Hiya George
Hope the travels were fun rather than work!
I'm 28, have been diagnosed for about five years and have had recognisable symptoms since I was in a car crash back in 1996. Up until about two months ago, I had been med-free for about three years, not because I was pain free (quite the contrary), but because I had a really bad episode with my stomach and was basically too afraid to go back on meds (even paracetamol). I then was prescribed Accutane / Ro-Accutane for my acne which coincided with / caused a massive flair like I had never experienced before (it left me literally almost unable to walk and I was having spasms in my back every few minutes). I came off that medication after 10 days, and started the apple diet followed by the NSD the day after. Although the hip pain has now abated slightly, the back pain is still there with a vengeance. Alongside the NSD, I have gone back on Celebrex, but really only take one every couple of days. This is mainly 'cos I'm out of the habit, but I also have a bit of trouble with taking them in the morning: I don't have time to cook, and can't face much in the mornings (have never been a real breakfast person), so I've replaced my bowl of cereal / slices of toast with a slice of melon or other fruit: trouble is I don't think that really lines the stomach adequately for Celebrex...
I'm on no other meds, though have started (starch free) supplements (Vits and calcium, etc) on the recommendation of people on this site.
I haven't actually come off the NSD yet, which means I've been on it for about four weeks. I have been doing it strictly, starch-testing everything, and for the last two weeks I have also been dairy-free except for hard cheese, icecream and chocolate (so I guess that's not really dairy free!!). I haven't experienced any relief and my IBS has started up again since I have been on the diet and things like almonds, raisins, etc, which are supposed to be good on the NSD really seem to mess up my stomach, strangely. I'm also unhappy about the increased number of eggs in my diet as I've unbelievably had salmonella twice (!!), so I have a bit of an 'uneasy' relationship with them... I know I don't have to eat more eggs, but they are a cheap and filling alternative to meat / fish.
Thanks for taking an interest. As I said in my last post, I realise that given the circumstances under which I started the NSD, and am continuing it, it was a bit of a tall order to expect it to work miracles, hence my reasons for sticking with it for the time being, but I think I will be going on the Humira as soon as the hospital approves it (I perhaps stupidly decided to refuse Enbrel... if I'm going to go on such a strong drug, I may as well go on the one I perceive--for right or wrong--as the best or the one that will inconvenience me the least...). It unfortunately doesn't look like I'm going to be an NSD success story.
