What makes your arthritis better?

stickywicket

I don't mean meds and I don't mean grandchildren/favourite music/glass of red etc.

The one thing that did make a big difference to my R.A. was giving up eating meat about 20 years ago.

I've also got a vague theory on barometric pressure (moderate heat=good: hot & humid=bad) but it's very vague.

jillyb1

Agree with you about the air pressure , but the main thing for me is diet . No dairy foods for me , I also avoid potatoes and citrus but that could be just me ! Jillyb

Starburst

Sleep! When the weather is mild, I feel ok. Too hot or too cold is awful. I read somewhere to avoid pineapple and grapefruit. I eat loads of them. I wonder if this is causing a problem. :?:

dreamdaisy

Diet makes no difference to me at all, however air pressure does. Low pressure weather results in mould spores being released into the air and they affect my mood. In the asthma days I would wheeze for England with the low pressure, now that my immune system is suppressed I don't, but I do feel very flat and less able to cope. The ones that get me are altenaria, phoma and sporobolomyces. Hate 'em. DD

valval

interesting made me stop and think hormones make mine much wores. but being abroad helps go when it warm there not red hot and always come back feeling so much better even if have to dose up with pain meds for sitting on plane and all the tooing and throwing from airports pinapple suposed to be anti inflamitory so should help arther lol

stickywicket

I guess it’s another of those ‘whatever works for you’ matters. The ‘nightshade’ veg family have been under suspicion for a long time but I don’t have a problem with them (though I have to avoid tomatoes when my stomach’s playing up).

The air pressure thing seems to be a common factor.

As for asthma being reduced by immuno-suppresants – interesting. I have very mild asthma (before & during methotrexate) & have fairly recently started to need a low dose of nasal inhaler to stop me sneezing. I’ve always blamed the methotrexate for lowering my immune system. Interestingly, before I started on the inhaler, it cleared up a couple of times after steroid jabs.

I never find air travel bothers me but I do walk around a lot and drink plenty of water & fruit juice - which make me walk around a lot to the loo.

dreamdaisy

As I inderstand it, asthma is triggered by an over-active immune system. Take that away, or at least reduce its activity, no trigger. My eczema has cleared, I have been eating all the fruit etc that I have studiously avoided for years, just because I can without enduring the payback of itchy, cracked and weeping skin. (What is the fuss about fruit? Bloody unreliable stuff in terms of quality and flavour, at least with a Mars bar I know what it will taste like). I do get the psoriasis occasionally now, 'cos that beggur cannot be subdued. It looks like this - can't subdue that dancing devil! DD

spacey

nothing i am afraid but I havent been started on treatment yet just voltarol until my rheumatology appointment in 3 weeks - bring on the drugs, but until then I will try GIN !!!