Me, too!
I color my hair because when it’s grey it’s like straw and breaks off terribly. If I could figure out how to let it go grey and still have it look and feel healthy, I’d do it.
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Hi @AngieB so sorry I’ve been MIA. Nothing I have taken naturally has helped. I’ve been to Naturopaths ect and one even told me that no matter what, to eat seafood. I was horrified, this guy was a retired surgeon who had gone natural. I’m a bit critical due to this.
I’ve been in pain right down my left side. Hip and arm, hand are so sore.
Sometimes, it is all too much.
@LeisaT
Good morning. I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve been in pain a lot lately myself. I have found that sugar, like regular refined granule sugar, does affect my pain level as well as processed foods like hot dogs. Pork of any kind affects it also. But so far that’s about all the foods I’ve noticed a significant effect the day after I’ve eaten them. I’ve been eating a lot of raw veggies and fruits. I’m not drinking regular milk anymore. When I was, I could tell my pain level was worse the next day. However I can eat yogurt and it doesn’t seem to bother me. I switched to coconut milk and I only use unprocessed raw honey for sweetening. I’m still having pain but it’s not as bad as long as I stay off the foods that I’ve found to aggravate it.
I haven’t really done an elimination diet but just cut out one or two things at a time and then had a day when I would eat or drink one that I haven’t had in a week or two. I can sure tell a difference.
I haven’t noticed any change when I eat seafood tho.
Hope you get some relief soon.
What does Seafood have to do with controlling PsA? What a nutty doctor!
One bit of wisdom a old female Rheumatologist told me, she said " promise me you will not be one of those patients that say if I eat or don’t eat this, it improves my disease control." She said “it is okay to avoid foods that help you, but just don’t say it is a cure”. I could imagine she was fed up after 30 years as a Rheumy having to hear that… She is the one that retired on me…
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Jon, I think your sadly retired rheumatologist was spot on.
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She was a fiesty one! She was also pissed off at the Drug Companies advertising on TV. She also told me that I just had OA… She said that Fibro and Lupus was a woman’s disease and would not screen me for it! She also grabbed my hand and felt that it was so cold (raynaud’s) and said “Are you going in shock?” 
She is now “gone Fishing”…
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Was she the one who didn’t write up your notes properly?
No, that was the one that took her place, she was the opposite, jumping at diagnoses without doing the work, and of course not taking notes… I am on my fifth Rheumy in 4 years!
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I’ve worked in a pharmacy for 15 years, this is just a friendly reminder that vitamins or supplements are not regulated. These means there is no guarantee what you are getting from dose to dose. It also means that what they say is in it may not be in it all and it may contain things not listed on the label. (Think Olympic athletes who are banned for unlisted substances in their protein powders.)
This is also why your licensed doctor typically declines to get into a in-depth discussion about vitamins and supplements. They can’t prescribe or suggest something in good faith when they have no assurances that’s what you’ll actually be getting.
This is not to say you shouldn’t tell your doctor what you’re doing “on the side.” You really must! Just keep in mind that what you think you’re doing and what you’re actually doing may be two very different things.
There’s a great documentary about vitamins called Vitamania – might be worth checking out.
azurelle
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I agree Azurelle. It seems a no-brainer to top up with ‘good stuff’ but it ain’t that simple. I tried Vitamin D supplements and promptly forgot what it was like to empty my bowels (sorry, tmi perhaps). I am very wary of making a causative connection between an adverse event and some new thing I’ve done because, again, that is how clear cut we would like life to be and it just isn’t. But I ditched the vitamin D and continued to rely on safe sun-exposure and oily fish etc. just in case.
Yep, I think it’s best to introduce any supplements cautiously, one at a time and give your rheumy chapter & verse.
