Painful Arthritic Wrists

[Syd Scotland]

My name is Syd, I live in the Highlands of Scotland in the UK with my Californian wife Rhonda.

For the last ten years and more I suffered with ever increasingly painful arthritis in both wrists from overwork years ago. Both had swellings at the bottom thumb joints and on the other side of the wrists. Very painful and increasingly debilitating, culminating about 5 to 6 months ago in most severe pain day and night.

No sleep because no restful hand position was comfortable and really unable to use my computer (used for work from home) for extended periods without so much pain that I had to stop and soak my hands and wrists in hot water as the only relief. It was so painful that every single task, down to using a towel after a shower had to be thought about and worked out beforehand to cope with the pain.

With a garage full of tools that I couldn't use anymore, and over $150 worth of wrist supports, just to get a little sleep. I honestly thought my life - as far as being able to use my hands at all - was over. And I am not kidding! I was in permanent pain.

A friend in South Africa emailed me with two Dr John videos and my wife and I were sold. We were already kind'of aware of the crap told everywhere about food and were trying to 'eat healthy' but Dr John's informational videos blew us away and exposed all the myths and lies about food in general - not forgetting the info on a starch based diet.

Anyway - we went immediately onto a plant based diet with NO animal products whatsoever.

I wrote above that I have suffered for ten years and more - - - - well, within TEN DAYS, my wrists started to get better and I stopped wearing braces of any kind. Within a few weeks, the pain in my wrists was 95% gone.

My friend wrote the original email to me on February 10th 2016. Today is May 2nd 2016 and in these few months, our lives have been absolutely transformed. (We love all the wonderful recipes on your site. I never ate better

My wrists are no longer swollen, I have no pain. We both have more energy and feel many other benefits. And best of all I can do work again.

When my wife read that she could eat starchy foods and lose weight, she said, "if this works after all the years of being told exactly the opposite, I'll be amazed." Well, she has lost 10 lbs and does not exercise. I have also lost 9 lbs (I do exercise)

I guess I've written enough - thank you Dr John

[Mrs. Doodlepunk]

Thanks for posting this, Syd. I loved reading it!

[Kerstinro]

That's fantastic progress - what a great testimonial. I'm a bit further South from you, in the Central belt.

What is the shopping situation like in your neck of the woods?

Kerstin

[Syd Scotland]

That's fantastic progress - what a great testimonial. I'm a bit further South from you, in the Central belt.

What is the shopping situation like in your neck of the woods?

Kerstin

Hi Kerstin,

We are lucky, as well as the usual supermarkets who all do good produce we have a very good deli-type small store in Tain which is quite near. They specialises in all sorts of natural food ingredients that would be otherwise difficult to get. And what they don't have, they'll order in.

If we ever get really stuck, we Google for anything.

We are constantly amazed at how simple this is for SUCH great results - and I don't just mean the arthritis. Just about everything bodily, just functions better and the bonus, as I'm sure has been reported many times, is a real difference in our energy levels.


Syd

[-mermaid-]

Congratulation! This was so nice to read.

All the best.

[Marie2mil]

Congratulations on your improved health, this is heartening to hear.
I have RA in my hands and a little in my feet.
I have been following Dr McD's program for 4 weeks, with one day of difference, where I went to a whole day cooking workshop (I teach food technology) and tasted a few spoons of animal product cooked dishes that was on April 30. I am still to feel any improvements in my hands. I wondered if that would or did set me back to zero??
I was getting a little worried that it was not going to work for me.
Thank you for sharing.

[Syd Scotland]

Congratulations on your improved health, this is heartening to hear.
I have RA in my hands and a little in my feet.
I have been following Dr McD's program for 4 weeks, with one day of difference, where I went to a whole day cooking workshop (I teach food technology) and tasted a few spoons of animal product cooked dishes that was on April 30. I am still to feel any improvements in my hands. I wondered if that would or did set me back to zero??
I was getting a little worried that it was not going to work for me.
Thank you for sharing.

Hi Marie,
I am no kind of knowledgeable person about arthritis or any other condition, but I would really doubt whether tasting a few spoons would interfere meaningfully with the McD program. Four weeks isn't really a long time either and everyone is different. But in any case, I would say that the huge benefits you'll find elsewhere will be well worth continuing and give the arthritis more of a chance at the same time.

Good Luck with it, Syd

[Riva]

Hi Syd,

I am so happy for both of you. It's a terrific result and I cheer you on!

