Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives NSD and diet-related; Starting NSD, need inspiration!

Hi Namaste to all,

I am from India (the himalayan part). I was diagnosed with Reactive Arthritis and thus AS four years back. Initially every doctor I used to meet diagnosed me with meniscus injury in my right knee, but then the pain kept on adding to other joints including my both ankles, left knee and my left ring finger (now I know it was called reactive for some reasons). After various misdiagnosis I was finally diagnosed with HLA B27, and was saved from my knee to get operated. He gave me diclofenac and some supplement, then referring me to physiotherapist, I was fit and back to the himalayas once again in about 4 months since the onset after making my lean thighs muscular again through excercises.

I used to get occasional back and neck pains since last year more frequently. About four months back again I felt severe pain in my knee joint and SI, then next few days it affected my both knees, right ring finger joint, both shoulders, elbow joint, jaw, the other SI joint, back and necl joint. It was difficult for me to count the joints that are affected, I started to have big inflammation in these joints, and when I reach hospital, they admitted me. My condition was really bad, the pain was immense, they take some liquid out from my SI (via inner thigh), knees and ankles in next days. I was given cortisones locally, and given paracetamol + tramadol drops for pain killer. As for now my local joint inflammation is virtually very less, but there is symptoms of enthesitis in some of the joints.

Right now I am taking indomethacin (Indocap SR 70mg) two times a day and sulfasalazine (planning to quit them at the end of the month). The doctors are more keen to do anti-tnf, but I am not sure. It's still very difficult for me to walk. My ESR is 92 and CRP is 109 and haemoglobin dropped to 10.6 (which was 17.8 in my healthy days) checked latest a month ago.

But finding this community I am inspired to Kick this AS off and started my apple fasting from yesterday, to start NSD program (it is difficult for me being Indian and vegetarian, you know...). Do you think it can fix my enthesitis symptoms?

Looking for the support...https://www.kickas.org/ubbthreads/images/icons/default/5.gif

Namaste, himalayanwarrior:

I lived in Simla for many months, and really enjoyed being out of the heat! While there, despite not yet knowing about diet specifically, I had a terrible flare and I fasted for a week, much to the chagrin of my cook! I was also on the worst diet possible (vegetarian), otherwise, so my AS returned very quickly.

There in India, it would be very difficult to follow the NSD; more so than other places in this world!

You must be certain You have plenty of clean water to drink and then do a proper fast.

And eliminate ALL NSAIDs!! These drugs will make things much worse. Since You plan on eliminating sulfasalazine and NOT the drug You should be eliminating, it seems You might not have very good results with the NSD. AS begins in the gut! It begins with the very damage You are encouraging by taking NSAIDs! At least the sulfasalazine has antibiotic properties (the reason it acts as a true DMARD for those of us with AS). It is important to find enteric-coated sulfasalazine (Azulfidine-EN or Salazopyrin-EC). Otherwise please consider, if You can be VERY STRICT with NSD, taking regular antibiotics that I know are readily available there.

Again, I would begin the diet by fasting followed by very strict period following NSD while taking some antibiotics in cycles.

It is important to supplement and especially where You are to get enough VitD, but especially tissue repair: VitC, niacin (and niacinamide), vitE, and lysine. Minerals calcium, magnesium, boron, copper, and iron. Even trace (colloidals) through boiled seawater or 'glacial milk' like the Hunzas drink over there in Gilgit.

Many things You should eat: Bitter melon with eggs, okra (fresh mostly, but pickled should be okay too). False paneer over the real thing for now, fish, chicken, lamb, beef, and plenty of fresh vegetables--but nothing fried and especially no pakoras, poories, chapaties, rice, etc. No dosas! See--You must test everything and use Your head to stay out of such trouble!

You can overcome AS if You will!

If You should get down to Delhi, perhaps You could fill this prescription, given to me by Hakim Sayeed Hamid (founder of Hamdard) when he was just 93 years old:





HEALTH,
John

Thanks John for the valuable information! It's very nice to know that you have been to Shimla (however I belong to Nainital if you know) and met with Hamdard himself in Delhi. Right now I am in Delhi for my treatment, and I think would visit in the address given in your prescription. I can't understand what is written in it, since it is Urdu. So what he gave to you?

As for the NSAID I am also keen to get rid of it asap, but the pain is excruciating I can't even walk without it, my enthesitis is getting worse with each day. I am taking enteric coated sulfasalazine already, I am now on 3gms a day,, should I still take antibiotics?

>> my enthesitis is getting worse with each day.

I used to get enthesitis in my hands knees and feet. I found that a supplement called Rutin helped with this pain when it was in these more peripheral locations, but I don't know if it would benefit you. Rutin is a special antioxidant extracted from a plant (Buckwheat)

I never had any unwanted side effects taking it and often took anywhere from 300mg to 600mg but you could take more. My recollection is that due to it having an adrenaline "sparing" effect it is precautionary not to take Rutin whilst pregnant - presumably a very high adrenaline level could bring on early labour.

Anyway, all that pain went away when I started the NSD. NSD is a better approach although it takes more effort.

