Nuts?!

Mat48

Hi All - just had a visitor who told me that she had been diagnosed with some form of inflammatory arthritis (probably RA) about ten years ago. She declined all the drugs because she "hates all that stuff" and went to an allergy clinic in London who told her that she was intolerant to Penicillin (which she knew already), nuts (especially brazils) and red wine. Now she has all the arthritic symptoms under control but if she has any nuts - especially hazel, almonds or brazils she wakes up the next day almost unable to open her hands - with swollen fingers and knuckles, elbows and shoulders. She can hardly move basically if she has eaten any nuts or products with traces of nuts. But otherwise her joints do not give her much trouble at all and she's had ten pain free years since the diagnosis - although she has many other food intollerances and is pretty healthy looking and thin.

Now I gave up gluten when all this arther kicked off in an attempt to do something for myself and have also dropped dairy produce out of my diet in an attempt to lose more weight. So I was keen to keep calcium intake up - especially with all the steroids I've been on - so nuts have been eaten daily to replace gluten. So I'm going to give this a go and see what happens but will get calcium tablets to take so I don't get bone trouble as well.

Just thought you all might be interested to hear this tale - wish me luck and I'll let you know how I get on! Mat

valval

it always worth a try but she might have had a reactive type of arther i not a doc and do not know i have far less dairy as when eat strong chedder have much more pain and swelling i also eat lots of foods high in natural anti inflamatorys but does it help i do not think so will it do harm no and always worth a try you never know good luck val

Mat48

Thanks Val. As you say it can do no harm as long as I don't get low on other important vitamins. I love almonds and whole earth peanut butter but then I loved cheese and squishy brown bread and yet i've lived without for 9 months now quite happily? I will do just about anything to lessen the pain and avoid more medicines unless they are going to sort me out for sure. Perhaps if I was still pigging out on cheesed and on food in general as I used to and was still obese - then this arther would have laid me flat out far more than it has even - it's all relative?! Mat x

bubbadog

I have given up dairy after I became intolerant when I had my gallbladder out. I don't miss having milk, but miss cheese and cream loads! I have found it helps with keeping my weight down. I'm currently trying rice milk to see if it's a good replacement. Will let you know how I get on with it so if you ever want to try it you have a review from someone!

tillytop

Hello Mat

Just to reiterate what you have said in terms of keeping up calcium levels. If you are avoiding dairy, I would be wary of assuming that calcium tablets will give you the required amount of calcium and my understanding is that calcium in tablet form is not always easily absorbed. Soy milk with added calcium is a good source. Although I do eat dairy, I also drink "So Good" soy which is the best of the ones I have tried in terms of taste and I find that it is pretty "milk like" in terms of taste and consistency. Also, if you are taking calcium tablets, my understanding is that you need to take tablets which include vitamin D and ideally magnesium because both are needed to help the body with calcium absorption. RA can predispose people to osteoporosis, particularly if you add in steroids and limited mobility (I am 44 and have just been told I have osteoporosis) so please do be careful.

Tilly xxx

Mat48

Thanks very much for that information and advice Tilly. I'm seeing my GP tomorrow and intend asking him about supplements at the same time as hopefully getting some more Prednisolone for a trip to London.

I've had quite a lot of steroids recently and should have mentioned the fact that I had quit dairy products to him - feel a little foolish really but have been so focused on trying to lose weight and also to find alternative ways of addressing the arthritis by food elimination that I fear I might have inadvertently not seen the wood for the trees? I think my diet is fairly magnesium rich as I have lots of dark leafy veg eaten raw and have been eating a lot of almonds and other nuts and seeds. I will get the soya milk that you reccommended - I'm very grateful for these suggestions!
Mat x

kellerman

Hi Mat,
I would definately mention any over the counter stuff to your GP.
I do have OP and get calcium with vit D from my doc.
As I do eat dairy I know I am getting enough calcium in my diet but vit D is another matter,only from oily fish and sun.
All greens are good but especially curly kale.
Also too much calcium is not good either.I have a friend who had to have an op to remove her parathyroid due to too much calcium,so it is a good idea to mention your concerns about getting enough and maybe getting it checked by your GP.
The way I think is....worth a try but please remember a balanced diet is important.
Please look after yourself.May

frogmorton

Interesting tale there Matt

If you give it a go do let us know how you get on.

So very glad you are so sensible about teh calcium intake as it's essential.

When are you off to London...soon isn't it?

Love

Toni xx

Mat48

Thanks Toni. I leave on Tuesday afternoon - only away until Saturday. This woman made me feel really bad actually but i only realised today. It's not so much the whole nuts thing but being on steroids still (just) my symptoms are masked or have all but gone apart from stiff fingers and a knee that's starting to tweak. So I felt that I'd gone down some medical route with all my joint problems which she had spurned in favour of a non medical, diet related one and it had obviously worked for her. She asked me why I trusted doctors anyway and couldn't believe I'd gone on steroids - or that I was contemplating taking the medicines advised when I finally get a diagnosis.

She was actually pretty contemptuous that I even wanted to know what this is so badly - "I mean what's in a name?" sort of thing. Ugh it just made me feel lousy and I bet I get more of it when I'm away next week from various friends.

If it was cancer rather than RA/ inflammatory arther would people give us
a hard time about having chemo I wonder? I know it's different but is it THAT different?? Ah well sorry I'm thinking out loud now!

I haven't had any nuts today and keep fretting about OP now because I'm so stupid I didn't work out my diet properlly! :oops: Mat x

kellerman

Morning Mat,
Stop fretting about OP.No good worrying about something you might have you've got enough to think about at the moment.
I only found out I had it after fracturing a vertabrae,but common sense should of told me I was an ideal candidate as I have had 2x6 cycles of chemo and an under active thyroid.

I know steroids can cause thinning bones but its not written in stone that this what will happen.
I will message you as I have loads of info.Just stop worrying.
May