Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives NSD and diet-related; Just started NSD - a few questions

Hi all,
I am new here and have just found out about the NSD Diet, i am 23 years old and from Melbourne, Australia.

I am going to keep it short and try and make this as clear as I can

I was on Sulphasalazine 4 per day, Methotrexate, and Prednisolone, along with a few other things.

The pain wasn't going away, was feeling worn out, things were getting really bad, and life was getting hard.

I completely went cold turkey on all of my medicine on Saturday, and started with a 3 day apples detox.
I managed to go for 2 days and had the olive oil.
Since then I have been on a NSD Diet, now i have just finished my fourth day.

The pain has intensified and I think now I know what a 'flare' is, I guess the medicines really were doing their job at hiding the pain. I am in the worst pain I have been since the beginning. However (maybe due to the apple detox) my energy levels have got much better

I had major neck pain before doing this, the neck was hurting me more than my lower back. Now my neck seems very very good but my lower back pain has intensified like burning sensation pulsating.
My hands and fingers were also feeling weird that seems to have gotten a little better.
My body had been feeling like it is bturning right around the side to my back (unrelated maybe a rash?) And now there are pimple like things there. I am going to see a doctor tomorrow ..

I am starting to think going cold turkey wasn't such a good idea. However the burning /rash seemed to have started a few days before I stopped taking the medicine but only mildly ?

Anyway so my questions are:

How long does it generally take for the NSD diet to have affect on most people? I know this can vary from person to person but as an average.

Was it a good idea going cold turkey on the medicine?
I am seeing my Rheumatologist on Tuesday.
I will see his opinion then.
My doctor is actually Mr Alan Ebringers brother down here in Melbourne.

I am currently not eating dairy or starch, however I am eating a few things which I just read some people have adverse reactions to.

Bacon Eggs in the morning with Maple Syrup
Strawberries, blanched almonds, dried fruits, Only Water and Tea, Kiwi fruit, some vegetables (steamed), Apples I test with Iodine.
Meat - Steak, Fish, Chicken,

One questionable one for me: Meat from Mcdonalds (when i'm on the run, hard to eat on the run??) Carol Sinclairs book said the meat from Mcdonalds is fine?
Hopefully somebody can clarify this?

Is canned Tuna OK ?

I know Eggs may be a no no, but do you think I should give it a go for a few weeks before i cut them out ?

Also before Saturday I was eating a lot of take away food, (not a healthy diet at all, being a University student, plenty of bread, and potato chips daily for a long period of time.

Should I be taking any supplements for the good in starch that I will lack now ?
I think I read coconut milk ? Some tablets ?

Any advice would be appreciated as my Studies are getting unstable because of this, and it really is having a huge affect on my life!



I look forward to some advice from the experienced people here

I should probably add one last thing.. I am a smoker and did smoke throughout the Apple diet .. I really dont think this could matter due to it being smoke, not food ?

I write this at 2AM

All the best
Nima

Hello there Nima,

Glad you found us... how lucky you are with your rheumy, I imagine he is open to the idea of the diet.

For me personally, I would not go cold turkey and drop the medications. I would use diet and medications together (provided medications are helping some) and slowly reduce the medications as I began to feel better and felt diet was helping.

When I started, I stayed with my NSAID for a few months before dropping it because diet worked so well for me.

Regarding your food questions:
- bacon eggs - is this one food? Eggs are no problem for me, I avoid bacon as typically has additives.
- maple syrup - if processed I would avoid... if all natural may be OK.
- blanched almonds - problematic for some... in States no issue for me, here in Argentina more of an issue, but I can eat in moderation.
- Other foods you listed... none typically an issue for me.
- I do not supplement... make sure to eat lots of veggies. Did in the States, but too expensive here in Argentina.

My suggestions...
- eat lots of salads with olive oil.
- Walnuts and raisins for snacks when needed
- Avoid processed foods

Also... I am able to eat more foods I was not able to eat prior after my intestinal health improved. I began to supplement with probiotics (now eat all natural sauerkraut and organic yogurt with probiotics) and fast one day a week by eating on apples (sometimes grapes).

Best to you,

Tim

Hello, Nima:

Glad You have joined us and Professor Ebringer's brother has good experiences with the NSD, but also LSD in combination with Sulfasalazine.


PURE BEEF--nothing better for NSD-safe.

Hopefully somebody can clarify this?



WONDERFUL (if not yet radioactive...)



Eggs are great and very important source of good proteins.

Also before Saturday I was eating a lot of take away food, (not a healthy diet at all, being a University student, plenty of bread, and potato chips daily for a long period of time.

"Starch" is only empty calories, unless You were eating whole grains in which case it is important to take Bconplex to replace these--daily. I supplemented aggressively and highly recommend what Jack LaLanne said ("I take everything...")

Coconut oil for cooking...the milk is good, too--safe.
EFAs there are myriad tablets that could help depending upon the situation...

It takes about three months to learn the diet and another three months to find some solid success. During this time, You have several 'round trips' back into AS from 'experimentation' or willfulness; that is just the learning process. We are here in good times but especially in bad. Be patient and You will overcome this monster!