Hi, himalayanwarrior:

I know it is Urdu, but I cannot read it, either. These are herbal pressings to take three times daily, along with some oils just to be rubbed in. The Hakim suggested that I be fed plenty of garlic and fresh fenugreek, also. He was conversing with my friends who had taken me there--they were Sikhs whose families had been in greater Punjab before partitioning, so knew Urdu. If You took this to the chemists there, I am sure that they would give You the correct pressings--very aromatic, btw. I think these herbs must have the activity of healing and otherwise some "styptic" effect upon the gut.

Sorry, The Hakim was founder of Unani medicine in India and once head of Aligarth University also established Hamdard Company. He took my pulse for many minutes (interesting story), and chatted with my friends. One of them later said: "John...do You know what this man has said," I replied that I did not speak or understand Hindi. "URDU!" "But John, he has said Your mother is long dead and You have an older sister and a younger brother--why have You never told us of Your brother?!" So this was true and not to make too much of this, my mother died from AS (albeit she never knew it) in my opinion, as she smoked and the certain aortitis along with that habit turned her into a floater when she was 42. Regret I usually do not talk to or about my brother as he was probably damaged in womb due also to my mother's habits that included drinking way too much so brother is paranoid-schizophrenic. But interesting The Hakim picked up on these things.

That is why I value this prescription for others with AS especially in India where it would be so difficult to remain starch-free for very long. Regret he passed away in 1999, but others have taken over his Unani practice and his chemists are still there. The chemist who instructed me, optimistically admonished that "...keep this up faithfully--it will be a CURE!"

Certainly, I believe that if we can heal our intestinal tract enough, we can eliminate most AS activity and by today, after being at this for nearly a decade and a half, I can tolerate most starches (but I really do not need them as a food source!).

Yes, I know about the beautiful area You are from--quite a tourist destination. I wanted to go to Rishikesh and on to Nepal, but flew into Kathmandu, instead.

I would wait on the antibiotics, as the diet+sulfasalazine should do the trick and I counsel against stopping this, but wait and see how it works. The diet will work, but requires patience and maybe fasting or the Edgar Cayce Three Day Apple Diet as a sort of "kick-start." If You can get hold of some borage seed oil or equivalent GLA (oil from black currant or evening primrose also), it would be good to begin taking 2-3g nightly immediately before retiring. Then if You can find some fresh wheatgrass juice or ask some Ayurvedic or other physician what is the most potent anti-oxidant drink--green drink, perhaps neem leaves? Take several ounces daily just couple of days to see and You should soon be walking without pain.

Yes, You can and SHOULD get rid of NSAIDs ASAP!

Namaste,
John

Thanks for the information Zark, my enthesitis pain is excruciating in knees,feet and elbow, and moderate in my shoulders, since I hadn't took my NSAID for two days, and keen to not take it again. I have asked a friend for marijuana to help me for pain.

I will see if I can find 'rutin', can I also take buckwheat? is it starchy?

Thanks John for this detailed information.It's a nice story with the hakim, he must also have some intuitive power. I was discussing about Hamdard with my mother, and she told me that these unani medicines are very good, she used to give me half teaspoon when I had stomach problem as a kid, and it cures the problem right away.

I will go to the address you gave me, and may be translate what is written in that prescription with my urdu speaking friend. After this I am going to do 'panch karma' from some ayurvedic clinic to complement my NSD.

Thanks again for your suggestions and inspiration! I am feeling real good despite of all the pains!

>> can I also take buckwheat? is it starchy?

My recollection is that it is starchy. I did a google and there was a doc that said starch is the major carb in buckwheat .. no good for NSD then. If you want to experiment with it outside of NSD that is your call, you can find buckwheat in a japanese noodle called "soba".

Rutin as a supplement is fine though for NSD. Maybe search ebay? I can usually find it in any big health food shop that has a very wide range of nutritional supplements.

>> brother is paranoid-schizophrenic

Hey John !

There are rumours that coconut oil may help those with schizophrenia - Reason being that there is a dysfunction in mitochondrial energy production when using carbs as an energy source in the brain cells of Schizophrenics. Theory is that Coconut oil is easily converted to ketone bodies and this provides an alternate food source for brain cells, thus allowing them to perform their proper function once more.

"Disordered energy metabolism in schizophrenia. The brain uses glucose in circulation as its main energy source, with ketone bodies as an alternative. In schizophrenic patients, brain energy supply is scarce owing to mitochondrial dysfunction. Hence, the brain is presumed to have to partially shift its energy supply towards ketone bodies, and fatty acid metabolism in the liver is then mobilized to produce the necessary ketone bodies."
source: http://www.nature.com/mp/journal/vaop/ncurrent/fig_tab/mp2011131f3.html

Hi John,

What a mysterious prescription you gave? I have shown it to many urdu readers but they are unable to read it since its in some illegible doctor handwriting or may be coded. Then I went to Asif Ali Road but the doctors there say that they no longer make the same what is written in the prescription. But it's still a mystery what medicine he wrote since the practitioners there themselves are not revealing it.

Now I think I would go to Hamdard to seek for the medicines or atleast know what those mysterious meds are, then let you know? Now I am real curious...