Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives NSD and diet-related; New Here

== the foods I would add in are: ==
a) the following really get the bowels moving and help reduce the amount of time I am inflamed : cabbage / brussel sprouts, aloe, coconut fibre (dessicated coconut is great with dried fruit / fresh fruit / nuts)
b) grapes and pears ... pears don't need to be ripened on the tree which makes them much safer
c) tofu - well, tofu isn't for everyone :-)
c) almonds, sesame seed (tahini)

== these are ok with me ==
1) Fruit ( dried prunes, dried dates, dried cranberries, watermelon, berries, cantelope)
2) Veggies (spinach, brocolli, zuchinni, green and red peppers)
5) Chicken, beef, ham

== the foods that I would avoid until the inflammation is relieved : ==
1) apples (because they can be starchy when out of season)
2) green beans
3) limited dairy (cheese, yogurt)
4) LOTS of nuts, pistachios, walnuts (some glazed), limited cashews.
7) condiments: vinegar, mustard
8) wine

I am not saying that the above would cause you pain, but that they are the riskier foods and it would be good to cut them out for abuot 4 days. I react to practically all nuts that I try, however the low starch nuts are ok for most people ... Which is why I would recommend adding them after the pain clears.

Pretty tough to restrict the diet so much!, may as well be doing a fruit fast to kickstart the diet :-)

I'm sure, too, that there is a close link between Reiters and AS -- so perhaps therapy can take the same shape. I have 3 maternal uncles with AS (some are deceased now) and my brother has Reiters which was mis-diagnosed as Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis when he was 13. His symptoms are different than mine which caused me some confusion in trying to figure out what in the world was going on with me -- he tends to get swelling in his joints (I've only had some swelling once -- in my big toe last fall)and I've never heard him talk about trouble with his spine (although he doesn't talk much about it anyway so he may very well have problems there, too). And I wasn't aware until after my diagnosis that what my uncles have/had was AS -- I had never heard the name before and just figured they had some kind of arthritis. Now it all makes so much sense!

I kind of look at these two diseases as cousins (maybe even siblings!!) -- similar diseases (both spondlylarthropathies)that simply manifest differently -- at least in some ways. Maybe they're the same disease with variation in manifestation.

Paula

I just want to add that this is merely my opinion -- not based on medical info.

Paula

Beth

I can't see anywhere where you say what your HLA B27 status is. If positive then I believe Reiter's could develop into AS proper and the diet would have helped avoid that - if negative and not a HLA class cross-reactive with it then the benefits of the diet would be less certain.

I think I will try the 3 day fruit fast with pears. I am not mentally prepared to start today so I will just eliminate all those foods mentioned by Zark and Tim for the moment. Although I have read that sugar is ok, I am beginning to think that maybe it is not, at least initially. Does anyone have an opinion on sugar?

Yes, I am HLA B27 positive, and Paula, I agree with you that these conditions are so similar, with different symptom manifestations. I have a maternal cousin who has AS and one that has Crohns. I even believe my mother may have had AS (she's gone now) as I recall her migrating joint, spine and digestive problems. Of course, back then there was no test for HLA B27 and she was never diagnosed with anything.

What impresses me most about the people on this forum is your taking responsibility and proactive approach to handling the disease. Even though it's hard, I would not consider it much of a sacrifice to eliminate many foods in order to have my function back.

Thanks for the help. I'll give you a report soon!

Beth

Good for you Beth. It's hard sometimes, folowing the diet. But it has given me back so much! And I don't have to take medicins (NSAID)anymore after 8 years. Very occassionally I take a painkiller, but always as a result of a few days off-diet.
Let me know how the pear-fast goes. I like to fast one time, never did. But I don't like apples and react heavily to them normally. But pears I do like!
Would it be enough a cleaner for the bowel? Like apples are?

Greetings,
Sandra

Don't be discouraged by the "wrong" HLA status. I've been twice tested and am negative for the gene(so far...) but positive in the diet department. Just getting rid of the IBS symptoms was a miracle enough for me, the added benefits of not having so much pain is a bonus.

Ditch the fear and leave out the guilt. A handful of goobers as compared to a plate of mash and gravy is wel, peanuts! Let guilt and fear go. They can't help you fight this. They are a part of the mental head trip chronic pain serves up

I just wanted to say welcome to KickAS to Beth and Michael. Hope you find relief and good help here.