Kickas.org Forums Rheumatoid Arthritis General Discussion #1 RA Web Support Group Welcome

Ive been a member for a couple of weeks now and want to know how to earn "stripes"
I was a lurker, new member and now a member!
I dont think I qualify to be a as_kicker but maybe a toid kicker?

Hi Staffylover

Your "title" is based on the number of posts you make. If you look under FAQ you can find out what these titles are about. If I remember correctly, you graduate from lurker to new member on your third post.

Cheers for that Wendy

Hello,
I am not certain how to generate my own posting. I can make sense of the shout box, but am not able to see where on my screen to start commenting.... Thanks for any help. I appreciate it !

Welcome Annalbrich,

Are you still having any difficulty? I'm happy to help if you are - just let me know what you need help with. I can see from your post above that you have managed to post a message.

If you want to start your own thread, click on the words "New Topic" at the top left of the forum page.

This is great, John...a wonderful addition for the members of our community that suffer the wrath of Rheumatoid Arthritis, very nice!!

To any and all....I'm new here but thought I'd add that my GP had used an antibiotic regimen on me several times with good success,sending me into remission for months at a time. My rheumy Dr doesn't agree that it works and has me on Humira and Voltaren but I would like to try the antibiotic again,that's how well it worked for me.

I was a member of Kickas several years ago, and then my diagnosis changed after visiting a rheumy, then it changed again, and again.

After moving from Sydney to Canberra I ended up with a new rheumotologist who diagnosed me with MCTD and that I could either go with Lupus or RA. I am not allowed to use Sulfasalazine by order of the rheumy, but that is another story to tell, because by chance when I used it my tongue began to go all tingly. So, it was a course of Plaquenil until the rheumy's resident checked me out and it was decided that I was "early" RA.

Then we moved again, this time to the Central Coast of NSW. It was off to another rheumy and oh boy, he was terrible. Without so much as an examination he claimed that the rheumy I saw in Canberra was wrong and that my problem was fibromyalgia (big fail). He reduced my dose of methotrexate and took me off Plaquenil. Well guess what the RA indicator that was damping down, that is the RF began to rise again. I am not dumb and do understand how these things work. After the third visit, I got to the point of having had enough. When I saw my doctor and he gave me an idea of the contents of the letter sent to him, I exploded and called the rheumy certain names not to be repeated here. I had been angry since last December over the way that he had treated me, and his abuse because I would not take the higher dose of Endep as he insisted. That medication is zombie medication in my view. Then I was sent to another doctor who is now seeing patients in the same region.

Now I am back to being in the RA category, based upon his examination of me in that first appointment. He had sufficient serological data to be able to determine a diagnosis. On top of that he knows my previous rheumy in Canberra. I am happy.

I have to wait and see how I respond to an increase in my medication again. I have 6 months in which to improve before being put on the list to receive biologic treatment.

In the meantime I really do think that some fibromyalgia has begun to kick in.

Over the years, especially after I fractured my coccyx for a second time I have found that my pelvic region is very sore. The allergy to wooden seats continues, and there was a twist. For at least the last 2-3 years I have had trouble getting up from low furniture. I am trying to strengthen my legs and hips so that I can manage again but we shall see what happens next.

@DragonSlayer: Thank you for all your great work.

You have several studies linking intake of animal products to RA:
https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/proteus-mirabilis/
https://www.drmcdougall.com/health/educa...-for-arthritis/

From my own experience animal products trigger my RA. If you have RA but not AS, you can go for a vegan diet (e.g. Starch Solution by Dr. Mcdougall). If you have AS but not RA, then you will feel wonderful with a high animal low/no starch diet. If you have RA and AS you have to go low animal and low starch.

What is then there left to eat?

You can eat fruit sugar-based or fat-based.
Fruit based: During daytime fruit (e.g. melons, berries, dried dates), for dinner non-starchy vegetables (cabbage, brussle sprouts, cucchini) with olives.
Fat based: Non starchy vergegables with high amounts of olive oil and coconut oil. If you eat high fat berries are allowed but no dried fruit (fat slows down the sugar intake of your cells, so if you eat high fat and high sugar, then you will get candida).