This is my experience - others feel differently.

I tried all of the suggestions, - clean, natural, paleo, etc) which did not offer any help. Instead I was even more miserable, giving up foods that I like.

However, I do try to eat healthy, I eat organic as much as I can because that can not do any harm. I do not drink alcohol at all, because of the drugs. I was told it was possible to have one every month, but, at the next bloodwork up, my liver was not happy. So, no booze for me. (sigh) I eat 'not so healthy' food in moderation. I have candy in moderation. I do not drink soda pop, only because I really do not like soda. I eat chips, but do not have dips with them - only because I really do not like dips & sauces.

If eating clean & natural works for you, that is great! It did not work for me.

Yes I do, even taking the combination of Plaqu, MTX and Humira. It is not as great with the medicine combinations but it is still there. There will be no consensus about this. It is an individual thing just like the response/level of response to different meds and that so many things you try to avoid are "hidden" in the foods that we buy. For me, night shades (google it), processed sugar, red meat and highly processed foods are the worst. Since beginning MTX I can tolerate sugar pretty well; very very small amounts of red meat and the amount of paprika in mayo. Had family visiting this past weekend and used it as a time to expand experimentation. Friday evening they wanted to go to a Mexican place so I had two hard shell tacos, rice, beans, used no sauces, picked off the tomatoes on the tacos. Saturday we had brunch at Cracker Barrel where I had bacon, sausage, grits and biscuits with sawmill gravy. The biggest two meals I've had since January of 2013. By Saturday afternoon both feet swelled making my shoes too tight and the bottoms knotty and sore. It was much more bearable than the days prior to taking the heavy meds but it was still there and ready to get worse. I'm so lean now (205lbs to 155 in two and a half years) that when I do the Humira thing my wife has to use her two hands on my thigh to gather up and hold enough of a "roll" for me to do the shot. Whether you do a diet is up to your will and what your body will and won't accept. If you do try diet(s) I suggest spending several hours a week in a good grocery store reading the ingredients on everything. I'm beginning to think that the gut is where the on/off "switch" is for RA.

Now there's a question guaranteed to start a fight! I should know better than to even put my foot in this one, but I seem to be in a huge WTH mood today, so here goes.

I'm the first one to advocate for a healthy diet. To me, that means lots of variety, plenty of fruits & vegetables, whole grains. And dessert, preferably involving dark chocolate. I choose not to eat red meats or poultry, but see that as a highly individual choice. Anyone, in any state of health, will benefit from eating sensibly.

There are a couple of people on this board who feel strongly that diet is a major cause of their RA symptoms. I'll let them speak for themselves.

For the majority, there are no specific foods that cause or will cure RA or any other autoimmune disease. (Yes, I'm aware of gluten and celiac. Celiac sprue is not cured by staying away from gluten. Symptoms are alleviated, but the disease does not resolve.) If there was a dietary treatment, our rheumatologists and insurance companies would be all over it.

One morning I was horrified to see a co-worker show up at 8 am with a corn dog and a quart of Mountain Dew for breakfast, fresh from the 7/11. That would make most people feel like crap for the rest of the week, but wouldn't give them RA.

Food is closely related to family, culture, holiday celebrations, reward and even punishment- bread and water, anyone? Good luck trying to take barbecue away from a Texan, bagels from a New Yorker, or green chile from a New Mexican. We each have to find a way of eating that makes us feel good physically and emotionally. Absent genuine allergies, lactose intolerance, etc., most of us will do fine on a reasonable, varied diet.

I'm sure your rheumy has had patients trying Paleo, gluten-free, Atkins, and every other diet fad out there. If she had seen any evidence of it working for a number of people, she probably would have said so when you raised the subject.

My 2 cents........drink 120oz of water a day, you'll feel better and everything will work better. Cut out caffeine, it huts more than it helps. No artificial sweetener....that stuff is poison.
If you do all that your RA probably wont change but the rest of you will be better able to put up a good fight.

You're right alto we should know better than to stick ones nose into this topic.

do not treat your RA with food, but you could try treating your co-morbidities with food (if you happen to have any, such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, yadda yadda yadda).

you'll know if the primary care (as opposed to the rheumatologist) starts up with you on your annual physical and you flunk your cholesterol, and all those other basic health screenings that have nothing to do with your RA.

on the other hand you might need all the addictive and pleasurable compensating factors that the world has to offer for your RA

it's a tight rope

good luck on this one :)

depot

oh.. this topic. haha

I have tried a lot of things. I went gluten free and dairy free for a few months and DID feel better... I had more energy, slept better, lost some bloat, etc. I was even trending my blood work.. I did a little science experiment on myself lol. My CRP went back to normal, but my ESR shot up again.

HOWEVER, during that time, I had to stop taking my Enbrel for 3 weeks because of a bad upper respiratory infection. Week three, I was stiff and miserable again... on the diet.

The only thing that has made a significant difference for me, are biologics. The diet makes me feel healthier overall, but does not cure my wacky immune system. Just my experience.

I asked my rheumy about this topic too. I tried doing some crazy diet stuff just last year. some of it helped at times some of it didn't.

my rheumatologist said that some of his patients have seen positive outcomes from diet changes, particularly anti-inflammatory diet. He said people are avoiding gluten and see benefits for lots of different reasons. He then said he provides treatment based on research results, there just isn't enough clear research out there that indicates specific diet changes to successfully treat RA.

There is an overwhelming amount of info blaming diet and leaky gut on all autoimmune diseases. I just don't know what to think. Seems like a weird concept to me. I could see so many factors with genetics, our environment and our lifestyles triggering disease in general. Immune systems are so complicated. Wish they would solve this puzzle.

I've tried all the diets. I've been an organic vegetarian for over 40 years. It didn't keep RA away!

But I do believe I am much healthier in other ways. Besides, I am so sensitive to things, that I seriously think I might be dead if I ate the diet some people in North America do!

Even my husband has switched to a high fiber, no red meat, no sugar diet. He had pre-diabetes, and when we went to the seminar on how to deal with it, they basically presented the diet I have been eating all these years.

The pre-diabetes was gone, once he switched to my "hippie health food diet" as he used to call it before he was converted. LOL