R A 2

[glenb]

This is how I should have put my first post on my RA. Sorry if I offended anyone .so I started my journey of healing around xmas 2015 and was in a bad way. I work 6 days per week and was exhausted all the time through the pain. I stumbled on a friend telling me to try bicarbonate of soda and it was amazing. Symptom free for about a month by having half a teaspoon morning time at breakfast. Then all of a sudden had horrendous side effects like I had real bad brain fog. So I stopped and symptoms came back. So then I tried to eat alkaline foods instead and cut out acidic foods. I read coffee was really bad so cut that first, then sugar and followed by gluten. It worked really well for a while and

My wrists started to get full movement and the flares were less frequent. At this point I lived on naproxen but started to lessen it. Then found Paddison Program and researched the hell out of it. I was sceptical because it cost money. Not a lot but still money and I was thinking it was dodgy charging a fee. The more I read the more it made sense. I paid for the book and joined the forum which is awesome. Friendly to extreme and nothing like I found yesterday on here. So I started for real and had amazing results for 6 months. Then symptoms came back after weight loss??? I was flummoxed but gradually it had gotten back to good now. A lot of people with new RA heal faster than I have but I am 20 years in and it won't go away overnight. I agree with the antibiotics starting this disease in some people and I think it may have been my trigger? Or being around diesel fumes for 34 years at work? Who knows? I know that when I use probiotics and slippery elm it helps. My diet helps. If I eat oil I react. The gut has a lot to answer for and I think understanding of the whole subject is getting better. I hope we are at the forefront of new findings away from drugs.. I am still taking MTX at 8.75mg and won't come off it til I am ready. My Rheumy approves my diet and can see it helps. I was naproxen free for 6 months last year. Seriously thought i was cured but alas... still a way to go.

[helixhelix]

Hello again GlenB. It's always so much nicer when people introduce themselves and their story with RA, as then we can understand where they are starting from. Generally everyone here is pretty open to the idea that each of us have to find our own way to cope, but with written forum's sometimes getting off on the wrong foot is very easy. Actually my experience of this forum over last 6 years is that it is very friendly, as long as people are prepared to listen as well as tell.

It's also a shame you didn't start here as Kai's posts give free links to much of the information about the paddison programme.

I hope one day you manage to achieve your goal. I have never managed to come off drugs entirely, so still on triple DMARDS, but no longer need anti-inflammatoires. One step at a time.

[glenb in reply to helixhelix]

Thank you for the reply. My words were not meant how they were perceived I am afraid but I guess I answered the question of why people don't stick to diets wrongly? I don't know the correct way to say it without offending. I read a lot of the PP stuff before I purchased it but it has a great forum of lovely people who care and share experiences with each other and it is worldwide. Looks like I missed a storm over the Paddison Program prior to me joining this forum. Thanks for the input and well done on your journey. I will read your posts.

[Simba1992]

Hello Glen B,

I am still intrigued to learn more about the hormonal impact on RA. Like you I had a amazing reduction of inflammation and pain after my very dramatic weight loss. As I mentioned earlier this equals to a substantial drop in estrogen level. If the estrogen-ptogesterone level is way out of balance to start with the drop in estrogen will decrease inflammation and RA symptoms. The creeping back of symptoms may tell us that the hormonal level is still out of balance in favor of estrogen. The PP protocol in many ways is an antiestrogen diet but if the progesterone remains too low you might need supplementation on progesrerone. I would be so interesting to know what your estrogen-progesterone-testesterone levels are ( I hope I'm not too intrusive🤔). Have you ever thought of checking? I am going to check mine as soon as I can. But impatient as I am have already started supplementing with natural progesterone cream😊

[nomoreheels]

Far better Glenn, thank you! Now we have a glimpse of your history it's easier to understand your chosen way to treat your RD. I think the reason you find the Paddison forum different from here is you're all singing for the same hymn sheet over there, each contributor has a common bond. Here I can assure you we're a caring & friendly bunch, again with a common bond but an extensive one, not limited to any specific diet or medication, as such you'll find varying opinions.

Anyhow, I hope now we're on a better footing you'll enjoy being here & that we can disprove your perception of us.

I hope you manage to get back to better form soon. Take care.

[glenb in reply to nomoreheels]

Thank you. I think a lot of things are at play in RA and when you think you have cracked it along comes a flare to spoil it. They are less frequent now and if I feel one about to come I can normally get it gone with a 250mg naproxen alongside probiotics and slippery elm. Cheers

[Lucy11]

Hello there GlenB

Emotions run hot for many dealing with this disease. For myself, I know it's partly because I simply have trouble wrapping my head around why this disease is so bloody variable and why something works for one and not for others.

A lot of us are also incredibly hard on ourselves. When someone shares that they've found success without having to deal with possible side effects of drugs then many, if not all, will jump on board! Let me try! Let me try!...only to be let down if it's not working and left feeling a bit like a failure. If only I tried harder...

I understand why the ones that are having success with diet want to scream "Hang in there!" "It takes time!" They really just want to help. Good on you for trying because it might reach someone that it makes a big difference. Words are often misunderstood.

It would be great if there was a spreadsheet that tracked similarities. It may reveal absolutely nothing and we find that it really is all just random but they already know that sero positive patients respond better to some of the Biologics so perhaps its the same with diet? I'm also with Simba in wondering whats up with the hormone connection. It would also be great to see if those that have erosions find that they have not progressed years after stopping their meds while being on PP.

Hats off to you for finding something that's working. Long may it last and continue to only get better.

[glenb in reply to Lucy11]

Thanks. My arthritis symptoms have changed whilst on the diet. I used to get a lot of carpal tendon pain and cold fingers. Constant flares would be hitting me all the time. As one would leave another would come. Knees, ankles, elbows, shoulders.... all taking it in turn to bombard me. That stopped after I stopped meat, gluten, sugar and oil. All processed foods went and til October I was flying. Lost weight that I needed to lose but then I was worried about weight loss as it dropped. The only thing I can think caused the flare in October was oats that I ate daily. I stopped eating them and it went away slowly. I also dropped to 7.5mg MTX from 10mg about the same time. I am down to 8.75mg at present. My arthritis is mainly my hands and wrists. Gone are the lumps on the outside of my wrists and think I have some bone on bone going on in them. They hurt differently now but flares are still rare. I think my wrists will always hurt when I use them but if I don't over do it and I am pain free then I will take that. I had erosions in my feet 20 years ago but they have never gotten worse. I do worry about arthritis changes in bones and work closely with my Rheumy. This disease as you say is hard to read and there are so many variable that it's hard to stay pain free. Stress is a big player in mine. When I am under pressure my shoulders are first to go tingly. I am going to read about hormones and ask my Rheumy if I can get the test simba mentioned? Thanks