Thanks for the tips! I have used soy milk and almond milk before, and though they are fine in cereal and smoothies, I just can't bring myself to drink them. I'll have to look into the liquid vitamins. The ones that I have the hardest time with are my multi and probiotic. They are both huge and chalky, so they tend to stick. I have seen the soy cheeses, but have been afraid to try them. It just seemed weird. But I may give it a try. The biggest problem I have with that kind of stuff is that it's usually full of chemicals. Trying to make one food taste like another sometimes takes a lot of artificial ingredients, and I try to avoid those as much as possible. But I will def look into it!

Hello DebsCC!

I'm so glad I read your post. I originally signed up for these emails for my mom for her undiagnosed SS. She's been stable since a really really bad flare almost 4 years ago so I don't read these posts much but yours has come at a great time!

Three years ago my hair began to shed in abnormal amounts. It's diffuse, so not alopecia and I was definitely going through a transition so there was life stress as well - but - it hasn't stopped shedding and my eyelashes will shed as well. Regular doctors couldn't provide a reason and some still said I had a lot of hair -- maybe it was peri-menapause, etc. I went on bio-identical hormone replacement (just because I began this at a young age - 42) but that hasn't helped my hair. I was trending toward hypothyroidism but not at the point where western medicine would put me on a thyroid dose. So I went to two doctors trained in western medicine who practiced functional medicine (homeopathic). One did thorough bloods panel that suggested thyroid antibodies (Hashimoto's). He put me on mega supplements and i did feel better but stomach could never tolerate the massive amounts of supplements beyond 30 days. Major bloat and upset. He didn't feel I needed a thyroid dose yet. Someone else did a sensitive TSH test (they inject you with thyroid hormone and then take a blood test to see what your body does with it) and with that gave me a homeopathic dose of T3 and T4. It helped my hair shed initially but on and off over the year I've been on it (with fluctuating doses) it really hasn't made much difference with the hair on my head or eyelashes. I've been tested for glutin and food allergies and am not allergic to anything concrete though i know i have sensitivities to glutin and so do watch my diet to an extent. Concurrently with all of this I began to have increasingly major stomach issues: severe bloat, stomach upset, indigestion, gas, etc. Went to gastro doc and said it was likely IBS. Did stool tests and no parasite or bacteria found. Went on diflucan for 30 days and it helped with the bloat a bit but that was it. I was unable to eat full meals and only small portions of only benign things: salmon, chicken, and some veggies. Still on thyroid pill and not eating much at all (hair still shedding) - I decided to stop the pill for a week to see if there was a link to the stomach upset and low and behold- there was. I've been off the dose for about one month and it's such a joy to eat again! Did some more bloodwork and of course some things are low but this was definitely due to the inability to eat food on the thyroid dose. I know Hashimoto's is an autoimmune. I'm trying to get to the core of the hair shedding. I've begun to notice my scalp now and am very concerned. Hair does grow back but not at the rate that it seems to be shedding (100 hairs/day is normal - this is like 300-600/day with very slow re-growth). I've seen a dermatologist recently and he's diagnosed it as telegenic effluvium- which apparently is better than anything else and said that likely it is stress related. From you post though i'm just wondering how much diet has to do with this. I would be willing to try a candida-free diet. I know since I've stopped the thyroid dose i've experienced some fatigue but really on it I never noticed a difference. I've begun to eat more animal meat (beef) than before and it seems to help as well. Some bodies just function better with certain foods.

I realize this is long so I apologize in advance. any thoughts that anyone may have would be so appreciated! Thanks so much!!

Clevercanine,
Thank you for sharing. I definetly think you should try the change of diet, it can't hurt and you will know in just a matter of days if you have improvement. I kept a journal of what i ate and how i felt the following day. I do believe ther is a huge connection with what we put in our bodies and autoimmune diseases. Food shop for yourself and label read everything.
Let me know how it goes :)

Just saw my holistic doctor and she had my do a stool analysis. My test results showed I had some candida. She wants me to go on the Candida Control diet. I am already gluten free and this seems like it will be really hard. No grains and no potatoes. If it helped you that much I am willing to try. I cannot sleep at night for the pain and I have burping burping etc. too. Thank you for sharing. I will be hopeful.

MrsD560,
So glad to hear you are going to try diet change. Plan ahead and think of yourself as having to eat different from those around you. I also always take the holistic approach to illness; just wouln't have it other way. I have recently done some gardening and have gone to the gym a few times; it felt great. I thought for a while there that these were things that I may not ever get back to. Matter of fact I actually had thoughts that I might not be able to go up stairs in my house and that the time might come that I couldn't make a baby blanket for a gift. But I am doing all these things now and painted my bathroom. I was having knee pain and stiffnes and I was affraid of RA. It is amazing the difference that what we eat can make. Let us now how it goes

I went off sugar about 6 months ago and it definitely helps. I know I get sore after eating cheese so I will try diary free. I do eat seafood but not other meat. This will be interesting!

I do need to do something. It seems like it would be so hard to change diet when you cook & eat with others. It would also be hard to deal with if you go out to eat often. I have had ss for quite awhile but this past year, the symptoms have really piled on. I am quite miserable 24/7. I have dry everything inside & out which brings on alot of problems. I have alot of g.i. problems. I am constantly tired & weak which means being out of shape & adding some weight(not much but any is too much). I have found some solutions to help but need alot more help. To top things off, I have other rough health problems. The diet solution sounds so good but seems so hard when you fix meals & cook for more then just yourself, in other words, they would not go for your diet. Plus it would cost extra. Some of it sounds like alot of extra cooking BUT it sounds so good. How do I get started & please others too.

To ongoingcindy,
Your dryness is every reason to change, and the longer you live with your symptoms the more damage is done and as you know the problems that go with dryness just keep adding up. If it's your family that your referring to with "cooking for others" then tell them; just how important this is. What I did was for the most part you have read in this post; but I had had an appointment with the chief of Rheumotology of a very large medical group (the second one I went to) and I knew going in that my plan was that I was going to try the Anti Candida Diet that I had read about and I was going to start it the very next day. So, that day I had bad food; hamburger, fries and a real ice cream shake. Next day started ACD, and after the second day I woke up having slept through the night, and you read the rest. Talk to your family, tell them how important it is and know it is possible that you may stop your symptoms and begin feeling good again. Now that is what you want, since you probably have not felt really good for a long time. Just give it a try.
Say goodbye to fatigue, dryness and pain. Please give it a shot :)

Hi DebsCC!

Thank you for your reply and thanks to everyone else who has shared their info regarding successes and symptoms and hunches, etc.!

I'm gearing up to go yeast and sugar free! I realize it sounds silly but I'm grieving my inability to be able to have a glass of wine, but alas....

I hope everyone has a great day! :-)

Hi I havn't been here for awhile but glad I stopped by. I am going to look up that diet you have been raving about. I to believe the food we eat effects our bodies and with today's food all the added stuff in it and fast foods. I don't eat alot of fast foods but I do LOVE my dairy, sugar desserts. That will probably be the hardest for me. I did do some gluten free but didn't really see to much difference. Mostly I have trouble with fatique and my legs bother me to much walking and they feel like the weigh 100lbs each.
my newest systom seems to be food getting stuck half way down my chest. I swear someday I am going to die for not being able to get the food down. I try to drink alot when I eat. small bites I am not sure what is going on. anyway thanks for the info I will let you know how the diet works for me as soon as I start it :)