yeah I remember Linzsey. I like kale once or twice a week not 7 times a week.

Happy Heart I had no side affects from enbrel, humira, or orencia. I have immediate side effects from pred when I have to take it for breathing. It freaks up everything from sleep to food to heart racing to yadda yadda.

Pred masks symptoms the biggest problem - so the underlying disease process is still there - to me it's like a pain med for RA and I have seen a lot of folks scoff it when they don't want to treat any other way. When I have pneumonia I have to take it and that's what I save it for.

meat, no meat? that's a personal decision. Just do what you want. I don't think there is a panacea either way. follow your food instinct and joy and just do whatever you can sustain.

I'm happy for you, Happy Heart if you feel it's working for you.... it doesn't for most of us ....

So, I do not say this to be unsupportive but I agree with Marlene that you might have MILD RA. And I also agree with Lonnie and Depot. There are several diet theories for inflammation and RA. The oldest and still most famous is avoiding nightshades.

I do not drink. Never have. I am vegetarian (almost vegan except I eat eggs). I eat a very healthy diet. No processed foods. No sugar, no caffeine. I LOVE KALE I eat raw kale in my smoothy every day and also eat raw spinach every day. NO DAIRY and precious little gluten. I don't smoke. BUT I have very severe RA and if I am not on my meds I cannot live! I am on Orencia and in remission for 8.5 years!

I am also 73 now (had RA since my 40s) and cannot do yoga. There is NO WAY I could do downward dog and put that stress on my wrists! My balance is not great. I've tried modified yoga more than once. Cannot do it. But I DO an aerobics class for seniors for an hour 3X week (includes stretches, coordination, balance training).

Again, I am very happy this is working for you..... B-U-T I hope you remember one very important thing: being pain free does not mean the disease is not progressing. RA is about more than pain. It's a systemic disease. I know that ll too well because I have had it effect my lungs with pleural effusion. The fluid they drained for a week in the hospital was tested and came back as rheumatoid. It can also affect your heart and other organs and shortens your life span if you are not on disease modifying agents that work for you (not everyone has found one or a combination that work). It can also affect the skin - as per my chronic hives!

Does your diet and yoga also help the FATIGUE of RA?

I still go to regular check ups with my rhreumatologist, get labs, and x-rays. This is working for me and I’ll continue to monitor my progress. I posted this so it could help others, either with or without their meds. If anyone wants to further discuss my diet, yoga routine, way of life, or any specific questions about how I came to this decision.. please discuss. What I won’t do is have a pissing contest and debate how bad my RA is compared to yours. If you don’t want to try this or already have... keep moving out of my thread.

Yes ...it also helps my fatigue. And my rashes.

Happy Heart I came to this thread because I was researching RA meds and antibiotics. I have someone telling me, almost trying to force me, to do a vegan all organic diet with distilled water. Needless to say I got turned off from being that person's friend. I read your thread because I am always curious about whether plant based diets work for RA and autoimmune conditions, as I've been diagnosed with a rare disease.

Anyway, I appreciate the feedback from people who have tried the plant based/anti-inflammatory diets and it hasn't worked as well as the feedback from people for whom it has worked. We are here to support each other yes and to voice our trials and tribulations. I understand you don't want people high-jacking your thread but you are extremely rude. I actually created an account just to let you know that. Please be more patient with people, I don't think they are trying to have a "pissing contest" with you. I think they are just posting their experiences on a public thread. You will have that on the public internet. Also, they are telling you their experience out of concern for you not to belittle you or make you feel that your way is wrong.

I hope your methods continue to work for you.

Food choices help me along with my medications. There is nothing wrong with trying to find what works- diet very important, but it is not the whole answer. Why is everyone so touchy about food choices? If you don't like it, don't eat it. We're all adults here. No one is making anyone eat the broccoli.

There is no cure so I think it is just another alternative and someone else might get some benefit from it.

I like food. I also like hearing other's thoughts but I don't like the gang up mentality that is happening here. Let's be nice to each other! There is no reason to be upset about some one sharing their experiences.

Don't forget your sense of humor around here.

When people feel the need to tell me my RA must be mild or perhaps that I don’t have RA at all... makes it hard for me to not take personal. So when someone says that.. yes it’s a pissing contest. I welcome others experience of what worked and what did not. It helps me just as it helps others reading this thread. What I don’t need is someone assuming I don’t struggle with RA. It’s been life changing!!

RA is life-changing. Those of us here should know how it hurts when others dismiss your journey. It should not happen here. RA does not follow one course and it affects each of us differently - but we all know what will happen if you don't make life-style changes to help get your RA under control.

There have been many many studies that prove there is a link between gut health and rheumatism. Our digestive system starts with our mouth - and what goes in it can affect inflammation throughout our bodies - so anyone who would tell you that what they eat doesn't affect their health - well you shouldn't listen to them. Otherwise why even have nutritional guidance to help us make healthy choices if it there is no such thing?

So - I say, RA will still be wearing you out, but if you find something in your diet or lifestyle that helps you = please live your best life. No shame.

Cold lemonade and fresh air is healing for me. It refreshes me and it helps me get to a good mental place.

Don't let anyone take your joy. I appreciate your sharing with us. We all have our favorite RA defenders. I use food medicines OTC and RX - music humor topicals like icy hot and biofreeze and sleep and sometimes I whine.

