Since we know that laughter is the best medicine I thought I would go out on a limb and get something going. BUT it is only as useful as many respond. Most of us have been the objects (victims?) of well meant or off the cuff suggestions as to how we might be cured of our rare disease. What are some of the goofiest, crazy, way out to lunch suggestions that have been made to you? How did you respond?. I know that some holistic approaches have been helpful for some but hey, there are some home remedies that just are not going to fix PsA! (Iām not sure if Pooh Therapy is a prescription or if it is expensive)
Very recently, a good friend of mine sat me down in much ernest, and told me that his great uncle had eczema just like me and only ate vegetables for 30 days and was cured. So my friend, well meaning and concerned is absolutely convinced that a vegetable diet will cure my inflammation pain. Thing is, Iāve never had eczema! Most who give advice have never even taken time to educate themselves on the disease.
I was also told that the covid vaccine gave me my PsAā¦but when I told them that I had PsA before the vaccine was invented, he replied, āWell Iām sure the vaccine made it worse.ā
Your turn, post as often as you think of something! Thanks!
You will smile when I explain āpoo therapyā. I joined this forum shortly after I had been diagnosed with PsA. However for about 15 years previously I used to spend my early Sunday mornings volunteering at a Rare Breeds Farm (rare breeds of farm animals that is) which is a charity which provides a home, education and work place for adults with learning disabilities. It is also open to the public so people can visit the farm and learn and have fun too so itās a tourist attraction too. My main job there was cleaning up after the farm animals before the doors opened to the public. So that was basically mucking out pigs, horses, cows, goats, ducks, chickens and god knows what else.
I loved it with a passion and called it my āpoo therapyā. Iām an avid animal lover so the opportunity to get that close to more than just domestic pets was just lovely. And my day job was a being a lawyer at that time so was heavy on the stress levels so doing this was just my little piece of heaven frankly. Plus it kept me a lot fitter and was far more fun than going to a gym. And I worked with the residents too so got to understand their disabilities and indeed abilities so much better as well.
So when I had to pick a name for this forum I chose āpoo therapyā solely as a reminder of one of the best things I used to do. Sadly Iāve never been able to go back to it capacity wise but it remains one of the lovliest things Iāve ever done. I find it highly amusing too given the name I chose that Iāve lately developed mild Crohnās as well.
Now as for ridiculous advice for PsA, Iāve had the whole āapple cider vinegarā advice and never eating āa red or green pepper or a mushroomā ever again nonsense. But I tend to be fairly brutal and formidable with anyone who dares to open their mouths about such things. And the poor unfortunate gets a loooong lecture on the science of PsA for their trouble.
When I was first (finally) diagnosed my BIL told my husband I should go carnivore, apparently there is some well known guy on the internet whose daughter cured herself doing this. Hubby was a little put out that I wouldnāt even try it, at least at first.
Iāve always wondered Poo_thereapy where that came from !!!
If you lived closer I would send you a jar of well aged manure to keep on a shelf as a reminder of those better days. You could even take the lid off once in a while to enjoy the aroma pooh ātherapeeā!
I would often do the weekly supermarket shop on the way home. I was quite āfragrantā as you can imagine so queues disappeared before my eyes in the supermarket. That always made me laugh too. Suddenly the queue for the cashier just melted away. Poor cashier though, they couldnāt go anywhere.
A friend told me to try going dairy free - I did so for 3 months and it made no difference
Another friend told me to try going gluten free - I did so for 3 months and it made no difference
I was told to take pre-biotics and pro-biotics. I still do pop these when I think of it but I have not seen a difference but are still hoping that they are good for me in someway or other.
A person who supposedly suffered from OA told me to give up eating tomatoes that it worked for her - I did so for 3 months and it made no difference
Another person had a friend who had Ankylosing Spondilitis gave up eating fruit for 3 months and was cured and recommended that I try that diet. I donāt have AS.
My son read about the deadly nightshade vegetables - I gave up eating those for 4 months - it made no difference.
Doctors keep on telling me to loose weight and exercise. I lost 8kg and it made no difference
I have told the doctors that for 6 years I swam over the summer months. In the beginning I built up to swimming 24 laps and every year after that the amount of laps became less and less until I was exercising in the pool up to where I coulnāt stand up and only swimming half laps with rests in between. Eventually I could not swim one lap and gave up swimming. I continue with gentle exercises and Gentle stretching to help with stiffness as that is all I can manage nowdays. The last one was to get into a bath tub of ice water. I canāt even get in or out of a bath tub I can only use a shower. Another was a special type of breathing that is done in Russia, I did not bother to try it.
I hope someone gets a laugh out of this. It might be laughable now but at the time I was not laughing.
Iām fascinated at your compliance with all of these ideas too! Iām far too hot headed to comply with such stuff without āevidenceā. My thoughts have always been if it was just a question of eating x or not eating y or standing on one foot spinning in circles whilst eating kale then thatās what the doctors would have prescribed instead of all these frankly scary meds instead.
I have surely had all the dietary recommendationsā¦one person said it would take a year to feel the difference due to the extreme inflammation.
Recently though, during a flare, a friend recommended soaking in the tub with a cup of bleach in the water. I just couldnāt do it.
My best self remedy to make all things better involves good chocolate washed down with coffee but always consult your physician before trying anything that might be pleasurable or given up at lent.
It is my attitude to give it a go if I felt that it wouldnāt do any further harm. The harm was depriving myself of what I liked to eat, which I considered to be healthy. I now have the attitude everything in moderation is OK for me. I forgot to add the recommendations of the only eat meat diet and the Paleo diet and to go vegan. By then I had given up on trying new diets. I already limit my red meat intake to mostly twice a week and I limit and watch my sugar intake. I often use honey instead of sugar. My weight has gone up to where it has been for the past 20 years and none of these diets has helped me to loose weight. A chiropractor once told me that it is not fat that I am carrying it is inflamation. Not sure if he is right but I prefer it to be called inflammation than fat. Not that I want inflammation which I do have plenty of. I have very poor mobile phone reception where I live and I have to raise one arm poke my tongue out turn around and lift my left leg and maybe it might work. An almost impossibility when I suffer from PsA, OA, COPD, Colitis, and my list goes on. I am feeling rather miserable right with a chest infection and in a flare up. So it is good for me to have a go at myself in jest.
I made myself a hot chocolate out of Organic 100% Cacao because my son said it was better for me. For most of my life I have just used Cocoa.
I buy organic where and when I can. I have found that some of it actually tastes better. I am no longer able to grow my own vegetables and I miss that freshness and knowing that what I grew was chemical freeā¦ I am still waiting for my son to start a vegetable garden.
I enjoyed my hot chocolate even though it didnāt make my PsA feel any better.
A friend who does āholistic consultingā told me to rub Oregano essential oil on my abdomen just below the belly button every night. āOK thanks Iāll try thatā lolol
Same friend years back when I was diagnosed said I got it from drinking diet soda - I never in my life drank diet soda.
You guys are hilarious. My brother told me to stop using pepper and I would be fine. Lol. I have been told over and over itās what im eating thatās causing it. If it was that easy i would definitely change my diet. Ugh. The only thing helping at the moment is Cimzia injections.
