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RA and foods causing the inflammation/food allergies

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Rheumatoid Arthritis
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Posted 3/8/2012 6:16 AM (GMT 0)
I'm battling with the RA for 4 years now.
I'm trying to figure out the foods that may cause inflammation to my body, and I was wondering if any of you deed this.

I'm not sure if the food is causing the inflammation when it gets to the stomach, small intestine...or colon? How much time should elapse from the time I ingest the food? How do I know the reaction I get at noon is from the breakfast food or from the yesterday's dinner?
Please help with any suggestions and recommendations!
Thanks,
Anto
Posted 3/8/2012 7:45 AM (GMT 0)
Hi again,

i was told to avoid produce from the "Nightshade" catagory this includes potatoes tomatoes etc

i do find i need milk after metheltrexate i buy a morning breakky drink that is a milk product and be sure to have it First thing on moring after metheltrexate i have even taken to having one before bed that night and seems to help tummy.

i havent really found any one item that causes a problem however i do get "Hot" with some foods Strawberries,Tomatoes being the main 2

i do have Dihareah issues i feel is from the metheltrexate and i can litterly eat a meal and within 15mins Have to go

yes the RA would cause swelling internally so it would be good to avoid harsh foods so we dont add irritation anyway.

Good Luck

Posted 3/8/2012 6:07 PM (GMT 0)
I never saw any relation to what I ate and my RA symptoms
Posted 3/11/2012 12:08 AM (GMT 0)
For me, it isn't the actual foods that cause my inflammation, but additives in the foods that cause me to flair and pain to get worse. Things like Sorbital, polysorbate, yellow dye 5 etc. etc. etc. are things i have to look out for because my body thinks they are aliens invading it's space.

I eliminated so many things and couldn't figure out why one cheese I could eat a block of, but another cheese of the same kind would flare me up. It was added colors etc. that caused my problems.

One thing we always need to remember is RA is something that works by attacking when it thinks something is wrong or doesn't belong here. So check out ingredients as well as inflam foods.

Some of the ingredients in items, oddly enough, come from all sorts of odd things. Some colors come from bugs (yep bugs), some additives to foods come from petrolium etc. not to mention that most foods are grown with tons of chemicals sprayed on them to help them grow larger. All things we shouldn't be digesting.

I just wish scientists were sick with this disease more often so they can feel it to tell them what they should test next.
Posted 5/4/2013 2:07 PM (GMT 0)
I've had success treating RA with diet challenge. Was diagnosed ~4 years ago, with pain primarily in left foot, around knuckles near ball of foot. Started methytrexate and almost went on Humira but then started to look for alternatives. By keeping diary of foods and pain, found out my flare-ups are mostly triggered with
coffee,
chocolate.
Now on no meds and mostly pain-free.
There's no question in my mind that inflammation can be self treated.
Posted 5/30/2013 5:15 PM (GMT 0)
I found that the paleo diet (no grains, wheat, processed foods, sugars, etc) keeps my inflammatory markers in check. I don't smoke or drink. Alcohol really seems to increase swelling for me. I still have to take medications, though. It is likely that I am able to take less medication however, because of healthy living.

I have also heard that the nightshade foods can be problematic for some people with RA. I guess I am lucky that this is not the case for me. I eat them all with no problems. But everyone is different. I think the issue is more of a food sensitivity issue...everyone has different allergies and sensitivities. An allergist can run tests for you so that you know what foods to avoid.

One of my kids has several pages of allergies, and has been on life support numerous times for anaphylactic reactions to various foods. We have found the allergy testing to be very valuable for him. They can also advise you on how to properly do an elimination diet (where you introduce foods slowly to check for reaction). I have done this with my son with great success. Some food allergies though, are life long. Tree nut and legume (including peanuts) are some of these. Don't mess with these.
Posted 5/30/2013 7:25 PM (GMT 0)
I could never avoid tomatoes, as they are one of my very favorite foods. I also would have a hard time giving up potatoes. I find more influence from the weather, than from food. Maybe I just am not paying enough attention to when the inflammation occurs.
Posted 6/1/2013 2:15 AM (GMT 0)
Be cautious with food allergy testing. I have a good friend who is an allergist. She is personally familiar with foods, allergic responses, and inflammation. She has advised me that food allergy testing is not yet definitive. Skin testing doesn't seem to be relevant and there is no consistency to the IGG analysis various labs do, they just aren't reliable yet. She thinks eventually the IGG testing will be there, but for now she says to use your own experimenting. If your experiences and symptoms conflict with test results, believe yourself first.
Posted 6/7/2013 4:01 PM (GMT 0)
Lhowemt,

It's true that allergy testing is in it's infancy, so I agree with you. It is also quite expensive. I too, have many friends that are healthcare professionals in this area, and have been a healthcare professional myself for over 20 years (although most of my experience is in the icu). I still think that very high titers noted with certain foods are indicative of an allergy or at the very least a food worthy of trying an elimination diet on. My youngest child has been on life support numerous times with issues related to food allergies. Went through years of testing and allergy shots with him that likely saved his life (anaphylactic reaction to grass as well, which almost killed him). At any rate...foods that produce immediate reactions (vomitting, diarrhea, hives, etc...) I would avoid. You don't need a specialist to tell you this. You body is telling you already. With severe food allergies, symptoms get worse with repeated exposure. The reactions come on hard and fast. I have performed cpr on my 14 year old more than a few times for these.

Agree with De La Rosa as well. My RA is worse with changes in climate, particularly rain and humidity. I live in Washington so we get a great deal of both. When I go back home to Phoenix...no problems. I guess we are both lucky we can eat tomatoes, since some people cannot. I personally love heirlooms!
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