HEALTH,
John

Hey guys,

Thanks for all of your response, I cut out Bacon, and mcdonalds beef, and things were looking great this morning with not much pain except for my Rash (look below),

I have a big problem now though, the rash (pimples), were shingles, (like Chicken Pocks for adults), and I got put on Valtrex, 7 days of 3 x 2 tablets per day
- I had my first two, and within minutes sharp AS type pain in my left hip, can hardly walk..

I tested them with Iodine, instantly went black.


UPDATE:
I just spoke to my doctor, and I literally cannot walk now, (wow what a difference a bit of starch does), he said there is no other medicine, however the tablets are not necessary, It will heal itself but take longer.

I am definitely off the medicine, Will this reset everything I have done now from this little bit of Starch ?

I'm learning so I appreciate your help guys

Thank you
Nima

Hi Nima! I am not a doctor, thought I should start off with that. I have a friend at work who has been struggling with shingles for over 6 months now, so depending on how bad your case is you may want to weigh which is worse - the starch from the meds temporarily triggering your as, or the shingles progressing. Some cases can be really bad, but as you are so young it may not get that serious this time. As far as how long it would take you to get back to where you are after eating starch, I am not sure.

That all being said, I read an interesting article recently on vitamin C dosages, as I've been thinking of adding it to my daughter's list, and one of the things they listed as it helping was shingles. So if you don't want to do the standard med, you may look into vitamin c (probably in the form of ascorbic acid to avoid starch in pill form?). I'm assuming your doc wouldn't be interested in giving you the injected form, but there are supposed to be ways to determine what your tolerance level is to vitamin c. Here are some links that are very good at explaining it all, if you're interested.

http://www.healthyimmunity.com/qanda/31-Shingles.asp

http://iom.edu/Activities/Nutrition/SummaryDRIs/~/media/Files/Activity%20Files/Nutrition/DRIs/ULs%20for%20Vitamins%20and%20Elements.pdf

http://www.sott.net/article/265993-Vitamin-C-shingles-and-vaccination

Best of luck with the diet, and the shingles. We're still working on getting our diet to fully do the trick, but it does help keep the pain level lower than when we started.

Hey there,

Sorry to hear about the shingles... my grandmother had them and were very painful for her.

I had a supplement that did the same a naturopath wanted me to take... it had a little starch and brought on my AS in hips really bad.

I would also consider still taking the medication for shingles... you do not want to make matters worse, especially if medication is for short period of time.

Best,

Tim

That's interesting if Macdonalds beef is causing you problems. I understand it really is just beef - can you eat beef otherwise? I have no problems with it at all and my friend's son (who's got eonsonophilic oesophagitis and is allergic to pretty much everything you can be allergic to, including soy, wheat, dairy etc) is also fine with it. Some of the dressings are a bit starchy though. And certainly some bacons have starch and other rubbish added to them.

Good luck with your other problems - I have no experience with shingles but understand it can be really nasty and as Tim said it might be worth the short term AS pain to nip the shingles in the bud?

I really appreciate the link's Karenthebaron, I had a quick glance over them, and will read them properly tonight
It does seem the pain has become a lot better today however the pimples are still there.

I will wait to see my Rheaumotologist on Tuesday and see how the Shingles have progressed and may just decide to take the tablets, Its only 7 day's I guess, that's a small price to pay,

- If I do decide to go down that path, I may just start eating bread, and chocolate, chips for the week (craving bad)..
Is this a bad idea ? I figure 2 tablets 3 x a day means i'll Have Starch all day long, Does the amount of Starch make any effect??

1 Last week of these foods ?

With Regards to the McDonalds beef Shirley, they may be pure beef and i'm really happy you told me that as it is a food I can have on those days I am too busy.
- I was eating bacon, plus a few other things, so I stopped having them all including mcDonalds beef, so maybe it is fine to eat.

Is the tomato sauce / mustard / onion / lettuce alright as well ?
Or just Beef and Tomato Sauce ?

Thanks again,
You guys are more help than you can imagine making this diet Possible and condition Manageable

For the first time I had a drink last night without feeling completely ruined the next day, (whole day), I think that was because of the Methotrexate, I realized you really shouldn't drink on it, also Fatigue levels are pretty low these days

I have a few more questions on Ingredients on Food Packets

So anything with Soy in them are no good ?
For instance is Soy Lecithin OK? (in chocolate)

Also is
Gluten, Gelatin, and Glucose OK ?

I have a weird one: Tapioca Dextrin?

What should I be looking out for in the ingredients?

Seems like there is hardly anything I can buy

I know I have replied 3 Times but another major thing has come up, may be IBS ?

I noticed a lot of people with AS, also have IBS

So on Friday, after I had the first two (starch filled) pills, I ate a lot of dried apricots that night,
- I woke up in the night with a bad stomach ache, and then visited the bathroom, and I was in there for a while, and this has never happened to me before.

Then yesterday, I had a whole lot of dried fruit again, but I ate something with Tapioca Dextrin (Honey Roasted Macadamias) and got some pain (not severe). However again woke up at 4AM to the bathroom?

Could this be IBS and the dried fruits? should I stop eating dry fruits, or could it also be related to the Starch I had?