Hi all :)

Hi raybeez and welcome to the site.

Sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis. I am 44 and started showing symptoms of RA when I was 25. I as well was at that time very athletic and in very good physical condition at 5'9 155lbs.

Unfortunately my experience with diet has not been really positive or negative in respect to RA. I have always eaten rather well and never had much of an appetite for any kind of processed foods etc. That said I have tried several diets over the years that have simply not had an effect good or bad with regards to my RA symptoms. I saw a naturalpath who put me on a rather severe diet where we reintroduced foods to my diet over many months after a cleansing period. In my case there was no specific indicator of any particular food having a negative effect.

On the flip side I do think that eating healthy is key to minimizing some of the cumulative effects of RA as well as adequate rest and positive outlets for daily stress being a good way to help with the disease. I supplement my diet with b-12 as well as D and other things. I juice as well specifically towards anti inflamation recipes.

You have a good attitude. It's a big help in dealing with this disease to try to stay mentally, spiritually and physically as positive as we can. I am not able to do many of the things I once was as a result of RA, I have found though that there are many things I get immense satisfaction from if I keep an open mind and willingness to try new things.

As far as medications go; RA as I am sure you are aware can be a very debilitating illness. My father, grandfather and great great grandfather all suffered from it and were all disabled from it at a relatively early age. At 44 I am much less further along in regards to the disability which I attribute to having it been aggressively treated from the outset. I have had quite a few years of productivity and also been relatively pain free I think due to this. My father was disabled by my age.

There are many that think that diet has a significant impact on diseases of the immune system. If diseases such as RA were triggered or increasing due to diet it would not explain why my parents and their parents suffered from it as well when there were no pesticides, GMO's, depletion of soils etc etc in use. As well, I should have been able to find at this point at least some diet link to the disease in my experiences.

I wish you the best. May god bless you and keep you. -Don

You can try diet and adding supplements are always a plus, However, do not be afraid of the medications, sometimes all we have are the medications to rely upon. Not all medications are bad, there is a though about antibotic therapy which you could ask your doctor about and give a try...The medications really are the best way to prevent the damage done to your joints and other area's. RA is not limited to the joints and can effect the eye's, and the lungs and thats why doctor's are aggressive in it's treatments, just keep open to medications.
Maybe ask your doctor for a complete bloodwork up to see if your defficient in any vitamins and work on adding those first...do not supplement vitamins if your good levels on them...Vitamin C is good to add though as it's hard to get enough vitamin C...
Many well wishes..Keep us posted and google Antibotic therapy and RA...