new with psoriatic arthritis ( also posted this in newbies)

[Patricias]

Hello all:

My name is Patricia. I have psoriatic arthritis. I am on this board to try and connect with Nicole S. I read her article and would love to talk to her. I am not allowed to private message until I make more posts so here I am.

When FOK first came out I was impressed and dabbled in it but didn't keep up the momentum.

I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis 18 years ago. I was 23 at the time. I am 41 now. I have been on prednisone and biologics the whole time. I have been on Enbrel, Remicaid, Methotrexate, depo medrol shots, I am now on Humira and have been for 9 years. It helps somewhat but not enough. I get flare ups and recently i was unable to use my right hand and arm. I am REALLY DESPERATE to get off my med and to find something that gets me functional again.. I get a bone density scan every year and so far so good.

I currently take 5 mg of pred a day, and weekly injections of 40 ml of humira for the PA, 2,000 mg of metformin a day for PCOS/PMS, I take 150 mg of zoloft for major depressive disorder. I also have 3 different prescriptions for my psoriasis on my skin and at home light therapy treatment for my skin. - like a tanning bed.

Lately I have had occasions where one eyelid swells and it seems like an allergic reaction but my doctors are baffled.

So I went to a workshop in Cleveland hosted by Jane and Ann Essylstyn. I met Dr. Essylstyn. I explained my situation. This was November 6, 2016. Dr. E asked me to call him in 4 weeks to report progress after adherence. After 4 weeks I had lost weight - 7 lbs in 4 weeks, mood improved, slept great but flare ups worse. So I called and he said, give it another 4 weeks. the same again, more weight loss - 14 lbs, (I and 5'6" started at 161 down to 147), worse flare up. eye swelled shut. So I have left him a voicemail two days ago and am waiting on a call back. I asked Jane for a plant based Dr. and I see that person in 18 days in Cleveland. i live in dayton ohio.


So my questions are: 1. was i not strict enough for it to work? 2. did i not give it enough time? (nicole said 3 years) 3. is there one particular thing i am eating that is causing/worsening the flares - like citrus? 3. is Dr. Mcd program diff from Dr. E?


Thanks for any input. I appreciate it. how do i attach a pic?
Patricias

[Timaca]

I don't have psoriatic arthritis, but it seems I have multiple food intolerances. So, even *healthy* foods like wheat, quinoa, buckwheat, corn, etc gives me either joint pain or headaches.

I went on an elimination diet and have been adding foods back in to see how my body reacts. My body will be different from your body. I can eat rice. It is the only grain I can eat. (so far). I can't eat nuts or seeds or corn or too many nightshades. Others here have their own foods that do and don't work for them.

I can eat legumes (soy is questionable though...still testing that one).

You might want to do an elimination diet for a month and see how you do. Here's Dr. McDougall's: https://www.drmcdougall.com/health/educ ... s-to-food/

Good luck!

[pinemeadows]

I have PA as well and over the years have tried many "diets", "lifestyles", etc. Some of them have impacted the PA in very negative ways. I've also done McDougall many times over the course of decades - but it always seemed to make the psoriasis and PA worse, so never really stuck with it. Also did Eat to Live, which you may know requires eating a LOT of beans....so that too made things worse.

Although it seems obvious now, I was never certain what I was doing wrong. Well, I just completed a 7 day Engine 2 challenge (a lot of beans again), and noticed immediately that things worsened health-wise. So, what I've decided to do this time is substitute something every time a recipe calls for beans.

I'm pretty sure this is called "delayed intelligence" but for me it is going to be a starting point. I'm still not certain about nightshades, so we will see what happens with that. All I know for sure is my diet will be meat free, dairy free, oil free and BEAN free!!!

[nicoles]

Hi Patricias,

Here I am! Glad I checked the boards today. Nice to meet you!

For sure you can have hidden intolerances, as well as needing time and some other factors.

For example I can't eat: carrots, bananas, citrus, nightshades or too much brown rice. I can eat nuts/seeds but if I have more than an ounce or two it can cause gut and joint pain. (Black rice is OK for some reason, but spendy so I don't eat it much)

As for starches I do best with winter squashes - acorn, butternut, pumpkin, delicata, spaghetti squash and my personal favorite, kabocha. I eat sweet potatoes but honestly if I have too much of them I do not feel great, so squashes it is.

Best beans/legumes FOR ME are red lentils and great northern beans, but I can't eat more than 1/2-1 cup a day or it is too much. Lots of beans don't work for me.

I find that the best way to eat for me is sort of and Eat To Live/MWL blend method with lots of raw and cooked green leafy and green veggies plus things like summer squash and cauliflower. Not too much beans and squashes as my starches and not too much fruit. (2-3 fruit/day)Plus lots of raw salads.

Overeating causes problems for me as well as not chewing my food.

I have also discovered that I do best if I follow a sort of modified Fast-5 diet approach, eating within a 6 hour window. I guess my digestive system needs regular extended breaks.

It did take me a long time. PsA feels in some ways less immediately responsive to diet changes than say, RA, but I for me it did come eventually with 100% adherence and persistence and exploring some food intolerances was time went on. For example, for a long time I was eating bananas and carrots, and that could have extended my recovery time, or...it could just take a long time. I don't know.

My psoriasis did clear up right away so I knew I was on to something but the joint pain did take longer and will come back fast if I stray.


Hope this helps!

Nicole

P.S. I also had PMS, PMDD, and depression. I find I need to eat SOME nuts and seeds to avoid depression but not too much as that worsens the PMS/PMDD. Before getting sick and changing my way of eating only VERY INTENSE exercise had any positive impact on PMS/PMDD (running hard 3-5 miles 5-6 days/week) and depression, but since changing my diet I find that a combo of regular moderate exercise (walking briskly every day for 30-60 minutes, light weights a couple times a week, stretching) helps and that acupuncture is also helpful. So, not all issues were resolved by the diet change I have done for 5 years now, but acupuncture is minimally invasive and very helpful. In case that information is helpful.

[Patricias]

All: thank you for your info and support!