Is 0 medication possible? Managing RA Naturally
Hi, i have been trying methotrexate for months now. It has helped with my overall wellbeing but im not actually sure if it was the methotrexate or the fact that i have started being more disciplined and concious with the foods i eat. I try to identify wich foods are making some sort of reaction and therefore causing inflamation in my body and staying away from them or reducing the amount it eat. I have also started working out more, doing afirmations, doing heavy metal and parasite naturall clenses and keeping toxings from house products and cosmetics and shampoos away from me.
Sooo, my question is. Do any of you manage your RA or other inflamatory disease with 0 medication? is this even possible? I like to try different ways so i heard about the Paddison program. Do any of you know it? i think i will try to do it but for that i will get off my medication so as to know truly if this works for me. Of course i will talk this through with my Rheumatologist but i think i know what he is going to say about this š
also i forgot to mention i want to get off of it because it has been giving me stomach issues and also i dont like to be away from the sun. I find the sun very healing and important for well being. I dont like hiding from it i live in a very sunny country
Hi
. I can't say that Kelly has any experience with the Paddison program. I honestly think that has to do with the fact that she was diagnosed and doing treatments long before it was developed and then it just never came up. I do hope that others can offer some thoughts/insight because I'm definitely not opposed to people trying different things - hey, it something helps, go for it (maybe try posting a new Forum question just on that program to see if you get more community feedback). Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team) 
I do support the leaky gut theory in some regard myself as I think it makes sense and after almost forty years of RA it's the only explanation I've read that makes sense and corresponds to what I see with what happens when I eat certain things, but who knows - it may be totally off. I think once you identify your triggers both food and otherwise, you can make a more informed decision as to the mediation question! Also is a fount of technical and clinical knowledge if you want to drill down on the nitty gritty! Keep on keepin' on, DPM
I understand your concerns, and had the same questions when I was first diagnosed 19 years ago. From my experience, combination therapy has worked the best. Meaning conventional medications and integrative approaches. There's a lot known about RA meds now and tests your rheumatologist can do to help decide what path is best. Meds helped me live life again and so have lifestyle changes. RA is a very complex disease with more to be discovered. I often compare it to cancer because of how much goes into it and the severity it can cause. There's similarities in how it affects our lives on all levels. Even with natural methods, there is trial and error as well. RA can act fast, and you do want to protect your joints as once damage does occur you can't really get cartilage back. Yes there are stem cells etc, and other things in the pipeline science wise but it's not mainstream. I would find a good rheumy who listens and works with you, and a very knowledgable integrative doctor who can help you with diet but also dig deeper to check everything from how your body is handling viruses, bacteria, hormonal levels, thyroid health. These all are key players in RA too and you want to look at gut health. You can do all this and be on meds successfully. I know people who have been able to ween off meds and go into remission. I've known others who are in remission and need to take one med still. Others need meds longer. Everyone is so different. I hope this helps and wishing you nothing but the best with clarity on your path forward on this journey. -Effie, team member
Hello. I have been off RA drugs for years now. I took methotrexate and Mobic for over a year and had serious side affects. I changed my diet, try to control stress, exercise, acupuncture, massage, sleeping 7 hours and got rid of all chemical products in my house. I honestly feel so much better and have been able to control my flares for years now. Itās not for everyone and probably depends on the degree of your RA but itās worked for me. Take care.
A lot of research is ongoing wrt autoimmune diseases and gut health. There is an excellent documentary on Netflix on gut health. I know personally improving my gut health has helped both my autoimmune diseases. There are some research papers on the 30 plants per week protocol. I added that to my gluten free, dairy free and sugar free diet and it has helped. I have found the biggest help for me is going sugar free. It was hard at first but now I donāt miss it and if I eat something sweet it tastes REALLY sweet. Anyway good luck on your journey.
Hi
. Gut health and the microbiome has become an interesting area of research for RA and autoimmune conditions in general. There is even some new research (although preliminary) that a species of gut bacteria could be the cause of some cases of RA: https://www.niaid.nih.gov/news-events/newly-discovered-gut-bacterium-may-cause-some-rheumatoid-arthritis. There is also this research into gut bacteria and pre-clinical autoimmunity: https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-researchers-identify-link-between-gut-bacteria-and-pre-clinical-autoimmunity-and-aging-in-rheumatoid-arthritis/. What all this means for the future of RA treatments is yet unknown. This article from the Arthritis Foundation relays a little more on the current state of information on gut health and RA and notes that "There are several ways to optimize gut health. Diet plays a critical role. A varied, plant-based diet that includes prebiotic and probiotic foods is a great start. But many healthy lifestyle habits that are good for arthritis are also beneficial for your gut. These include exercise, good sleep habits, stress management and smoking cessation:" https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/about-arthritis/related-conditions/physical-effects/inflammatory-arthritis-and-gut-health. Hope this information is helpful and hopefully the research points to finding future treatments. Best, Richard (Team Member) thank you so much this is so so helpful! The transition of diet is very challenging but Iām trying to start slow!
