Just got back from a visit to my Gp where I discussed the health improvement from my diet- she obviously knows my psoriaisis and swollen, hot joints, immobility, fatigue, low mood et al. She said it is very unlikely the steroid injection she gave back in March would still be effective, and as I described the evidence of growing improvement ie i can now do the plank in pilates she seemed happy that the process is in abeyance .( I have never been able to do that in the past 20 years as it hurt my toes too much. This happened in the last week - not as a direct result of the anti inflammatory effect of the steroid. )
So was she bothered about how I did it - no - she checked I was eating a lots of green leafy veg, I am, and a little carb - like cauliflower mash, the odd pannacotta etc. Not bothered about fat /meat/fish as it was clear from my detail I was aware of the ratios I was usung and not over proteinising myself in any way. content - she just said we evolved as fruit and meat eaters and wasnt surprised - most of my patients just cant get past the carbohydrates she said. I know her husband is a research scientist- an endocrinologist - so maybe she has a wide lens on inflammation. No clinical need for a blood test ! Thats what she said and of course if it flares go back. I told her how I managed the mini flare, with the beer and scotch egg , the coconut oil/ no carb/ beef broth and how I was back to normal the next day. She semed to think that was a perfectly normal way to deal with your body when it really feels in shock about something it cant process. So am I happy? yes . Do I think it might flare up again. yes Have a got empowered and know how to recognise and manage the earliest signs - yes - has it taken a hell of a lot of pain to get here yes , and am I trying to share so others can at least have a wider lens on this experience , yes xxxx
It is nice that your Dr. did not scold you for your way of eating. Funny coincidence that your Dr's husband is an endocrinologist....my Rheumotolists wife is one as well. They share the same office floor.
I am curious about your mini flare fix.....beer and scotch egg? What is that?
Yesterday I started a commitment to myself to strive for a gluten free diet. I have heard that it is being discovered that can help many different auto immune disorders.
Last night I had insomnia and laid awake feeling pain in my right arm. Tendonitis or bursitis coming back again. I am just at the tail end of costochondritis on the same side of my body. As I lay there getting angry at the pain, my restless legs started too. I got up and took my medication for that, got back in bed and spent the next several hours having a pity party.
I am formulating a list of questions for my Dr. about my medication and diet, etc. I see him in 2 weeks for my quarterly blood draw. I am thinking I may have to add Enbrel to my medications but want to give my body time to rid itself of all the gluten's and see if that helps. I just know I can't stand living in daily pain. Inflammations that come on with the slightest bit of exercise.
yes, she was more than happy to discuss evolutionary biology! saw inflammation as the main risk- if you lower it and feel tickety boo - then all the other risk factors pale into insignificance - if like me you are as active as possible and dont have sedentary life style etc. The beer has WGA - wheat germ agglutinin - much of the reading Ive done about grains suggests its not just gluten in wheat that is a massive risk- try reading greenmedinfo - the dark side of wheat - I thinks its called, as well as proteins and lectins in legumes and all grains. the scotch egg - a hardboiled egg covered in sausage meat had a hint of breadcrumbs maybe. Anyway - it wasn't tolerated .
I feel for you in your pain , sleep deprivation and questioning. There are no easy answers, but maybe occasional lights at the end of dark tunnels. Enbrel is definitely worth a shot. Why not get your body into a happier place, then do the research and then experiment. I had a few weeks when I had the steroid in March- it gave me head space. Good luck xx
Hi all! I am thrilled to see more talk on here about diet! I have been doing a lot of reading about what is considered to be inflammatory in terms of food. Has anyone read Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s book “Eat to Live”? I highly recommend it! I am also reading Dr. Graham’s book called “80 10 10” which talks about the benefits of eating raw fruits and veggies instead of cooked. Anyhow, after a terrible flare up this summer I decided to finally go Raw Vegan. I am doing it for roughly a week and a half and my pain has diminished somewhat already PLUS my psoriasis patches on my knees are disappearing! I cannot believe it! I am giving this plan a good month and will see how I feel at that point.
Gluten is not good for anyone, they say, esp for ppl w inflammatory issues! Same with dairy.
In hope,
Andie
it is good to see some hopeful comments! I would add too, though not to be a complete party pooper, that this disease is mysterious and has curious links with other systems of the body, which means, weird things, not just food, can set it off- like inflammation from over exercise, antibiotics, etc. I think it is helpful to explore diet and to do lots of research and develop of critical understanding of how things work in the body , as I am sure I have never felt better than this though. I think part of the successful management of this disease lies in a hopeful, optimistic attitude and questioning approach to the management strategies available. As someone who has suffered from this for 21 years though I would also stress very strongly that getting inflammation down is a key priority of the medical establishment, and it is very unwise to be flippant about this. This is to protect your joints and organs for as long as possible. When you are in a state of high inflammation it is difficult for diets to work as so many of the body's responses are in a state of disregulation although I cannot think that removing all refined foods to help balance Omega 3 and 6, eating more fish and green leafy veg, a liitle dark chocolate, a few good eggs, some butter on those leafy veg and absolutely wheat or simple sugars can do anything but help x
There are definitely connections with the gut flora being compromised, Omega 3/6 pathways and imbalances, leading to poor and carbohydrate metabolism of which wheat , milk issues would be a part which I think , no evidence, just hunches based on reading and thinking,