Drinking Kefir when on Methotrexate

[gwynedd]

Hi guys, I have been doing well recently. My disease appears to be well managed, there's even talk of reducing my mtx dose if i continue to have no flare-ups. A good friend of mine recently gave me some live Kefir grains to make my own Kefir. I have been making milk kefir now for a few days and drinking it in small amounts, as is recommended when you first start drinking it. However, it has started to dawn on me that i have no idea if it's okay to take alongside mtx. Have any of you guys had any advice from your rheumy's? Or have any you any experience of taking this successfully or unsuccessfully? I am interested in exploring diet and how it can effect my PsA, but i don't want to jeopardise the progress i'm making on mtx. Any advice or just sharing your experiences would be great. Thanks

[Elswick]

If it works I would try it to let’s hope someone reply’s and says it’s ok to use with mtx

[Jesnaskah]

I highly doubt that there are any contraindications between the two. I personally find that dairy makes my joints worse... So I try to get by probiotics another way.. coconut, etc.

I think it should help if anything, bc if the RA stems in any way from a leaky gut, the good bacteria in kefir can help with that.

Hope this was helpful!

[gwynedd in reply to Jesnaskah]

Thank you jesnaskah. As I understand it the huge amount of good bacteria in kefir can transform the balance in your gut. So if 'leaky gut' is part of the problem with inflammatory conditions it would only benefit my condition. I suppose my worry is that kefir boosts the immune system and mtx reduces it, so isn't there a contradiction there? I'm no scientist as you can probably tell! 😂.

[Gigi71]

I have been making it for a year or so now and find it helps settle my stomach, I am also on Mtx. I only use on my breakfast cereal, oat based and apart from the odd cappuccino I dont have milk. X

[gwynedd in reply to Gigi71]

Thanks Gigi71. I will be looking into making non dairy alternatives. I sort of assumed that the milk based kefir had the most bacteria. I will do my research. I don't usually drink any dairy, I use almond milk on my tea, cereal ect... So it would be good if I can get the same benefits using say, coconut milk or oat milk. Thanks for the reply

[Gigi71 in reply to gwynedd]

Hi gwynedd. The more I read on here the more I am convinced what suits one doesn't suit another, I think with diet you have to see how you get on with different things by trial an error. I used to drink lots of tea for years with milk and it started to make me feel sick, changed to herbal and fruit teas. I cut out all milk about 4 years ago and gradually introduced natural yogurt, as with kefir, its fermented, I don't know if this makes any difference to plain milk as I haven' t done much research, I may well have read something at the time and found I did in fact benefit from it. Good luck anyway. X

[gwynedd in reply to Gigi71]

Thanks Gigi71. I agree, 1 size does not fit all. By fermenting and making kefir you get a product with over 30 different healthy bacteria, live yoghurt has only about 6. This is why I'm attracted to making it. I've been taking it for a week now, fingers crossed it will be ok. 😀

[Timetolive in reply to gwynedd]

Well hoping its ok, I've been making my kefir for 12 months so hoping its ok. It stop me getting acid reflux, saves chewing lots of Rennies.

[BlightyFiveStar]

Hi I tried taking this for about 3 months and didn’t find it made a difference but don’t think there are contradictions. To be honest I don’t think my consultant would know what kefir is if I asked.

[gwynedd in reply to BlightyFiveStar]

😂 😂 😂. I suspect mine wouldn't either!

[Maeve31]

Hi I'm on methotrexate and I've been taking kefir for about a year now , not daily but maybe 2 to 3 times a week in smoothies. Thankfully I've been quite healthy and this presumably helped.

Maeve

[Bailybiscuit]

I took Kefir last year and I was and still am on Methotrexate and Humira. Then I read it would boost the immune system so stopped it. My chiropractor makes and takes it and he has talked me round to making it again as he says it does not boost the immune system, only helps repair it. I have restarted it but this time I use organic milk as I used non organic before and he said that wouldn't work as it has antibiotics in it.

[gwynedd in reply to Bailybiscuit]

Thank you Bailybiscuit. I am using organic also due to the antibiotics in non-organic. I have an appointment in August with my rheumatologist, I think I'll see if she has any advice also.

[Bailybiscuit in reply to gwynedd]

My rheumatologists don't seem to think anything I eat or take will make any difference, my doctor neither, that's why I like my chiropractor. He seems to be able to make suggestions that are helpful. It will be interesting to see what yours says.