I want to clarify - you said that you went to a plant based diet with no animal products.

Are you following the other McDougall instructions as well - such as no added fats and generally whole foods?

Riva

[Syd Scotland]

Hi Syd,

I am so happy for both of you. It's a terrific result and I cheer you on!

I want to clarify - you said that you went to a plant based diet with no animal products.

Are you following the other McDougall instructions as well - such as no added fats and generally whole foods?

Riva

Hi Riva, thank you for the kind words.

To answer your question, yes, we do follow the instructions about no added fats and using only whole-foods as far as we can without being fanatical about it. For us, it's important not to become fanatics but to simply change our eating habits to fall into line with Dr McD's principles. But if we have to eat out, we just do the best we can and don't get up-tight about it.

I think Rhonda's inventiveness and the searching out for recipes on Google has helped us to really enjoy the process. We are both enjoying our food so much that changing our eating habits is a daily pleasure not a chore, and I think this attitude adds to the experience.

To be enjoying the taste of great food, knowing that it's 100% healthy and good for us at the same time is a great feeling

Syd

[Marie2mil]

Congratulations on your improved health, this is heartening to hear.
I have RA in my hands and a little in my feet.
I have been following Dr McD's program for 4 weeks, with one day of difference, where I went to a whole day cooking workshop (I teach food technology) and tasted a few spoons of animal product cooked dishes that was on April 30. I am still to feel any improvements in my hands. I wondered if that would or did set me back to zero??
I was getting a little worried that it was not going to work for me.
Thank you for sharing.

Hi Marie,
I am no kind of knowledgeable person about arthritis or any other condition, but I would really doubt whether tasting a few spoons would interfere meaningfully with the McD program. Four weeks isn't really a long time either and everyone is different. But in any case, I would say that the huge benefits you'll find elsewhere will be well worth continuing and give the arthritis more of a chance at the same time.

Good Luck with it, Syd

Thank you Syd,
I think I panic a bit when I read people saying they noticed feeling better or improvements in their conditions with days.
Good luck to you guys too.

[Riva]

Thank you Syd. I like that concept of doing the best you can in a resta
urant. I have a note on my fridge to to the best I can in a restaurant NOT the second best. It's so easy to trick myself in a restaurant!!

Riva

[pundit999]

This is an amazing story. Thanks for sharing.
Body can heal itself if we just give it a chance.

[Bkworm]

Syd Scotland,

What fantastic results. So happy for you that received such immediate relief from your symptoms. Like you, I experienced almost told relief from RA living hell within just two weeks of starting this WOE. Stayed that way for about six months when my body started reacting to "something." Nothing as severe as previously but quite noticeable. So the next six months I followed an elimination diet. Many people dealing with any type of arthritis or other autoimmune disorder end up needing to follow an elimination diet for a bit of time to determine their main food triggers.

It ended up that the foods I started reacting to after six months on this WOE were any type of rice and any type of oats plus a few other foods, but primarily the rice and oats. Had quit eating any foods with gluten before starting this WOE. Supposedly very safe foods. Just remember that all food, no matter what it might be, can trigger inflammation in a person. Any and all foods are suspect until you prove your body does not respond to it.

This WOE has been my lifestyle for three and a half years now and I have no intention of ever changing. Have never had to take the meds the rheumatologist prescribed.

Just remember that all food, no matter what it might be, can trigger inflammation in a person. For whatever reason, our body just decides it doesn't like that particular food. Any and all foods are suspect until you prove your body does not respond to it.

Good luck on your continued journey on this WOE.

[John McDougall]

Interested in the Inflammatory Arthritis information?

See my May 2014 newsletter.
https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2014nl ... ncases.htm

Unfortunately for some people a small indiscretion can have a big impact. This is an autoimmune disease. Like a small shot of penicillin at the dentist's office can have a deadly reaction for those allergic.

John McDougall, MD

[Bkworm]

Thanks for this post Dr. McDougall. I recently had a severe problem with a pinched nerve and took a new muscle relaxant. Had to change from a med I had taken previously with no problem because of changes in insurance coverage. My body started responding to the new med with an RA flare within 30 minutes after taking it. Took a week before my joints totally calmed down. Never thought about a med affecting me in that way as it had never happened before. When I spoke to my doctor about the issue, while she changed the med, I could tell she really questioned if I knew what I was talking about. Nice to know I was imagining the problem.