Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group How do I get off NSAIDs?

I've controlled AS very well with the no starch diet for 4 years. In May I had an allergic reaction and prednisone messed me up. I started taking NSAIDs to control the pain.

Recently the pain is accelerating even on the strictest diet. Tramadol makes me ill. I'm considering using the biologicals which I'm not excited about.

For the fasting gurus, will a five day fast get me off the NSAIDs?
Thanks,
Scott

Hi Scott,
Fasting ALWAYS helps me to be pain-free.I look for it to possibly,over time,heal my gut.I need a remission! I'm excited,next week I'm gonna be off and I'm doing a 5 day water fast.1 day helps tremendously.I'm excited to see how I feel after 5 days!!I'm going to talk to my doctor and see about a longer one after that!I wanna heal!
Good luck!
Shauna

Hi, Scott:

Yes, fasting should help, but I recommend a preparation for the fast by loading up with safe (even liquid) minerals and vitamins.

Also, to help control the pains, be sure You are getting enough EFAs and especially GLA--take the borage seed oil upon retiring--about 2g effective GLAs and plenty of EVOliveOil during the day. See whether this helps and even colostrum could be tried for improved gut health. Zinc and vitD are also very important as are vitsC, E, niacin and lysine. This may only be a temporary setback due to the allergic reaction or some other thing affecting Your intestinal permeability. If You had antibiotics available, I would use some--especially prior to any meal.

Also, fruit monodiets may help.

Best to You,
John

How long does a remission last for you with a 1 day fast?
Just since I originally posted, my one day fast is going well- 'cept that I'm a zombie!

Thanks John, I was hoping the expert would weigh in! I've been on those supplements you recommend for a long time (and many others- some I probably shouldn't be on).

I'm curious about the apple fast. Any fruit will bother me lately. I went 3 years without eating fruit and got significantly better. The allergic reaction put me back to no fruit. I wonder if an apple only diet would be ok, though?

Hey, Scott:

Well, there are some very individualistic responses, so all I can say is that, in general the apple regimen is very good and can take down fasts even more quickly than fasting, it seems. But long-term fasting is really healing, so it is a tough decision.

One fellow had good results fasting but he was unable to eat anything at all without flaring up. After much searching, it was found that he had some elevated levels of mercury and after chelations the NSD began working for him. I think I have that story straight, anyway it illustrates that there are things that cannot be explained from our normal experiences. It is certainly not uncommon that we have to leave off dairy before the diet works well, and another fellow in NZ cannot tolerate nightshade (or starches). Yet another wrote to me and wanted to remain vegetarian, so found out how to heal his gut well enough and has become starch-tolerant.

Stuff that heals the tract is a major part of the battle, but fasting can help accomplish this by allowing it to heal. If You cannot tolerate a full water-only fast, perhaps a juice regimen would do the same thing.

About half of the problems I encounter with fasting are social pressures, but there are some times I begin and after one day just give up; partly mental and partly physical, I guess. If I did not know how good this was for me I probably would not continue for five and more days. Eleven days recently, but I want to someday beat my old record of 20--and I could stand to go without food this long and more, btw.

Good Luck, and we'll be here for You along the way, whatever You decide,
John

Hi Scott
After 1 day and getting pain free again,it lasts until I eat an offending food(my pain stays from 0-1,I couldn't walk a lot of the time before NSD)
That's why I wanna go longer.I know it is the answer and I want to see what longer can do!
Shauna

Thanks both of you- very inspiring.

The mercury connection has interested me all along. There are lots of studies linking mercury to immune dysfunction and leaky gut. A hair test confirms that I cannot excrete mercury on my own.

best,
Scott

I've hear things about activated charcoal before for heavy metals. I guess you could just pick that up online or something?