Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives NSD and diet-related; Dragon had me in her grips

I guess it can hit from apparently nowhere, but I have been doing so well on the NSD for the past three years, and very strict about things--as well as very cautious about antibiotic usage. But it finally happened and I'm not sure what exactly yet--the go-'round with my hip coincided with taking some new supplement, but also with colitis, so I feared a 'septic hip arthritis,' which although caused by long-term AS (rather rare) could be caused by several nasty pathogens not related to K. pneumoniae.

This changed sides and not hips, for it was then in my other knee--plenty of water and hot to the touch (it finally dawned on me that heat indicated reaction site). A bunch of Aleve helped reduce the swelling. So, whether my AS has not 'burned itself out' at 30 years, but just changed over to Reiter's Syndrome, or it is something else again remains to be determined.

Although it has been enough to break my code against NSAIDs, I have not broken with the NSD. The lesson is that if you are really suffering, it is reasonable to use certain of the drugs to get over a flare.

I do not yet have any clever way to fix the knee swelling and avoid the colitis, although I was able to get rid of this in about 4 days the first time, it returned too quickly as I was not as careful as I should have been.

Glad to see the site so active with new members--don't let my own relapse discourage; it is perhaps just one of those dues paying things--[The Fates Speak]"...HEY, John has been feeling WAY too good for too long!!".

Best to all,
John

Hello John, Sorry to hear about your current trouble.Have you or any one else for that matter ever heard of Dr Max Gerson and the therapy named after him.I posted some time ago that i was going to a lecture in Belfast to given by his daughter. Well ,I went and it was very very interesting.It majored mostly on treating cancer but said the therapy could be modified for most degenerative illnesses.I had a brief chat with the lady at the end of the lecture and asked if anyone with AS had been treated successfully.She said yes there had been and advised me to avoid all animal proteins and use coffee enemas and try to eat to maximise potassium intake. I bought a book that was on sale after co authered by herself and a Dr Morton Walker called The Gerson Therapy.I am still reading it and will probably have to read it again to digest all it's implications but it does state on a table of diseases or conditions that AS is one of the illnesses which it will help resolve.She was certainly a superb advert for her therapy.She is 80 but looks like someone in her 50's,she had been travelling all day due to her flight being messed up by an air traffic control computer failure but she was as alert and fresh and sharp of mind and was quite impressive in all she said.Hope you soon get relief andlook forward to your comments Jonathan

Dear Jonathan:

Yes, I have heard and read of Dr. Gerson, but only in reference. There is considerable space in Dr. Max Garten's book "Civilized Diseases and Their Circumvention" devoted to Dr. Gerson's Diet. I did have several of the Morton Walker books--especially related to Juicing. These guys seem to be from the Kellogg (J.H.) schools of thought, but the therapies are every bit as valid today as they were at the turn of the century, despite the 'debunkers.' There was one movie "The Road to Wellville" that tried to mischaracterize and devalue Dr. Kellogg's contributions.

The strength of the methodical and keen observational skills of some of the earlier German medical community yielded many results-driven therapies that are thankfully being rediscovered.

The Garten-Gerson influence was one of the reasons I became a vegetarian in 1978. I do not necessarily agree with the total exclusion of animal proteins anymore, especially for those of us with AS, but as an initial therapeutic approach, it might have some merit, especially regarding red meats (the arachidonic acid precursors that participate in the inflammatory process).

What I have observed is that the major chronic illnesses, Cardiovascular disease, Cancer, and Rheumatoid Arthritis, do respond to extreme diet: Vegan, no refined sugars, enzyme-rich, unadulterated/unprocessed, cleansing fasts, 'odd' foods, etc. Dr. Lorraine Day ("Cancer Doesn't Scare Me Anymore" http://www.drday.com fixed her own cancer this way and has also made the dietary connection to other chronic illnesses.

Max Garten was also a great example of diet-preaching set to practice--he was 95 when we travelled to Egypt, Israel, and The Philippines. I tend to believe people like him, Jack LaLanne, Dr. Kellogg, etc.

Glad that you have found the Gerson material and I'm certain that it will be of great benefit to you.

Thanks for mentioning this again,
John

Dear John,

So sorry to hear your trouble hope you can feel better very soon.

Sinta

John,
Sorry you are feeling bad these last few days . I hope things clear up for you very soon. You got the colitis under control really well. Four days not bad. I just got off of a bout of colitis 13 days ended up in the hospital for fluids, blood work and a oh so wonderful sigmoidscope. I really do feel for you.
Be well, Yoly

Hi John,
I was wondering where you had been! I hope that you are seeing relief already! Hope this Dragon is slain very soon! Hang in there! We NEED you around here!
Janet

Welcome back to the land of the living (albeit limping, but at least living!)!

I was just about to PM you... it's not like you to be silent for so long! I hope things are getting under control for you by now... You really were missed.

Sharon

Ditto Janet - I too had been missing your postings. Sorry to hear you have had a set-back. Scary to think that it can just flare up again but as you said we shouldn't let us discourage us. I too had to resort to NSAIDS recently as I had a viscious pain in my shoulder. I've kept to the diet but still definitely have some pain. Hope you are feeling better soon
ali

Hi there John,

Glad to hear your flare is finally passing.

It's reassuring that you are okay about occasional use of NSAID's, I must admit that having an (unopened) box available made me feel more secure about trying the LSD. No doubt I'll be taking it with me on holiday to Italy soon (-ish!) as back up, but don't worry I've no intentions of having a pasta-fest!!!

I know your knee swelling is different aeitology from a sprained joint but I'm wondering if this might help: when my partner badly sprained his ankle falling down stairs (owwch) to the degree that when he took of his shoe the swelling just grew before our eyes, I got him to elevate it on a chair and applied a wad of kitchen roll soaked in witch hazel with and a largish pack of frozen peas on top. I kept topping up the witch hazel so it was quite wet most of the time and made him rest up all evening like that and for overnight he had the witch hazel pad bandaged on (loosely, just to keep the pad on). Well next morning it was incredible, the swelling had completely gone and he could weight bear again. I've seen good results from witch hazel before but that was a particuarly good result - and a huge relief too, as you know what some men can be like with stuff like that ;))

So it might be worth a try, you never know it might reduce some of the swelling and should at least make it less painful.

Hope it helps!

Take care,

Jan

Oh god, Jan - how are you going to avoid pasta in Italy?? I love Italy and want to go back there soon but feel that I couldn't go now as I wouldn't be able to keep to the diet. Well Bilko thinks I'm a little weak with a few beers on me - you'd have to see me with a few glasses of wine and pasta being anywhere close!!
Have lots of fun though
ali