Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Couple questions

A couple weeks ago I had to stop taking my NSAIDs because it was upsetting my stomach, to the point I was bleeding when I went to the toilet. My rheumatologist suggested I take Prilosec OTC 20mg for 90 days. I have not started that yet, I'm just tired of taking drugs.
A week and a half ago I started the NSD with the first 3 days being the 3 day apple diet. I even gave up coffee just to be on the safe side (wasn't sure if it was making my stomach problems worse). The NSD is working (mostly). I've literally only eaten fruit, vegetables, and meat the last week. I had a mild flare on the fifth day hours after eating walnuts, so I haven't eaten them since.
My stomach still isn't settling down much (some I'm guessing may be partly to a new diet, but my body is used to it, as I started eating much healhier years ago to loose weight. The real difference is giving up the starches). Should I go ahead and take the prilosec OTC? Will it help the digestion of my food better or will it allow more to get into my intestines for the bacteria to feed off of? Will it affect the diet in any way? I really want this diet to work. Not ready to jump into the TNF inhibitors yet.
Also, like I said the NSD does seem to be helping. Most of my body feels much less inflammation. I've most noticed it in my neck (most surprising to me). I kept insisting to the doctor that my neck wasn't related to my back pain. I worked at a job years ago that had me swiveling my head from left to right about 15-30 times a minute. I did that for several years and assumed the pain I've felt in my neck for the past 10 years was from that, not AS. After just a week on the diet, that pain has virtually disappeared. I just have very minor pain now (which I'm now attributing to 10 years of uncontrolled inflammation damage).
However, when I first saw a physical therapist about exercise to help my AS, he insisted on good posture being paramount. Ever since, I've constantly found myself correcting my posture, straightening my back so I don't stoop. This has had a negative side affect. I now experience pain from mid shoulder line to just below the shoulder line in my back. This pain has not gone away with the diet. I'm tired of constantly correcting my posture and wonder if it is just making the problem worse. I know we want to avoid kyphosis, but I didn't have this pain before correcting my posture. Should I keep at it and hope the diet helps?
BTW, as I sit here writing this, I'm drinking my first cup of coffee in a week and and a half(although it only has honey, no half&half and sugar like I used to have). We'll see how it sits on my stomach today. It is heaven!

If you got to the bleeding point, then you probably do need some help to heal up your eroded gut. I don't know if prilosec heals as well as protects, but it would be worth checking with your doctor. Otherwise you could run the risk of a more severe bleed if it doesn't heal properly and quickly. Did they figure out which part of your gut was bleeding? you might need a scope to see how bad it actually is.

Hello, Zehntuhl:

Regret Prilosec is not very good after the damage has happened. If You think You have an ulcer, then it would help when taking the antibiotics (coffee grounds instead of red blood). It is probably unnecessary.

Coffee that is not 'espresso' style should be safe, sugars like honey are safe. Walnuts should not have caused any problem, but with damaged gut, anything is possible. Need to allow gut to heal; it takes time.

If RED blood in stool, it is proctitis and ulceration of lower tract and will make AS worse, overall. Best to test the fruit with iodine; this time of year fruits can be dangerous (harvested too early/with too much unconverted starch).

Myrrh is much better than Prilosec at easing digestive issues and "Swedish Bitters" has a lot of this in tincture form, also ginger tea would be better than coffee. Then saffron tea (Mexican safflower can be used) is also very good in this regard.

But certainly do get enough EVOliveOil and if in flare, take the GLA 2g--borage seed oil especially right before retiring. NSD Forum is best to ask more questions. Very glad You have had some results with diet, to date.

HEALTH,
John

Dear John, I was reading your post and it reminded me on "ginger tea without starch" which you told me once before. May you tell me how to make it as ginger is very beneficial but unfortunately very starchy also.
Wish you the best
Nenad

Hello Zehntuhl,
Prilosec is blocker of hydrogen pump and it will lower acidity in your gut, consequence of it will be stoping og further damage caused by stomach acid. Your intestines will have to heal by itselves as Prilosec will just stop acid to make more damage. My opinion is that it may be useful to stopa damage but repair will be upon other things which John was talking about. If blood in your stool is red than it comes from lomer parts of your intestines and if it is dark, almost black it is gastric ulcer.

THanks for the replies. I wasn't sure why they told me to take the Prilosec, but I have another appointment with the rheumatologist on Tuesday. I'll ask about it then. It was red and from the lower intestines. I looked back through my notes (been recording everything I eat) and the ony thing I saw that I could have reacted to was the walnuts. The last couple days, my stomach has calmed down. I'm not sure if it's the Prilosec or what. I didn't think I had a problem with heartburn.

Hello, Nenad:

The infusion of ginger should not be starchy, since it does not contain the pulp. Although I have tested ginger root, I have not tested the tea made from this root, but believe the essential oils and characters from it which make it into the water would be essentially safe. Potato starch is quite water soluble but other starches are usually more difficult to come out of matrix. Although I have not had any trouble with ginger tea, it could contain enough starch to cause trouble with others. I will test it, next time I make some.

HEALTH,
John

Thank you John,
I bought ginger root tonight and I will inform you abou results.
Wish you the best
Nenad

Hey, Nenad:

I just tested some ginger tea today, and found no reaction until I really boiled it up and tested bottom 'dregs' and then after about four minutes (usual time I test stuff) there was a very slight reaction.

I think ginger tea is just one of those 'borderline' things that we need to experiment with on a personal basis. It can really help with nausea and perhaps some inflammation, but the anti-oxidant oils are better at that job.

HEALTH,
John

Hi john.
Could you please explain what is the best way to test liquids? I have some cabbage juice that seems to test safe; but i know that the cabbage it self was abit starchy how do i treat this case?
Thanks
Bman