dactylitis & psoriatic arthritis

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dactylitis & psoriatic arthritis

Postby randomhuman » Sat Mar 11, 2017 7:45 pm

Hello - first time posting here.

Just a quick question - has anyone here ever experienced remission of dactylitis following McDougall-type dietary changes?

Or known of anyone who has?

I have psoriatic arthritis - recently diagnosed - and ditched medication (sulfasalazine) in favour of diet adjustments at the end of December. Since then I've experienced huge relief from arthritis symptoms - far beyond what the drug provided, and with none of the debilitating side effects; although I'm still experimenting with what foods do and don't work for me.

But one thing that's barely changed at all in 2.5 months is the dactylitis I have in my left toes. They remain as swollen now as they were when the condition started, about ten months ago.

Is dactylitis just something that's beyond reach of remedying through diet?
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Re: dactylitis & psoriatic arthritis

Postby Bkworm » Mon Mar 13, 2017 8:08 pm

Hello randomhuman,

Welcome to the forum. I am not real certain exactly what dactylitis actually is beyond swollen digits. Will share my experience with RA in hopes it will be of some help to you.

My RA was diagnosed in 2010. At the time of the diagnosis I was wearing my rings on a chain around my neck because my hands swelled so much at night I was afraid I would wake up some day and have to have the rings cut off. I also had trouble getting shoes to fit or even be able to put them on in the mornings. My toes and feet as well as my hands were swollen constantly. Had never had a problem in these areas until the RA started. After I started this way of eating (WOE) in 2013, the swelling gradually went down so I went back to wearing my rings. In addition, I have lost 90 pounds over the past four years and still working on more. I have never had the swelling in my hands and feet again. I do have some disfigurement in the joints of my hands and feet, but nothing terrible. My toes look different to me but no one else has ever noticed them or commented on them. My hands were so bad to begin with I had to stop using a mouse or stylus with my computer and quit the career I had been involved in for over 10 years. I would wake up screaming at night with the fingers "triggering" into the middle of the palm of my hands.

If I happen to get into some food that I shouldn't, such as when eating at a friend's house or at a restaurant, I do still experience some pain in my hands and feet. However, have never again experienced the severe swelling of the first three or four years.

I only saw a rheumatologist three times after the RA diagnosis. He prescribed Methotrexate and Folic Acid and intended to start me on Enbrel at the next visit. I did have the prescriptions filled but never took them. Feel blessed to have found this WOE instead and have never looked back.
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Re: dactylitis & psoriatic arthritis

Postby viv » Tue Mar 14, 2017 8:02 am

When I started the McDougall Diet four years ago I had painful stiff joints. One of my toes was swollen at the joint and end. All joint pain and stiffness in joints healed very quickly but It took a long time for the swelling in the toe to return to normal. I imagine the body has to heal from the inside out and some things heal faster than others. This diet is the miracle to your best health, congratulations on your progress thus far.

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Re: dactylitis & psoriatic arthritis

Postby randomhuman » Wed Mar 15, 2017 2:31 am

Thanks for the responses! They're encouraging.

Dactylitis is indeed just inflammation/swelling - of an entire digit (finger/toe). In psoriatic arthritis swollen digits can stay that way for months/years; I've had super-swollen toes on my left foot for ten solid months now. Annoying.

It sounds like this is something that dietary changes can resolve, but that it can take several months or longer for that to take place.

So! - I'll just keep eating safe foods and will see what happens over the course of the rest of this year and next.
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Re: dactylitis & psoriatic arthritis

Postby nicoles » Wed Mar 15, 2017 1:36 pm

Hey Random human!

Welcome! I habe psoriatic arthritis and have had dactylitis, and it did resolve, though mine was always a somewhat temporary swelling anyway, not lasting more than a few weeks when I did have it before my diet change.

However, the larger joint swelling I had in my knees and wrists did take longer to go away compared to the pain relief, which was quicker in many ways.

Hope that helps!

Nicole
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Read the results of my journey here: Nicole S. O'Shea vs. Psoriatic Arthritis

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Re: dactylitis & psoriatic arthritis

Postby randomhuman » Fri Mar 17, 2017 3:58 am

Thanks Nicole! I appreciate the sharing.

Yeah, the overall pain relief was very fast for me. Within a week of shifting to starch-based eating I was like 90% pain-free, which was revelatory after having been wracked by stabbing joint pain 24/7.

I'd say what I'm grappling with now is mostly discomfort and annoyance, as opposed to pain. Although I'm still discovering food triggers. An ongoing process. This week I found out apple juice brings on pretty rapid synovitis. So that sucks. Adios, apple juice.

Anyway, will continue plugging away.
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Re: dactylitis & psoriatic arthritis

Postby nicoles » Sat Mar 18, 2017 1:14 pm

Hey Random Human - jut a thought. The apple juice issue could be the sugar levels not so much the ingredients. I can't eat a lot of apple juice without a problem, either, but apples are A-OK. In general, I can do fruit juice at all, actually.
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Re: dactylitis & psoriatic arthritis

Postby randomhuman » Sat Mar 25, 2017 5:34 pm

Intriguing, on the juice. In my ongoing experimentation apples themselves do seem to be okay. You're probably right.

Did you find that over time you were eventually able to expand your diet and that foods which had initially been off limits became tolerable, a few months or one or two years into this way-o-eating?
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Re: dactylitis & psoriatic arthritis

Postby nicoles » Sat Mar 25, 2017 7:20 pm

randomhuman wrote:Intriguing, on the juice. In my ongoing experimentation apples themselves do seem to be okay. You're probably right.

Did you find that over time you were eventually able to expand your diet and that foods which had initially been off limits became tolerable, a few months or one or two years into this way-o-eating?



Absolutely! There are quite a few things I could not eat before that I can eat now. I am guessing it might have something to do with healing the gut and changing the microbiome, but who knows?
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