How to talk to your Doctor.

By tammyrstevens17

1 min read

Hello my name is Tammy and I've published some stories before. I have had to learn that sometimes you need to be able to talk to your doctor and talk about other methods to treat RA. I have just received a new doctor and not sure if he is just trying to push the easiest thing on me to get it over and done with. I have asked my doctor for nutritionists and to treat some of my symptoms with herbal medicine and they do not agree. I would like to get off the heavy duty meds and try and change life style to work around my nutrition and herbs that help with inflammation and pain. Does anyone have any advice for me to help with my decision to better my quality of life. The side effects of the heavy duty drugs are taking a toll on my body. Thanks for your time

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Tamara Haag Moderator & Contributor
Hi Tammy, Thanks so much for reaching out with your questions! It can be difficult to find a specialist who is also open to alternative therapies/diet. I'll provide some information that may be of interest to you. Herbal remedies/supplements: <a href='https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/natural-remedies' target='_blank'>https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/natural-remedies/</a> Diet and Nutrition: <a href='https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/diet-and-nutrition' target='_blank'>https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/diet-and-nutrition/</a> Alternative therapies: <a href='https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/alternatives-therapies' target='_blank'>https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/alternatives-therapies/</a> If it's possible to continue to search for a rheumatologist who is more open to discussing these topics, that could be helpful. However, depending on where you live you may not be able to find someone like that in your area. Therefore, you may have to do your own research on finding a nutritionist or herbalist. It is important to share any supplements, etc. that you take with your rheumatologist so that s/he can be aware of any potential interactions, etc. Lastly, moderating for this community has shown me how very different each of our experiences with RA can be. Just as with medications, where one biologic may work great for me but do nothing for the next person and vice versa, people's experience with the impact of diet and nutrition on RA varies greatly. Some people say they've been able to achieve remission through diet alone, whereas others have tried diet after diet to no avail. I share that just to let you know that if you hear of a diet that is supposed to be helpful for RA but don't find it impacts your disease activity, you may still find that avoiding a different food not addressed with the first diet does indeed help you. I commend you for trying to take charge of your condition and for reaching out for information. Please continue to share with us any time you feel so inclined! Wishing you all the best, Tamara
1. tammyrstevens17 Member
 Thank you for giving me this information
2. tammyrstevens17 Member
 Of course I will I don't want to make anything worse than it already is.