Welcome to the grumpy lumpy RA group with itchy rashes cataracts nodules and compression stockings.

I remember when I was younger all the adults seemed to have ulcers. Well my grandparents friends. They would use malox to coat their stomachs and watch everything they ate. Now unfortunately I am one of the old people complaining. But anyway they finally found ulcers were caused by bacteria and could be cured with antiboiotics. Hopefully someday they will find something that stops RA or any of the stupid autoimmunes. I know it’s hard to deal with this but we should be opened minded to others ways of dealing. I saw Kelly Clarkson on tv she lost like 40pounds and is now off of her autoimmune meds. She used the plant paradox diet. I don’t know what autoimmune she suffers with but it gives me hope when I hear things like that. I know I’ve only been dealing with RA for 4 1/2 years and I’m tired of it!

Linzsey... thank you

@zany - do you mean the antibiotic regime for RA a la "the road back foundation" ? (I wasn't sure what you were referring to) - I went to one of their approved physicians at a teaching hospital years and years ago that was recommended from folks trying this regime. Did not pan out for me. Or did you mean what happens when you take antibiotics in general?

also yes, my dearest friend has been vegan since this past November 2018 and you think that she invented veganism - lately ALL we discuss is mcdougall, barnard, furhman, leaky gut and her amazing past 9 months. I am patient and I am happy for her and I am not going to blow up our friendship. The hilarious thing is 8 years ago I did this for 6 and 1/2 years while watching her eat her animal eating diet and tell me that there was no way I could not be hungry as a vegan.... I think I took something psychological out of all of this which is sometimes we can only see the reality that we are in. So now we are flipped and she is vegan and I am failing new and sundry RA meds (rituxan and xeljanz as of late). She had an epic infection fail off simponi (after taking biologics 10 years) last year. So we are trading places (not laughing). KEEP your friend. ignore the difference in dieting after all it's just calories (laughing)

@linzsey - I miss you and hope you are doing OK - I lost your cell call me again.

@happy heart - I think your journey sounds interesting - don't be a stranger and welcome we are glad you are here. We are all unique on here and the only constant is that there are no constants and no right way or the highway and I don't care how many decades one has had RA. I am sorry on behalf of anyone that hurt you. Let me put it this way: I would NEVER speak to my buddy and tell her maybe she has mild RA or no RA. I have witnessed her journey. Right now I am struggling as it appears that the xeljanz has done some huge issue to my gut and we are not talking about just take probiotics and be on your way. If I start thinking about it the tears stream down my face. So I support any and all decisions that folks make. My friend made her choices with the rheumatology heads of the department at OSHU so yeah even teaching docs in the US will support a journey of natural especially after someone has suffered as much as she did from her hospitalized infection from simponi. We need to HOLD each other up not tear each other down. Please feel held up from me and other great folks on here.

depot

Well said Depot!

Thank you Depot. Yes my decision to stop meds was not taken lightly. It was after many failed attempts on many different meds and having multiple infections and STILL having pain. So here is where I am... for now. It’s not easy. It’s an every single day, moment... struggle to make right decisions about eating and drinking plenty of fluids, and not doing intense workouts or running (which I used to love), or getting to stressed... or anything other thing that seems to piss RA off. Ooohhh weee RA is a picky prissy princess!!!

I fall off the wagon... often... like when I went out for drinks with a gf. And hurt badly for a month! And when I do fall.. it’s a domino. I don’t want to grocery shop so I eat bad.. then it’s worse so I don’t do yoga. Then it’s even worse.

But... I’m back on the wagon. And determined to stay there. Going to try for a baby in November...I’m terrified of not being able to keep up with the energy needed. So I’m giving my all right now so I can be in a strict routine.

I have no choice to be on no meds - because xeljanz has damaged my stomach and specialists are in troubleshoot mode - I can't have any nsaids either. Because I refuse pred I can take tylenol only. I can report that starving daily seems to have a positive effects on my joints - up to a point. it's better than nothing since I can't have anything, now, precisely from taking my prescribed ra regime. We have all been here. I'm nothing special. I am however, this time, wicked pissed. My stomach was normal and gut healthy since birth. It was my ace. Angry doesn't quite sum it up. I dealt with the rituxan fail with the eppi pen and all. This one may make me give up completely and be in a wheelchair. Anything is better than creating new diagnoses for me. I also have reactive airway lung issues - and was on enbrel, orencia, and humira for years with infections for years. But this time I am not winning the reaction war. M A D. Where is RA sally when I need her. Another compatriot that can talk about how it's not as easy as just hitting yourself with meds. sometimes a person's body does not comply.

be well and keep on truckin'

Depot I’m so sorry your going through all this you were so much help when I was having my panic over trying biologists. I hope they troubleshoot their way into a solution for you. Like I said I wish they could find something for RA like they did for ulcers. Happy heart I think it is so great that you are planning a baby. My youngest is turning 23. You will find whatever strength you need with your determination.

Lonie I am 36... with a 28yo fiancé. So we shall see how this baby planning goes. Long way from my first pregnancy 9 years ago...But I’m feeling good about it!!!

Depot... my heart goes out to you. Sounds overwhelming. One life changing problem at a time please!!!! :(