Psoriasis Arthritis & PCOS

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Psoriasis Arthritis & PCOS

Postby KatRose » Mon Mar 27, 2017 10:57 am

Hello,

My name is Kat and me and my husband just started the 10 day free program yesterday evening. I went to the groceries and got brown rice, potatoes, oatmeal and lots of veggies. I made Zucchini and carrot stew with baked potatoes.

I have PCOS, am 80lbs overweight, am pre diabetic, have elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, high testosterone, low vitamin D, eczema between my fingers and suffer from migraines. I am 28.


My husband suffers from a debilitating disorder known as Psoriatic Arthritis. Not only does he have severe joint pain, but also is covered in sore red patches from the psoriasis (worse on his legs, but it covered his entire body now...)

He is currently at home, in bed, and unable to get up due to severe pain in his back and neck. He has pain in all his joins, ankles, feet, knees, hands... you name it. He often uses crutches to get around at home and has to use those scooters at the grocery store. He is only 38.

We have been told many contradicting ideas about diet, most suggest a low carb diet. We did Keto for about 2 months, and while it did seem to help us loose weight our blood work remained the same and we were always hungry and felt light headed.

We have been to countless doctors, traditional and natural. Family practice, Dermatologist, multiple Rheumatologists, Podiatrist, Naturepaths, Doctor of Intergrative medicine, chiropractors, massage therapists and probably a few I cant remember.


We have tried so many treatments, conventional and natural/herbal. Herbal remedies, to Humira, to steroids. NOTHING has helped! In fact he has only gotten worse!


A breakdown of his medical journey.

Primary care Physician:
Thought he might have gout, put him on Allopurinol, he has severe allergic reaction resulting in tongue swelling and trouble breathing.

Dermatologist:
Gave him steroid creams for his skin, steroid mousse for his scalp and Humira for Psoriasis. He got a Fistula and had to discontinue Humira. After about a year the fistula healed.

Rheumatologist:
Told him to start a low carb (No carbs was his exact words), put him back on Humira, he got really sick and his skin and pain became worse then ever. Now wants to put him on Remicade, but we are scared to try more of these Immunosuppressant drugs!


Podiatrist:
X-Rayed his foot, confirmed deterioration of joints due to psoriatic arthritis. Gave him local steroid shot in foot, had no effect on pain. The doctor said he has the feet of a 60 year old man!

Integrative Doctor:
Did a zillion tests on him (cost us thousands... our life savings in fact...) which showed general inflammation factors and perhaps signs of infection (they don't know what kind, said could be viral, bacterial, parasitic or fungal)most tests were inconclusive and "more testing" was needed... testing we had no more money for. He also had low vitamin D and heavy metal poisoning.

They did an IgG Testing on reactive foods. He came back reactive to EVERYTHING accept Beef, Salmon, Zucchini, oranges-limes-lemons-mangos-Avacados, nuts, wheat, rice, corn, dairy, mint and nutmeg.

Then she tells him to avid wheat and dairy, despite the fact that those were two of the disturbingly short list that he was supposedly not reactive to.
Can you imagine zucchini being the ONLY vegetable you could eat? How is he suppose to eat healthy like this???
He tried eating like this and it was horrible. he ate rice with either beef or salmon, some zucchini and mango or avocado. he was miserable, hungry and still in pain.

She also put him on a TON of supplements! (all of which she wanted to be purchased from her)

(If your curious here is a list)

Oxisol - NeuroScience $50.00 (60 CT)

Avipaxin - NeuroScience $58.00 (90 CT)

Norlox Ultra - NeuroScience $66.00 (60 ct)

B12 Max - Apex $28.00

B6 Complex - Pure Encapsulations $20.40 (60 ct) $34.30 (120 ct)

HistDAO - Xymogen $83.00-NOT YET

HTN Complex - Designs For Health $36.90 (120 ct)

DGL Plus - Pure Encapsulations $20.00 (60ct) $57.20 (180 ct)

Nitric Balance - Apex $49.00

Vitamin D3 vegan liquid - Pure Encapsulations $27.90

Total= $439.2

Naturpath:
She touched him with one hand then touched some vials with the other. Through this "Master Test Kit" she said he was allergic to literally EVERYTHING and had tapeworms. She did an "Allergy Reversal" and a "Hormone Reversal" and put him on Humaworm.

