Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group The Gut and Arthritis: The Evidence Grows

Microbiome implicated in ankylosing spondylitis and pediatric enthesitis-related arthritis.
MedPage Today®

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Arthritis/49074

Do Autoimmune Diseases Begin in the Gut?
MedPage Today®
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/836491

my rheumy and i believe that for me, the answer is yes.

i've dealt with bouts of constipation (flares anyone!) my whole life, severe gastritis and inability of the small intestine to digest food at age 29 or 30 and then the joint stuff starting at age 35 and everything else joining in in the years following.

so for me, gut before i started school and like 25-30 years later, finally joint stuff, maybe finally once the gut stuff created a leaky gut?

that's what my rheumy and i think. so we've tried taking the gut into account as we take the joints into account.

Yes I know it's not a real news for many of us here but now it's pretty official isn't it?

agreed

We've known this for a few years now. The issue is that we're not quite sure *what* to do with this information. Is the change in the microbiome a cause or symptom? That still isn't 100% clear. And if the change is the cause, does reversing the cause alter the disease? Or is it one of those things where once it's started, it keeps going? How is the best way to re-tune the microbiome? I think we all know from experience that diet alone isn't sufficient to bring about remission. These are all questions that remain unanswered and remain difficult to answer.

Hi, Mike:

I know from experience that diet alone "CAN" control AS, however, it requires a level of attention that is nearly impossible for most people.

And from my own experiences, I am sure that our technological diet contributes--in more than just one way--to our disease process. And convinced now that AS can be totally defeated by judicious employment of antibiotics in conjunction with strict diet. My own AP for AS has worked quite well, and something like this can help us achieve very lasting remission. And as You observe, it is not diet alone, but a more practical approach that has been very effective in my case.

HEALTH,
John

Not about AS but worth reading:
Dietary modulation of the microbiome affects autoinflammatory disease
www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature13788.html