Hi Alinus
I am interested to know why you think this will not help with AS. It is my understanding and belief that AS and the gut go hand in hand.
I agree with your assumption linking gut to AS but only if we speak of immune reactions to specific antigens from our bacterial flora. Regarding my statement, I speak from experience - tested every digestive enzyme on the market - it does not help my AS and it never did. I did not found any reliable scientific data regarding artritis and digestive enzymes except for bromelain - wich made me worse. This is my one year personal experience.
I did not tell Sunny that enzymes will not help her, i really don't know. What i did tell her is that it will not help her with her AS as a result of my personal experience.
Also suggested to use them with caution and with a medical aproval. What she does or understands from my message is not my problem.
If you have an allergy or sensitivity to certain foods, then it is pretty easy to cut those foods out and carry on with your life. But what if you have this problem with whole groups of foods, until what you can eat becomes very limited? You have to find another approach to dealing with the problem. Using enzymes to help digest certain foods and increasing flora in the gut, seem to be options worth pursing, in my opinion.
This is why i've recommended sunny the york test. York test is not about allergy foods - it's about intollerance to foods. There is a small difference there. Anyway - certain foods can trigger lG response due to intollerance even if they are taken in small qtties. If the immune system is already inflamming ourselves, add this reaction to the AS and you will see an increse of inflammation all over the body.
As a matter of fact i am under a verry limited diet - maybe same situation as Sunny is but for different reasons. I undersand her need to solve her problem - but i adviced caution and a rational approach of the problem (nutrition tests, talking to nutritionists&immunologists and so on).
Just one other thing, not meaning to interfer (I know Sunny can speak for herself) but I just wanted to point out that Sunny has AS pains in her neck, shoulders, back and hips - these symptoms get worse as well as her knees swelling up, as a direct result of eating certain foods. It is not specifically a gut reaction. So I would argue that reducing the food sensitivity issue would indeed help her AS pains.
It is precisely a gut reaction to certain proteins&antigens from those foods. Yes, reducing the food sensitivity issue will help her lower the inflammation. But taking enzymes do not get read of food intolerance, only reduce it if possible and if taking the right enzymes for the right foods that produce intolerance. - resetting the lG's immune system memmory (avoinding those foods for at least 3-6 months) probably will decrease/stop the inflammation caused by food intolerance..
Usualy people intolerant to certain foods find out that avoiding those foods for ever is the best thing to do.
I never heard enzymes will help increase gut flora. Probably using them will trigger in a verry long run a change of bacterial flora since some species will dissapear for the lack of substances that sustained them.
It may help her diggest better specific foods wich can trigger immune reactions. But as i've read - even small quantities of those proteins/antigens can trigger or sustain an already existing immune response, so if we take into consideration the fact that the mere presence of those proteins/antigens will trigger immune response, the conclusion is evident to me. But i am no doctor, i just post my personal opinions.
I am happy to be proved wrong
I desperately want to try to help Sunny with this ongoing and worsening problem, the last thing I would want to do it make her worse. She has consulted a doctor though and is reading up on the subject extensively.
I also try the same thing, not to make her worse, by advicing caution, medical surveliance and a moderate optimism to this new approach.
How are you doing at the moment btw Alinus?
Well, thank you for asking. Achieved UC remission with SCD/NSD diet moddified for my needs. Reduced my UC meddications. Taking those enzymes i've talked about earlier to help digestion since UC people tend to have a faster digestion and sometimes do not absorb the needed nutrients in order to sustain their boddy.
Curently struggling with an AS flare wich strangely ignited after the last colonoscopy...(usualy I tend to feel better after a colonoscopy). Asking my self same questions Sunny does - what foods i eat makes my AS flare at this moment. Is it a food reaction, a stress reaction and so on. Asking if my antidepressant medication is still doing it's job.
How are you?
P.S.
Too bad you people don' speak romanian
Our little chat here would be more articulated and clear at least from my point.