We later went and had his allergies tested at a real allergist and he is still allergic to the things he had been before (grass, pollen, dust mites ect) so this was completely bogus in my opinion.


Conclusion
He has been trying to take all the Supplements the Integrative Doctor prescribed and eating only beef, salmon, rice, zucchini with some mangos occasionally. He is STILL getting worse and increasingly depressed.

He has missed a lot of work and lots of days like today he can not even walk. The only thing that gives him any relief is steroid packs, but only while he is on them, plus taking them is less then ideal. I know all they do is stop his body from fighting whatever it is that is causing this.

So what I ask you all is could the McDougall lifestyle help us? Do my husbands IgG tests even mean anything? Should he stay away from nightshades? Can I eat such a high carb diet with PCOS and high blood sugar? Any experiences or advice is much appreciated!

Thank you to anyone who took the time to read my story!
KatRose
 
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Re: Psoriasis Arthritis & PCOS

Postby nicoles » Tue Mar 28, 2017 2:19 pm

Hi KatRose!

I am so sorry to hear of all your and your husband's health troubles.

I have psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis, and I have been managing both through plant based eating with no medication for years. I also have had PMDD, severe PMS and ovarian cysts

Conclusion
He has been trying to take all the Supplements the Integrative Doctor prescribed and eating only beef, salmon, rice, zucchini with some mangos occasionally. He is STILL getting worse and increasingly depressed.


I am so sorry to hear that. I was also very depressed, and that shifted dramatically after I changed my diet, although it did take a month or so to see that effect.

...So what I ask you all is could the McDougall lifestyle help us?


In my opinion it can help you both very much!

Do my husbands IgG tests even mean anything?


They likely mean that he has intestinal permeability, and so is currently reacting to everything, but not permanently. If he heals his intestinal lining, he may test differently and feel differently


Should he stay away from nightshades?


He can try that. In general, common allergens are: dairy, wheat, corn, soy, citrus and nightshades. He could start out eating McDougall but avoiding those foods, or just eat mCDougall and if nothing changes at all in the first month, start an elimination diet.

Can I eat such a high carb diet with PCOS and high blood sugar? Any experiences or advice is much appreciated!


You absolutely can! People's blood sugars tend to go down quite predictably on high-starch(complex carbs, even better) low fat, animal-free diet.


have you watched these?

Inflammatory Arthritis

Diet and Multiple Sclerosis - explains intestinal permeability somewhat

Intestines From The Beginning

Diet and Diabetes
Tough times don't last, tough people do

Read the results of my journey here: Nicole S. O'Shea vs. Psoriatic Arthritis

My Journal
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Re: Psoriasis Arthritis & PCOS

Postby astirle » Wed Mar 29, 2017 3:59 am

Hi KatRose and welcome to the forum.

So sorry to hear about your health troubles and at such a young age too, when you should be enjoying life.

That seems like a lot of supplements! - how would you really know which worked and which may actually cause a problem?
I hope you give the McDougall way of eating a really good shot, it can take some time to see the results we are after but it has helped so many, so I hope it helps you too.
A simple starch fruit and vegetable approach to eating should not be expensive and as Jeff N has said - has no side effects!

All the very best to you both, Helen
On the quest for resilience
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Re: Psoriasis Arthritis & PCOS

Postby KatRose » Tue Apr 04, 2017 9:22 am

nicoles wrote: Hi KatRose!
I am so sorry to hear of all your and your husband's health troubles.
I have psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis, and I have been managing both through plant based eating with no medication for years. I also have had PMDD, severe PMS and ovarian cysts
I am so sorry to hear that. I was also very depressed, and that shifted dramatically after I changed my diet, although it did take a month or so to see that effect.
In my opinion it can help you both very much!
They likely mean that he has intestinal permeability, and so is currently reacting to everything, but not permanently. If he heals his intestinal lining, he may test differently and feel differently
He can try that. In general, common allergens are: dairy, wheat, corn, soy, citrus and nightshades. He could start out eating McDougall but avoiding those foods, or just eat mCDougall and if nothing changes at all in the first month, start an elimination diet.
You absolutely can! People's blood sugars tend to go down quite predictably on high-starch(complex carbs, even better) low fat, animal-free diet.

have you watched these?

