Hi Jess--You've come to the right place for info on diet etc. for RA. I have been posting recently on the connection to RA and the body's inability to break down proteins because it lack pancreatic enzymes that do just that.(Proteases) Gluten is a protein. So, if you feel better when you eliminate it that may be why. Your body will react to undigested protein with an inflammatory immune response.

Simply eliminating proteins will not help with the other symptoms of RA though. In fact, not eating protein will make it worse. Calcium is PROTEIN BOUND. Proteins are the fundamental building blocks of your body. Without proteins, you cannot create amino acids.

The solution is to restore your GI integrity and your pancreatic enzymes through a targeted diet so that you can properly digest proteins. I belong to a support group here on DS called Curing Autoimmune and Mimics. We focus on doing just that. I just heard yesterday that Sarah Keturah also has an alternative support group here. (Not sure of the name)If you type Curing Autoimmune and Mimics in the upper right hand search, you should be able to find our group.

You may want to visit www.roadback.org for an "alternative" treatment. Good luck! : )

Jess, Diet and excercise play an important role in our overall health period. Like most RA treatments, drugs, diets, supplements, what helps one may not help another.

I don't dwell on my diet, just try to follow a low sodium diet and be as health concious as I can about what I put into my mouth. With that said RA has robbed me of a lot of things and an enjoyable diet is not one of them.

Food is one of my guilty pleasures, along with excercise. I really don't believe my diet has made an impact on my RA but there are folks that swear that it does.

Doesn't make them wrong or me right. You just need to do what you need to do. Extremes in anything are never good. I am extre3me when it comes to excercising. I have justified to yself that it helps my RA joints stay oiled and moving, and I excercise beyond my endurance over and over again. Does it matter if that statement is true or not? Nope. All that matters is that mentally I feel better about my body because I excercise and that makes me a happier person having nothing to do with RA. The same applies to diet in my opinion. If you think it may help and mentally gives you the edge to fight against RA then it is a no brainer to go for it.

Hi Jess,

I'm in the "diet has some impact" camp. I was tested for food sensitivities and came up very high for gluten, dairy, eggs and some other random things (spices - cumin, garlic and tumeric). I've been off all that since the time I was diagnosed in July, which is also when I started MTX and plaquenil. Massive improvement for me, I was pretty much pain free within 5 weeks, and my bloodwork is back to normal. I don't know how much is due to the drugs and how much to the food, but I'm sticking with both, and feel blessed that things are going well right now. Also gave up sugar, not that you could tell given this past holiday week (!), but am cutting it back again.

Also gave up anything processed as well (anything in a bag other than frozen veggies). This lasted until Christmas and I've been eating a bit less healthy since then, but really trying to avoid processed stuff.

I take lots of supplements. Started with digestive enzymes, probiotics, cod liver oil, adaptogens and others I'm sure I've forgotten. Now I'm on bosweilla, cod liver oil, probiotics, vit D and a vit B complex.

Things are going very well with me now, but I did just add Enbrel last week. I've been feeling 100% since late summer, but an MRI of my wrist showed inflammation and early joint damage. Bummed out, as I really was hoping to reduce the MTX, but we'll see how things go.

If you have the $ to spend I recommend the food testing, I used Meridian Valley, (out of pocket expenses, through a naturopath) so you don't have any guesswork on the elimination diet, but the common allergens/sensitivities are gluten and dairy, so a good place to start.

good luck, would love to hear how it goes - achymom

I am now taking the Pancreatin supplement twice a day. I started off once last week to see how I do. So far so good.

My MIL was taking enzymes last summer and was telling me her the holistic doctor she was seeing at the time, said each one of us not eating well or seem to have problems of never being able to take enough vitamins and minerals, are lacking the live enzymes in our body to help us heal.

I'm not sure if she continued with the program or not? As for me, I shall see in a few weeks if some of my vitamin/mineral levels from my blood labs are showing improvement.

{{{hugs}}}

I just started weight watchers and will keep everyone posted about how it goes as far as pain, fatigue, etc. I finally got to a point where I have cleared enough stressors off my plate and needed to get my OA under control. Two days in and doing terrific. If anyone is interested, WW online has a promotion through the middle of June wherein the signup fee is waived. I like it, and it's very similar to the format here as far as discussion boards, etc. Best of all -- it has a blackberry app so I track everything there. I'm a tech junkie and know it.

(WW commercial over now...)

Renplus, I too starte ww 3 weeks ago. so far down 3.4 pounds. YEAH! I'm 36 years old and would like to keep working aslong as possible. My knees are getting so bad that it is hard to stand-up/sit down or move. But so far love the new program. I have my 2nd appointment with Rheumy tomorrow. I'm very much hoping that I can get something for the pain. Have been in a bad flare the last week and a half and the onlything I'm taking right now is Celebrex. Not helping at all. I'm wearing braces on both wrists to give some support and am very sick of being asked if I'm going bowling LOL My diet changes have been trying to really cut back on salt and soda's and trying to eat a ton more of veggies and fruit.

Find I am better gluten and dairy free but not total solution. Some good ideas posted before mine so lots to consider.

Im going to have the blood test done and I do notice a difference with dairy and of coarse sugar is a big no no. the gluten part has been a little harder

Well, totally fasting because I was too sick to eat improved my flares. But I have abstained from every food group then challenged and no difference.

Wish I was in that group. But I agree that we all need to eat healthy. I am not eating after supper anymore, in the hope to lose the weight I gained on prednisone. I saw a dietician yesterday when I was at the hospital and she recommended this. Day 2 and going strong!