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Hi Dr. Stoll.
First off, I want to tell you your site has helped me immensely with various things.
Down to my issue...
I have had arthritis like symotoms for the past two-three years. My doctor had a hard time believing it was arthritis because at the time I first went in (About a year after it seemed to start) I was only 18. Now my condition has only worsened and moved to other fingers. My father, which the same doctor used to treat before he passed away, had the worst case of Rheumatoid Arthritis our doctor and every other doctor he had been to had ever seen. It moved in to every joint in his body in a matter of about 5 years and lived with it for nearly 30 years. It was the worst in his hands, they were practically un-useable. When he was around 30 years old he was finned by a cat-fish in his right middle knuckle.. it swole up and never went away. About a year later after it had spread to his entire hand and he was diagnosed with rheumatoid. This was all before I was born. My entire life I watched him live with it and suffer and am determined to stop it now if in fact that is what I have. I have had two blood tests in the past two years and still no conclusion. My middle knuckle on my right hand (Where it seemed to start) is about twice the size of my left middle knuckle. I can only bend it about half way. Now it has progressed to my left pointer finger, which in a very short time has gotten much worse than my other.. (Probably due to the fact that it is used much more often than the other..)
Questions:
#1: What are the chances that it was passed down to me?
#2: Is it probably just a coincidence that whatever I have started in the same finger as his?
#3: If it is something else, do these joint problems tend to have the same symptoms and things that make it flare up? It is always there but tends to hurt worse during weather changes (Especially cold), when I eat red sauces, drink alcohol, use more than usual.. etc.
#4: I recently started taking a meal replacement supplement (Ny-Tro Pro-40) as well as regular exercise.. could this be a bad idea due to the increased amount of protein?
Thank you very much for your time and extended help,
Dave.
In Reply to: Arthritis? Gout? Help! posted by Dave on November 18, 2003 at 20:11:02:
If I were you Dave I would immediately stop consuming all dairy products.
I had almost unbearable pain in my hip joint, for years. It was completely gone after a short time off dairy. If I accidently ingest dairy I am in pain again for a few days.
Check the link below for more info.
Good luck.
In Reply to: Arthritis? Gout? Help! posted by Dave on November 18, 2003 at 20:11:02:
I have had RA for over 7 years and at this point almost all my symptoms are abated - the main things to do are: start with SR (skilled relaxation), bracing is a major contributor to on-going RA symptoms; next, do Bob McFerran's e-diet (elimination diet), many of your symptoms will subside and you will learn specifically what foods youa re allergic to; all RA sufferers have LGS (leaky gut syndrome) and some form of candida - you can address both through different sources, I took permavite to heal my leaky gut, I also took Threelac to kill the candida; I am currently having accupunture done and discovered that my pancreas was also having trouble functioning. I take something called pancreatrophin and I also do the liver cleanse from SHAPE every 2 weeks - I have been doing these things for about 18 months and I am almost there - there are many forms of arthritis, what worked for me may not entirely work for you, but read the archives and start to address it today - 18 months may seem like a long time, but I am much older than you and you may have a quicker turn about - RA does have some genetic markers, but it has also been related to mycoplasmas (infections) as well...so who knows? I spent a lot of money making mistakles about what supplements to try and what to avoid - I hope this info helps put you on the right track.
Good luck.
In Reply to: Re: Arthritis? Gout? Help! posted by RA Person on November 18, 2003 at 21:30:44:
Thanks, RA person.
Having a personal testimonial helps many.
Walt
In Reply to: Arthritis? Gout? Help! posted by Dave on November 18, 2003 at 20:11:02:
I had arthritis for 11 years. When I gave up soda and dairy, the arthritis went away. I thought it must've been the sugar causing it, but, years later, in the magazine Good Medicine ( put out by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine), I learned that dairy was considered causitive for some arthritis.
In Reply to: Arthritis? Gout? Help! posted by Dave on November 18, 2003 at 20:11:02:
Hi Dave,
I'm not Dr. Stoll, but . . .I've had RA for almost 4 years now. I spent the first 2 years in constant pain, unable to walk (I shuffled), dead tired most of the time, and depressed (how could a young woman with young children have this awful disease?). My feet/hands/wrists/knees are effected the most. At the 2 year mark, we (my rheumatologist & I) hit on the DMARD/NSAID combo that helped me to once again function (almost) normally. After feeling so much better, I started worrying about what the drugs themselves were doing to my body. After much searching, I ended up here.
Like RA Person, I also did the elimination diet (see the Robert McFerran archive) and have excluded wheat, dairy, sugar, and (of course) all processed foods from my diet. This in itself made a huge difference -- I'd say my pain/swelling is 95% better. I haven't taken prednisone or any NSAID since. I've also been exercising and doing SR for about 6 months (though I'm not perfect with either yet). I'm weaning off methotrexate (DMARD) -- although this is more a mental thing for me; I'm so afraid that if I don't have everything perfect I'll end up where I started, so the methotrexate is a sort of crutch for me (I'm sure). My plan is to keep working on the SR and at the same time decreasing the dosage (and stretching out the time between doses) until I'm off the DMARD.
I'm not sure I have the answers for your questions, but here goes:
1. I've read that RA does run in families. My mother, her mother, 2 of her sisters, 3 cousins, and my sister all have some type of autoimmune disorder (including RA).
2. This could be a coincidence -- RA tends to be symmetrical in a victim's body, i.e. both feet, hands, etc. My index finger on my right hand is the only finger that I actually see permanent damage (unable to make a fist); and this has really improved since I've started the 3LS. The damage to my feet may take longer, if they do in fact improve at all (I am hoping).
3. In my opinion, everyone who has any type of autoimmune disease will have certain things that will make their symptoms flare (we have a couple in common -- red sauce and weather change). I've also talked with people who have osteoarthritis who swear that this same type of thing will make their joint pain flare (I believe them!).
4. I would be more concerned about the ingredients in the meal replacement. You should probably try to figure out exactly what causes you to have increased symptoms and do your best to eat whole foods. You could figure out which supplements you need after getting everything else under control. The increased exercise is an excellent idea.
Whatever you decide to do, know that there are others here on the board who have tried many things and are willing to offer advice and experience. We all have our own unique take on things, but you're free to pick and choose as you wish!
Good luck and be well!
Donna
In Reply to: Arthritis? Gout? Help! posted by Dave on November 18, 2003 at 20:11:02:
with arthritis, you want to avoid nightshades- potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers. Check your protein supplement- some contain potato.
In Reply to: Arthritis? Gout? Help! posted by Dave on November 18, 2003 at 20:11:02:
what about cod liver oil and then glucosamine/chondroitin
and MSM ? I would try Nature's Bounty Glu/Chon and Natrol
MSM since they are the only ones that helped my joint
problems and relief started in an hr and stays away for
months. 9 months this time.
In Reply to: Re: Arthritis? Gout? Help! posted by Vince F on November 20, 2003 at 19:13:29:
All of you have been a great help. Thanks for the suggestions!
-Dave
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