Inflammatory Arthritis

Diet and Multiple Sclerosis - explains intestinal permeability somewhat

Intestines From The Beginning

Diet and Diabetes


Nicole,

Thank you so much for replying to my questions. Your testimonial was the main one that motivated my husband to try the program and to feel he had hope. Having hope has changed his outlook SO much!

We have been on the McDougall diet for a little over a week now and are loving it!

My husband started feeling some relief on about day 3. He has had a few set backs. Yesterday his foot was hurting really bad. Although he has actually been able to walk and get out of bed he is still in a lot of pain in his back and foot. I know its still early. We will stick with it for a month and then try elimination diet if he has not improved more by then.

I am enjoying the program, I like the food and am happy I am not clogging my arteries anymore. However sadly I have not been feeling well. I have had diarrhea, nausea, headache (which was a full blown migraine 2 days ago) and just generally feeling awful. Is my body just adjusting to the new diet, or is something wrong? The only good thing is I did lose 4lbs so far.

Another thing is I have bad breath and my tongue is white and yellow. I always thought it was Candida and eliminating carbs and sugar from my diet usually helped. However on this diet I am not sure what to do about it. Any suggestions? I have not found an article from McDougall about candida.

I have watched some of those videos, I will definitely add the rest to my list!

I can't thank you enough for taking the time to talk to me! Being able to talk to someone that really understands the severity of this disease is so helpful.

astirle wrote:Hi KatRose and welcome to the forum.

So sorry to hear about your health troubles and at such a young age too, when you should be enjoying life.

That seems like a lot of supplements! - how would you really know which worked and which may actually cause a problem?
I hope you give the McDougall way of eating a really good shot, it can take some time to see the results we are after but it has helped so many, so I hope it helps you too.
A simple starch fruit and vegetable approach to eating should not be expensive and as Jeff N has said - has no side effects!

All the very best to you both, Helen


Thank you for your kind words. My Husband always says he is an old man already, and honestly I feel beyond my actual age too. Me having severe hip pain that makes it hard to just walk short distances and him not being able to walk at all... we have not been able to live life the way we wanted. We used to both be very active. We want to travel and have fun... sadly right now that's just not possible.

Yes it is a lot of supplements! Taking them was a chore, he had a whole page of instructions on how and when to take them all! Bottles of pills literally covered out kitchen table. That was 8 months ago and he got no relief from the supplements, or the diet she had put him on. He just got worse :(

I really hope this program helps, thank you for the warm wishes.
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Re: Psoriasis Arthritis & PCOS

Postby nicoles » Tue Apr 04, 2017 1:57 pm

Hi KatRose,

Glad to hear you've both got a week under your belts!

In terms of your husband having some pains, yes this is normal. In my experience getting rid of pains fully can take a long time! there are ups and downs and as long as the general trend is towards improvement, as in he feels better than before the pains once they stop,thenhe is on the right track.

As for your issues, headaches and general malaise are a possibility for some in this change ofdiet at the beginning. It can have anything to do with changing hormones from lower fat intake to confused kidneys from lower salt intake to bacterial die-out in the digestive tract from lack of the bad bacterias 'foods'. It should even put in a week or so, though times of increased fat loss can introduce the same experience as the body processes anything unhealthful stored in fat.
Tough times don't last, tough people do

Read the results of my journey here: Nicole S. O'Shea vs. Psoriatic Arthritis

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Re: Psoriasis Arthritis & PCOS

Postby KatRose » Fri May 19, 2017 10:01 am

nicoles wrote:Hi KatRose,

Glad to hear you've both got a week under your belts!

In terms of your husband having some pains, yes this is normal. In my experience getting rid of pains fully can take a long time! there are ups and downs and as long as the general trend is towards improvement, as in he feels better than before the pains once they stop,thenhe is on the right track.

As for your issues, headaches and general malaise are a possibility for some in this change ofdiet at the beginning. It can have anything to do with changing hormones from lower fat intake to confused kidneys from lower salt intake to bacterial die-out in the digestive tract from lack of the bad bacterias 'foods'. It should even put in a week or so, though times of increased fat loss can introduce the same experience as the body processes anything unhealthful stored in fat
.


