benefits

out weigh the risks. Bad arthritis flares with horrible pain can drive some

people to do unthinkable things. For these people, arthritis can be " life

threatening " if their disease is not treated.

Food elimination diets and fasting can help a little, but it does not change

our genetic makeup. There are listed diets that may help some people, but it

is not the cure all that some believe. I believe the Spondylitis org has a

list of foods that might help, but it also recommends the latest drugs.

Sincerely, Connie

[Guest guest]

My wife went through all of this until she finally found the right

diagnosis.

Have your self checked for LYME.

She has been diagnosed with everything from RA, connective tissue

disease, fibro, chronic fatigue. You name it . It all comes out to be

related to her having LYME she has probably had for 40 plus years.

Just a suggestion.

PS There ore only about 3 labs in the country who do a competent test

for LYME

[Guest guest]

Dave,

I also think I may have late stage Lyme Disease. The doctors cant seem to pin

down my problem and thought initially it was RA. I had a local lab perform the

Lyme Titer and Western Blot which came back negative but I understand the tests

are highly unreliable. I have been trying to track down a lab in California

call Igenics. Is that one of the 3 you mentioned? If so, would you happen to

know how to reach any of the three? I can't find Igenics with Google. Any help

w/b appreciated.

Thanks,

Doug in MD

[Guest guest]

Hi Connie.

I always look out for your posts, as you always to be a voice of reason!

My elderly Mum is always on at me to drink cider vinegar as a 'magic cure'.

Last time I spoke, she also suggested rubbing wild yam ointment onto

affected joints and drinking aloe vera juice.

Quite apart from the need to be careful about drug interactions with the use

of alternate 'medicines', it can be disheartening when your nearest and

dearest don't seem to understand the need for you to be on medications, in

order to get out of the bed in the morning.

Best wishes,

in NZ

[Guest guest]

Hi all

I do not think there is a week go by without someone saying I should try this or

that. The latest in our little hamlet is Goji Juice.

Also found out today that another of our upstanding citizens of the tiny Hamlet

of Irvine, population 356, has AS and other Spondy's along with a blown lumbar

disk leading to Cauda Equina Syndrome. That makes 6 of us out of 356 has a

member of the Spondyloarthropathies. Not a good ratio at all.

+Dave

[Guest guest]

Connie, I was not implying that medications are bad for everyone and

that nobody should take them. There is no need to take offence to

what I am saying. I too, know pain and have been in such severe

dabilatating pain that I am completly helplesss. Actually, I'm sure

that the " drugs " my doctor's put me on when I was first diagnosed at

9, saved my life. I still rely on tylenol for pain.

I am saying that there are choices and alternatives. I have been on

numerous medications (NSAIDS, Steriods, Immune suppressant) many of

which caused more harm than good. I still suffer from side effects

from medications I was on years ago. Everyone is different when it

comes to genetic make up, drug tolerence and pain tolerence. For

myself, I find that diet has a lot to do with how I feel and many

things that I eat will bring on flare ups. That might not be the same

for you. I've seen 5 rheumatologists since my diagnoses 20 years ago

and not one and asked me about my lifestyle or diet, they usually

push another prescription at me, which I usually don't fill.

Again, this is my opinion. As I mentioned everyone is different.

Take care.

Maddy

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/1/2006 9:09:57 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

mistmaddy@... writes:

<<There is no need to take offence to

what I am saying.

Maddy, my last two posts were not in reply to your message, per se. However,

I did go back to to see what you said. I've become very engrossed in

porcelain painting of late...and have not been posting or keeping up with the

group.

If you read my post carefully, you will notice that I wrote that all drugs

have side effects and you have to weigh the benefits to the side effects. You

are correct that many in our group are at various levels of disease and pain

levels and require different treatment programs. You are fortunate not to be

currently in the throes of a flare. I hope that your state of health remains

good for many more years, I see that you are young (28-9). My disease didn't

start until I was in my 30's, but I've been dealing with it for way over 30

years now. Like many in our group, in the beginning of the disease, I tool

little for it. For the first 5 years, I didn't even go to the doctor, just

tolerated the pain until it got impossible to ignore.By then, the disease

showed

up on Xrays. Both SI fused. Many of us have a very chronic form of disease and

going without proper med's for us would be intolerable, just like you were

when you were child and required harsher meds. You mentioned that you would

have died without the med's. Now, that you are much better....as you said in a

post a few weeks ago, it is wonderful you can be drug free.

Personally, and for at least the last 18 years, when I have no medicines in

me...I absolutely cannot function. Many in our group are like this. I'm happy

that you have recovered enough to not use the horrible heavy drugs, but to a

lot of us, they are our sanity. For those who can stay off them, good for you

and keep on keeping on.

I did not take offense of any post that I know of. I'm here only to help

direct members to conventional therapies and proven methods for those who will

accept this. I have gleaned much from this support group, have learned much and

try to keep up with the latest " medical " news to help myself, as well as

sharing with others.

Best regards, Connie Ankylosing SpondylitisS, IBD, Uveitis, Glaucoma,

Neuropathy, whole body pain (Fibromyalgia TYPE pain).

Currently taking: Indocin, Flexeril, 3 Vicodin, Ultram (when needed for

breakthrough pain) Provicid, Ambien. For IBD: Bentyl, lomotil. For uveitis:

Pred

Forte and dilating drops. Glaucoma implant and vitrectomy. (No flares of

uveitis since vitrectomy!) Meds for other problems BP: Zetia, AvaPro,

ProCardia, Demadex

I have been on almost all the Spondy meds at one time or another. All have

helped at different points in the journey. Plaquenil, Methotrexate, Humira,

Steroid shots, tried all the NSAID, Vioxx/Celebrex/Motrin, about a dozen

others. Indocin works for me better than any of the others. Was on this drug

for

18 years before Humira. Now off Humira and have taken it for the last 2

years.(personal choice). It has given me the least of the side effects besides

the

Plaquenil and Methotrexate.