Hi there folks, good to read all your posts and welcome to the new people who have just joined us. Best of luck with the diet. Question for the oldies on this site: has the traffic increased alot in recent times?

I just wanted to fill you all in on my trip to the rhuemie (I am just back). Went to the AS Clinic in Leeds and saw the head guy there. Well he reconfirmed my condition, said my mobility was quite bad though I was lucky it wasn't in the joints and said that I have a damaged disk further up my spine which was nothing to do with AS. Anyone else have this? I spoke to him about the diet and Ebringer and somewhere in the conversation the words 'junk science' were used (though he was speaking about 'these' type of treatments). He explained how it's very difficult to be able to judge the efficacy of any treatment/remedy because AS naturally moves into a remission by itself on a cyclical basis. He said that any AS sufferer should have their eye on the new drugs (of which Enbrel is one - can't remember the term - TKA or something) on the market in the US and currently being tested in the UK. He said they will be available here in the Autumn and they are the first drug developed that is really able to tackle AS. However, when I asked him how long you have to take these drugs for he said it wasn't known yet. I then asked him about Sulphalazine EN and asked him could he prescibe it to me. He said that if I was worried about the toxicity of NSAIDS then that this drug had much higher toxicity. He said that it was a very strong drug therapy, that it takes 3 months to have ANY effect on AS and really 6 months to work. Again I asked how long I'd have to stay on it for and he said indefinitely. He said that I should not think about getting pregnant on it and would have to be off it for 3 months before doing so (may think about it in the future!!!). He said I would have to get blood tests every 2 weeks for the first 3 months and that I would have to be in a place where that is possible (i.e. he advised against the drug if I was going to go out to Africa to continue the development work that I do). Also because it dampens your immune system. He said he does not prescribe antibiotics for AS as there is no proof that they do any good.

So basically, I came away pretty depressed and not really any the wiser. What do you guys think? Is sulphalazine EN that bad? If I want to get it I probably can - he said that - but he said to think carefully about it. Or should I go with antibiotics or is the diet enough on its own with supplementation?? I know these questions have been asked before (and answered!) but I just would love some feedback about what the man said as I am currently feeling like I have an incurable disease that I am going to have to live with forever - which is probably true but I so want to get cured.

Sorry for rambling, folks and have a nice weekend - you all. Make sure its got some lovely juicy steak (for the carnivores amongst us), definitely some vino, and maybe some sweet treats. Besides just have fun!

Ali