Any Blokes here

[alexask]

What has worked for you - what hasn't? Both meds and diet...

[sylvi]

There are a few men on here darling.xxx

[Hidden]

Speaking on behalf of my OH (as he isn't in to community posting) he eats the same diet as before diagnosis which is high in fruit and veg, lots of fish and white meat and one meal with red meat per week. No noticeable difference if he has a big steak or similar. He has no inclination to go gluten or dairy free or try a special diet.

Meds: Salfasalazine and 20mgs Mtx.by inj. Mtx has caused him problems ++and fatigue all week regardless of daily Folic Acid. About to start new meds in the hope of dropping Mtx and seeing improvement in energy and inflammation. Will watch Nras webinar on exercise at the weekend. Finds current limitations very frustrating.

There are men posting and responding on this site-just less than women

All the best.

[popsmith1874]

I take 20mgs Methetrexate,50mgs Humira,just dropped Sulfazalasine 4aday,1amatryptline a day, 1bisoporal a day as have angina,1 asparin,1 ratadine,1statin, 1fish oil,1multivitamin and just try to eat sensibly plus plenty of fruit and veg and drink plenty off water daily, not too bad at the moment ,exercise 2 a week and try to walk a lot and swim, had RA 4years now ups and downs like everyone on here but this forum helps a lot

[Cheylann in reply to popsmith1874]

That's a lot of drugs!

[wishbone]

I eat more fish and less red & processed meat than I did before RA. Plus supplements like manuka honey, multi-vitamins, probiotic pills and yogurt, but these are to help with other ailments rather than my RA. No plans to try non- dairy, gluten free or whatever as I find it difficult enough to say with any certainty if the aforementioned stuff is helping any, and much of it ain't exactly cheap! I keep taking it just in case it is doing some good. So, I'd have little if any chance of working out what is or isn't helping me if I made more wholesale changes to my diet. Because my RA has has had a significant effect on my mobility I find my main problem foodwise is trying to keep my weight down. Considering I have a sweet tooth, I'm doing ok there though.

I've tried a number of meds over the 15 years I've had RA, most of which have helped to varying degrees but have had to stop taking them due to side effects. Currently taking baricitinib, which is a relatively new drug, and it is helping with my RA. Fingers XXXX it continues to.

Oh, and I am a bloke. That's me and my dawg Zoey in my avatar pic, albeit in the good old days some 40+ years ago.

Take care

[PFKAAde]

Hi alexask

I am also of the male persuasion - although it doesn’t make much difference with regards your question.

I’ve had RA for 20 years and have been on most meds over that time.

What worked well: Humira, Infliximab, prednisolone, diclofenac.

What worked a little: methotrexate.

What did nothing: leflunomide, hydroxychloroquin.

What caused serious adverse reactions: sulfasalazine, cyclosporine.

Of these the Infliximab was stopped as I had a reaction, prednisolone is only short-term, diclofenac is a very good NSAID but not very good for you, methotrexate did something but the side-effects were not good for me, lef and hydroxy did nothing and sulfasalazine and cyclosporine put me in hospital.

I have adjusted my diet to some extent, but not drastically. I eat less fat, sugar, red meat, dairy (but don’t exclude anything totally) and more fibre, plants / veg, fish, nuts etc. Not sure it’s done much for the RA, but it has to be better for me than steak and chips every night (I wish).

Exercise was something that I gave up until spine troubles forced me into the gym. Wish I’d been going for the last 20 years now - doesn’t have to be full-on, but keeping things moving is a lot easier than getting them moving again it turns out!

All the best.

🙏🏻

[alexask in reply to PFKAAde]

Thanks for this and all the responses. Men may respond differently to meds than women so I am probably happier trying something that I know has worked well for men before.

[PFKAAde in reply to alexask]

I haven’t heard of gender making any difference to how effective various meds are, or even how bad the side-effects are.

It really seems to be the luck of the drawer at present, although it is hoped that in the future genetics may enable the selection of drugs that are more likely to work for a specific person. This would be good because it can currently take some time to find a regime that works. Took well over 10 years for me before I tried Humira and have been in remission since pretty much.

Those 10 years weren’t much fun though.

[Simba1992 in reply to PFKAAde]

I have in fact read research where it has been shown that mtx is more effective on men.

[PFKAAde in reply to Simba1992]

Fair enough, I must be special 😉

[Simba1992 in reply to PFKAAde]

😊

[Scottishlad]

Hi

I was diagnosed over 12 years ago and am now 62.

I started on sulfasalazine, added hydroxychloroquine and then Methotrexate. The effectiveness of these reduced so I switched to methotrexate and Cimzia. Later hydroxychloroquine was added back in.

I eat a balanced diet but am gluten free because it affects my digestive system rather than because of any effect on my RA.

[Dingaan]

Male: 48 years

Have Seronegative RA for 15 years. Both knees replaced, hip replaced. Currently have inflamation in my feet, ankles and elbows. Finding it hard to walk, shuffling around.

Current Drugs: Currently on Orencia and waiting for that to work (Been over 12 weeks but still hoping), 14mg Prednisolone, Methotrexate 15mg, Sufazalazine, hydroxychloroquine, folic acid, naproxen, omeprazole, butec patches, cocaldamol, paracetamol.

What worked well: Enbrel, prednisolone.

What worked a little: Methotrexate, naproxen, diclofenac, leflunomide, paracetomol, cocodamol, butec patches, codeine.

What did nothing: Sulfazalazine, hydroxychloroquine, rituximab.

What caused adverse reaction: leflunomide made my skin itch so had to give that up.

I eat a healthy diet, don't smoke and hardly ever drink.

Hope this information helps.

[Fatfingers]

Hi, inflammatory arthritis but not a diagnosis from consultant yet. Zapain and Ibuprofen for pain relief. I tried to eat a vegetarian diet mainly but will eat grass fed meat and free range chicken but not as much as I used too.

Has it made any difference, no not really but I have lost some weight which is good.

50 year old male BTW.