Has anyone tried a gluten free diet to control RA inflammation? How well did it work?

[milcomas]

[Hidden]

Well I'm not 100% gluten free but I don't eat wheat and am mostly gluten free. I started this when GP first told me he thought I had RA two years ago. It hasn't cured the RA of course but until recently it really helped with my gastric problems (reflux and gallstones plus) and weightloss - which in turn has helped me stay fitter and feel healthier with my RA. Tilda

[oldtimer]

There's lots of discussion on here and on the NRAS site about controlling RA with dietary measures.

I think the consensus seems to be that some dietary alterations help some people and not others, and are very varied, but that it is in no sense a cure - just helps with the symptoms in some people.

It's important not to become so restrictive with avoiding things that "might" upset, that you then become malnourished.

[beauty96]

Yes I have, ill for 50 years with runs etc and what was called rheumatism. I only found out in 1992/4 that it was coeliac disease and the reasons I could not walk for 14 years of that was dairy products. My immune system is now over doing it and I am allergic to so many chemicals, foods and medication I cannot have any painkillers for the RA, OA, Fibro or anything. I do believe and feel sure that the best thing is abstaining from a food, then try it after say a month and decide if it upsetting you or not. Obviously if it causes masssive allergic reactions don't have that food again. Write down what you eat and reactions as this is very helpfful in diagnosing the cause and culprit of ill health., This was the only way I solved my problems by writing down everything I ate for 6 months. tedious but well recommended. Then take your list and results ot the GP and solve the problems of is it .... or ....fods that are upsetting the system. Hope I have helepd you from my own problems

[Sammicat15 in reply to beauty96]

I misread part of this blog and thought you said "...the best thing is abstaining from food, then try it after say a month...." lol! Of course, we'd be in schtuck if we tried that haha

[earthwitch]

I've never seen any evidence for a gluten free diet helping RA. However, if you have one autoimmune disease it seems to make it far more likely for you to have another, like coeliac disease.

So, what I'd suggest is that before you go on the gluten free diet, you ask your GP to test you for coeliac disease. That way you'd know for sure if you needed to stay on the gluten free diet. There is nothing worse than going gluten free, then having to go back onto gluten for at least six weeks to be properly tested for coeliac once you have gone off it and are feeling loads better.