I’m six months into my diagnosis. On meds but still in flare. I’ve heard two sides of the diet argument. My doctor says this is a genetic issue and diet has nothing to do with it. I’ve read elsewhere that diet can be significant factor in controlling symptoms.
I’m curious about the experiences of this group.
Just a quick follow-up to the effectiveness of my meds…I tend to flip-flop all week…some days feeling like I’m coming out of this thing and then other days totally exhausted and in pain.
Many thanks to all.
Tom
Diet won't cure you but it can make a difference in fatigue and pain. If you eat badly (sugar, processed foods...) it can make you tired and cause inflammation. The way I look at diet is that if I eat poorly I will feel worse, not that if I eat well I will feel better if that makes any sense. I have had arthritis since my 20's and I know that if I really go off the rails with what I eat I will not feel as good in general. If it is hard to eliminate 'bad' foods, start with adding good ones. There are many good books about the way to eat with arthritis.
One of the dietary changes that works for me is lowering my carbohydrate intake. Eliminating the so-called inflammatory foods (tomatoes, night shades, etc), on the other hand, seems to make no difference to me.
Like Sassy says, it’s symptomatic relief (it won’t cure the disease) but every little bit helps!
Diet is one of those confusing areas.
In some people, they make dietary changes for the better, avoiding "inflammatory" foods, etc. and see a HUGE difference in their health. Others make the same changes and see minimal difference, if any.
I advocate for eating healthy - avoiding high fructose corn syrup, msg, trans fats, processed foods (as much as possible), and eating foods as close to their natural state as possible (not processed). I also advocate finding out what foods you have allergies or intolerances to and removing them from your diet. It's a good idea to get tested for Celiac, as many people with one autoimmune issue such as PsA have another. I got diagnosed with Celiac as I was undergoing diagnosis for other health issues. I also suggest getting B and D vitamin levels checked and supplementing as needed.
The only treatment for PsA is medication, but making positive changes to your diet can help your overall health and keep you from feeling crappier than you need to be feeling! LOL
After the PsA diagnosis, I went to an osteopathic doctor to get a second opinion. I did all sorts of tests and found out my diet was affecting my intestinal health. Since most of the immune system is located there, the doctor put me on a diet for my blood type to get my immune system back on track. At first, the rheumatologist thought I was crazy thinking the blood type diet would help.
The rheumy had me on prednisone that didn't work. Then I was on mtx and when it didn't work, the dose was increased several times to 20mg. My symptoms never improved with any of those meds. I was kept on mtx at 20mg. After 6 months on mtx, I started the blood type diet. 6 months after doing both mtx and the diet, I started to have improvement. The swelling and pain completely disappeared from my elbow and left foot. Both my hands have decreased pain and swelling.
When I last saw the rheumy, I asked what he thought was happening. He said he believes the diet is helping me. This is the same doc that was mad that I saw a naturopath. Then he was skeptical of the osteopath. But now he sees how the diet is working and he's convinced that it helps. The diet hasn't cured me and I still take mtx. But the rheumy said if I continue to improve, he'll start reducing the mtx so I'm not on what he considers max dose (20 mg).