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One of the largest manufacturers of supplements in the world is right her in Zoo Town. It’s in an old furniture store and warehouse. The make stuff for dozens of companies. The same stuff is sold at the Dollar Tree and the high-end naturpathic clinics. It’s all crap IMO. I do have some really cool resealing plastic barrels and enough tumeric around to supply a major resteraunt chain. Why you ask. The night shift production/quality control manager is my Grand daughters current boy friend. He is all of 23 years old, HS education, and fortunately isn’t subject to drug testing as near as I can tell he has been stoned for the last 7 years. The owners of the company laugh at the fools buying the stuff with their 10,000% mark UPS to wholesale not to mention what happens at retail…
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I was recommended high grade supplements by both my GP and my Rheumy, and my dermatologist so I will be going by their recommendation. My Rheumy was right in saying that people with autoimmune disease tend not to eat right, so it is good to supplement with a multivitamin. This is made from real food, not chemically derived. I take D3, B3 for skin to help with preventing skin cancer, MK7 for reducing the calcium in the arteries, Curcumin to help for inflammation. CoQ10 for the heart, recommended by my cardiologist, and DIM to reduce estrogen with my hormone doctor. Do I believe the often made claims from Big Pharma from the biased studies, no. I will be listening to the health professionals. I did give in and try prescription fish oil, but it is very expensive, the name is Vascepa.
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How about the questionable Big Pharma meds from China and India? I think one has to be a self advocate and check the source.
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You need to be VERY careful with CoQ10. While research suggests that CoQ10 might help ease muscle weakness sometimes associated with taking statins, it has also been found that when using Anticoagulants . CoQ10 might make blood-thinning drugs, such as warfarin, Coumadin , Jantoven and Xarelto), less effective which could be a real problem. There are huge side effects from all supplements. make sure your "Health professional is just that and not a vitamin salesman.
Just about all the Bios are produced overseas BTW…
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That would be good for me, since I tend to be a bleeder, I don’t know what is thinning my blood, maybe the fish oil.
Wow, I’ve taken CoQ10 for several years. I don’t take a blood thinner, but I do take an anticoagulant, Plavix, since I got my stent two years ago…I think my cardiologist is okay with that. I hope.
My platelets have always stayed in the normal range (low end) despite being on Plavix.
Jon, I would caution you about listening only to health professionals (by which I assume you mean doctors) about any medication, vitamin, and supplement. I’ve worked for a prescription benefits management company for 15 years and what I always tell people is “you doctor knows diease, your pharmacists knows chemicals.”
For any medication or supplement I advise speaking with a pharmacist for guidance.
Doctors make medication mistakes all the time, at work I see it every day. In my own experience I had a nuero prescribe me Avonex for acute migraine treatment. Avonex is used to treat relapsing multiple sclerosis and has nothing to do with migraines, the medication was supposed to be Amerge.
I would say always double check what your doctor says about medication with a pharmacist or via a site with medication info like WebMD.
azurelle
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Yes, thanks I always check with the pharmacist and also online for drug and supplement interactions. My Rheumy’s office also specializes in allergy treatment, so they are up on interactions with meds. Not really taking any out of norm supplements, just good quality ones.
On the subject of interactions; anyone on MTX, taking Celebrex or any other strong NSAID? Drugs.com stated that there is a moderate interaction, due to liver issues. It would be nice to be able to take NSAID’s for my OA pain.
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I have had to stop soda consumption because of kidney problems recently.
I took the opportunity to go to one glass of fortified orange juice in the morning and water the rest of the day. I haven’t had my Urologist appointment yet so I have yet to receive any other instructions.
In just the first month, I shed seven pounds with stopping the sugar drinks.
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I’ve never thought of it as an interaction as such, just that both NSAIDs and Mtx are hard on the liver. Long-term NSAID use? I wouldn’t. They also rip up the stomach long-term, or so I’ve heard very often on here.
I’d like to take something for my OA pain too (I think it’s OA / PsA damage pain, though things have got a bit more complex lately), but I see it as a cleft stick: the OA pain isn’t going anywhere therefore any painkiller needs to be sustainable … forever! However, are there any NSAIDs that are okay for long-term use? Maybe. Somebody will know I’m sure. I’m still not taking 'em. I’m okay after a swim, thinking of applying to be a seal.
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