Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms Don't Rule My Aud Life

Wow, say that 5 times fast! Paying the pain price for peppers. On Saturday evening, our family went for dinner to our friends’ home and had a great time! Played board games, ‘rock band’, laughed and ate. I was having so much fun that I didn’t notice that the nachos had huge amounts of red peppers, an hour later my knuckles and elbows felt like each joint had been stung by bees, some of them even looked like it. Red bell peppers are one of the worst things I can eat regarding my Rheumatoid Arthritis, they trigger a flare up within minutes.

I know that I have talked about food triggers on past posts, but since it’s been a bother the past 48 hours I thought I’d chat about it again. I’m always amazed and sometimes bewildered by the human body and how one part will cause another part to react. What I’m talking about is the digestive system and inflammation of joints.

When I was first diagnosed with RA, a Nurse Practitioner advised me to stay away from night shade vegetables such as tomatoes, potatoes, egg plant, paprika and red peppers. When I asked why, I was just told that they’re known to cause inflammation, but I wasn’t given any further explanation. I did notice that red peppers, shell fish and red meat made me feel a lot worse but it wasn’t until this past February that I found out the reason why. I was really sick this past winter, and decided to go to a Naturopath to give it a shot. She got out this chart and went through this whole lesson on how our body reacts to certain foods, and it made sense!

The point was our digestive system is crucial to our body’s good health, if we’re ingesting something we may have an allergic reaction to, our body’s going to react. I had always thought that an allergic reaction was a rash, a drippy nose or swelling of the eyelids, throat or lips, but there’s also fatigue, nausea, inflammation of joints, muscle pain and headaches as well, maybe even more symptoms.

Having an immune disease that attacks the body’s connective tissue, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, is going to cause it’s symptoms to escalate when the body encounters something it’s allergic to. To find out my food triggers, I went on a cleansing diet. Ugh! I NEVER want to have to do that again. I had to cut out sugar, caffeine, deliciousness, salt, anything worth while eating, wheat, eggs, corn, fun, dairy, taste, starch and happiness. It was the longest 4 weeks of my life, but I did it and then I was able to slowly re-introduce things back in, one by one to test which ones gave me trouble. I was so nervous with the sugar and caffeine and cried tears of joy when I didn’t react to them! Hallelujah! But, there was a black day when it came to red meat, no more tasty, marbled, prefectly grilled rib-eyes for this gal! But I can drown my sorrows in chocolate. The additions to my ‘bye bye’ list are red wine, shell fish and pork. Oh, and liver! (well, I didn’t really test it out, but I hate it so I’m putting it on there!)

Now I’ve been feeling a lot better since I’ve been avoiding my ‘bye bye’ foods as much as possible, unless they’re cleverly disguised in delicious nachos!

Have there been foods causing you grief? I’m interested to hear what they are, how you’ve discovered them and how you deal with it.

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Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms can be over whelming. The fatigue, low grade fevers, swollen joints and pain are the main symptoms that most patients are looking to find relief from. This disease affects each individual differently, so what may be an effective aid for one may not do the same for another, trial and error become a part of life for a sufferer of Rheumatoid Arthritis. It has for me- some things work, some things don’t. I’ve been going to a Naturopath doctor since March of this year and I’ve made tremendous gains, which has sparked an interest in gathering information about natural remedies for managing rheumatoid arthritis.

Pain caused by inflamed joints may be reduced by using the following:

Chinese skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) Chinese skullcap has confirmed anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory actions, similar in effect to the prescription drugs phenyl- butazone and indomethacin. Unlike these drugs that are associated with toxicity and adverse effects, Chinese skullcap does not appear to have any adverse effects at therapeutic levels. Its therapeutic action appears to be related to its high content of flavonoid molecules. These flavonoids are extremely potent antioxidants and free-radical scavenging compounds.  It’s mostly taken in capsule form.

Chinese thoroughwax (Bupleuri falcatum) Bupleuri also known as Hare’s Ear, root is an important component in various prescriptions in Chinese traditional medicine, particularly in remedies for inflammatory conditions. Bupleuri has been shown to , reduce fever and enhance the activity of glucocorticoids- A class of hormones produced by the adrenal gland and simulated by medications such as prednisone. It can be taken in capsule form or as a tea.

Devil’s claw root is effective in reducing the inflammation of connective tissues, as it dispels uric acid. Devil’s claw comes in many ways to be used- drops, capsule, tablets, teas and even creams.

Ginger In one study, Indian researchers gave three to seven grams of ginger a day to 28 people with rheumatoid arthritis. More than 75 percent of those participating in the study reported at least some relief from pain and swelling. Even after more than two years of taking these high doses of ginger, none of the people reported side effects. Many people drink ginger tea for arthritis. A ginger compress is also beneficial for arthritis. Dosage: 6-50 grams of fresh or powdered ginger per day.

I found this out from a neighbor of mine who also has Rheumatoid Arthritis. Turmeric (Curcumin, Curcuma longa) Curcumin, the yellow pigment of turmeric, has significant anti-inflammatory action. Curcumin has been shown to be as effective as cortisone or phenylbutazone in certain models of inflammation. Curcumin also exhibits many beneficial effects on liver functions. The typical dosage of curcumin is 400 to 600 mg 3 times daily. Curcumin is sometimes given in combination with an equal dose of an extract of the pineapple plant called bromelain, which appears to possess anti-inflammatory properties of its own. My neighbor says he just eats a lot of it- even gives it to his dog who also suffers from arthritis, he’s found it to be beneficial!

Curcumin is thought to be quite safe. Side effects are rare and are generally limited to occasional allergic reactions and mild stomach upset. However, safety in very young children, pregnant or nursing women, and those with severe liver or kidney disease has not been established.

A tasty way to combat arthritis symptoms is eating blueberries, cherries, or hawthorn berries. These berries are rich sources of flavonoid molecules, particularly proanthocyanidins. These flavonoids exhibit membrane and collagen stabilizing, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory actions as well as many other actions that are very beneficial in the treatment of RA. Drinking a couple tablespoons of cherry juice every day helps alleviate joint stiffness and swelling. It’s sour- so you may want to dilute it in some water.

Before you start any regimen (even using natural remedies for managing rheumatoid arthritis)  please discuss it with your healthcare provider. There are risks involved with some of these supplements and could end up hindering your progress instead of helping.

There may not be cure yet, but there are ways to make life better!

Please let me know if you have found this helpful or if you have anything to add.

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