Hello
Been on methotrexate for 6 months and they have reduced prednisone to 2mg a day from 30, I feel good most days but my shoulders hurt in the morning sometimes. I am just wondering if there’s any diets that could help reduce this horrible disease because the thought of taking tablet for a long time makes me 😞
If you put diet in the search box top right you will get hundreds of posts about this. It is a very hot topic!
In my opinion the best thing to help this disease is to live as healthily as you can. So a diet full of fresh veg and fruit and fish, and avoid highly processed food. Take as much exercise as you can. Manage your weight if you are overweight, and try to get proper sleep. Absolutely don’t smoke, and limit alcohol to a very moderate amount.
To me there is no food or diet that will control the RA. It would be great if there was one supplement we could take or one thing we could do that would make it go away - but there isn’t. But living well means you tolerate the drugs more easily and they will work better. And you will feel generally healthier and be better able to cope.
None of us wanted to get a chronic disease, and take drugs for years/ever. But you learn to accept it and it becomes normal part of my life. Go to hairdresser every few months/get blood test every few months...it is what it is...
Thank you for your reply , just meant things or habits that could reduce flare ups, I know there is no treatment at the moment sadly but I remain positive
Some people find a short fast can help. I do a couple of days a week where I don’t eat for 18 hours (or so...), ie very early tea/dinner
Couldn’t agree more with helixhelix. Eat fresh fruit and veg and drink plenty of water!
I’ve always eaten pretty well, but have the occasional birthday indulgence or whatever. Big triggers for me are alcohol (I don’t drink at all anymore), refined sugar, and bread/cake products.
It can be worth keeping a food diary when you first start experimenting with diet. Helps you recognise patterns and also feel good about making progress on your healthy eating journey.
Good luck!
Yes, many, many years ago and it didn't help. I was about 20, had RA 14 years by then and the "eradication" diet was supervised by a hospital dietician. I basically excluded everything (even salt and pepper) then reintroduced foods one at a time, very slowly. I remember the dietician saying most people are ok with lamb and pears.
I think Helix has written a very sensible reply . I know that for me processed food , sugars and wheat seem to worsen my symptoms and so far the hydroxychloroquiine , metoject, sulphalazine and tocilizumab do not really do a lot, but i guess there are plenty more options to try so stay hopeful lol ! In the meantime am trying to lose some weight and make healthy choices !! Good luck x
I have been VegetArian for several years now .I feel does help.
In terms of empirical evidence, there's very little to suggest that dietary changes (i.e., including or excluding specific foods) makes much of a difference, unfortunately. I was vegan when I first developed RA, and have been vegetarian most of my life. I even experimented with eating fish and meat for a bit, but to no avail.
However, as others have said, following a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight seem to be generally helpful. I'm a bit fat at the moment, and have been trying to shift some weight as I've found some interesting studies in reputable medical science journals which suggest that maintaining a weigh below 25 BMI is a good idea for several reasons (e.g., adipose fat is essentially an active internal organ which produces inflammatory cykotines, and therefore overweight people are more likely to get a better result from taking RA medication if they lose some weight). I figured I'd give it a try as the worst that can happen is it improves my general heart health but not my arthritis, especially considering certain RA drugs I rely on (e.g., NSAIDs like Naproxen) may raise the risk of cardiac events.
Phew!
However, I'd also say not to worry too much about taking methotrexate. It's helped me so much, and it's very safe and a lot better than getting joint damage.
Hope your pain improves!
I've made an extra effort to eat healthily since my diagnosis in May 2019 - more oily fish, more fruit and vegetables, less red meat - but haven't given up on my treats like butter, cheese, biscuits, cakes and chocolate although I try to keep them within sensible limits. Now that I'm on triple therapy (Methotrexate, Hydroxychloroquine and Sulfasalazine) I'm doing well and think that I may be in remission - although that hasn't been confirmed by my rheumy.
I'm very grateful to have the medications available and very happy that they're working for me 😊
Totally agree with Helix she’s covered it really well, sugar is a really a problem for me, I noticed over Xmas having just the odd mince pie or Xmas cake (all homemade) with less sugar etc but considerably noticeable was the pain that was significant. I stay away from cakes, biscuits, sausages rolls etc. my treat is a couple squares of dark chocolate which I really do enjoy. A good healthy balanced diet, Mediterranean style, I found the keto extremely difficult to follow as my husband wasn’t keen & I don’t want to be preparing to separate meals, so we eat a good varied diet, thankfully he really enjoys fish so we have that 2 or 3 times a week xx
Very helpful, thanks so much, I feel lucky to be part of this group🙏
Anyone got any top tips for making your inflammation worse?
My Rheumy Doc has put me on Hydroxychloroquine will it help with my inflammation.
Has anyone tried following a special diet?
Has anyone been prescribed baricitinib?
Has anyone tried to control their RA through diet?