Nicole,

Thanks for your encouragement.

I am happy to inform you that after 2 months on the McDougall program the changes in my Husbands condition are nothing short of a miracle.

He can walk! Heck he started Jogging! I can not even beleive it, it feels surreal. :crybaby:

After battling this debilitating disease for the past 10 years it is hard to believe in only 2 short months he is doing so much better.

He still has some pain in his back and his foot, his skin has patches, but they are lightening. Even the dark circles around his eyes are clearing up. The biggest change is in his mood and energy level thanks to not being in debilitating pain. He is joking around again, smiling, laughing and being his normal silly, mischievous self he used to be. I have my husband back. :cry: :smirk:

I can not even begin to thank Dr. McDougall enough. He saved my husbands life, NO DOUBT!


If you are wondering how I am doing here is a little update. I have lost 15lbs so far, my mood is much improved (my husband brought that to my attention ;-) ) my Sciatica is not nearly as painful and I can actually walk for a full hour on my treadmill now. The arthritis in my right hand has improved. And after a lifetime of daily headaches I am happy to say they have improved greatly! I have only had 1 migraine since starting the program, which is amazing for me. I used to be plagued with a headache EVERY day, constantly popping pain pills. Now I have one once or twice a week, and it is manageable.

Unfortunately I still have chronic digestive issues :(

WARNING: Digestive details below. :oops:
I am plagued with constipation, followed by undigested diarrhea. I feel sick to my stomach ALL the time. And the past few weeks I have had the WORST gas ever! It is actually effecting my work and social life. I do not even want to have company over, or go out because of my embarrassingly potent gas. I tried some herbal remedies (slipery elm, Marshmellow root, aloe vera) and even some digestive enzymes with NO success! I need help! :cry:

Thank you for any advice.
KatRose
 
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Re: Psoriasis Arthritis & PCOS

Postby viv » Sat May 20, 2017 9:42 am

I'm so glad that you are your hubby are doing well and your husbands health improvements are certainly miraculous. I thank God every day for Dr. McDougall, he is saving and improving so many lives.

Re the gas, there are many posts on this issue, just do a search for "gas". I've been McDougalling for four years and I can honestly say that the first two years the gas was ridiculous! It takes some of us longer than others for our gut to heal and get used to the added fiber etc. I stay away from onions because for me they are still a major culprit and also I love sweet potatoes but they also cause a lot of gas. So figure out the major gas producing foods and limit them for a while until your body adjusts.

You may want to get Dr. McDougall wonderful little book "Digestive Tuneup" it will answer all your questions about digestion.

btw how is the eczema between your fingers doing? I ask because I suffered from terrible eczema on my hands for years. Since McDougalling all my eczema cleared up. Plus I think it had something to do with gluten intolerance because the only wheat I have now is in Ezekial bread which I can tolerate well. Look up images on google for gluten intolerance eczema and see if it looks like your eczema. Your bowel issues could also be celiac disease or gluten intolerance. You might want to get tested for celiac.

Good luck!
Viv
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Starting weight: 217
Current weight: 157
60lbs gone--for good!
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Re: Psoriasis Arthritis & PCOS

Postby KatRose » Tue May 30, 2017 10:43 am

viv wrote:I'm so glad that you are your hubby are doing well and your husbands health improvements are certainly miraculous. I thank God every day for Dr. McDougall, he is saving and improving so many lives.

Re the gas, there are many posts on this issue, just do a search for "gas". I've been McDougalling for four years and I can honestly say that the first two years the gas was ridiculous! It takes some of us longer than others for our gut to heal and get used to the added fiber etc. I stay away from onions because for me they are still a major culprit and also I love sweet potatoes but they also cause a lot of gas. So figure out the major gas producing foods and limit them for a while until your body adjusts.

You may want to get Dr. McDougall wonderful little book "Digestive Tuneup" it will answer all your questions about digestion.

btw how is the eczema between your fingers doing? I ask because I suffered from terrible eczema on my hands for years. Since McDougalling all my eczema cleared up. Plus I think it had something to do with gluten intolerance because the only wheat I have now is in Ezekial bread which I can tolerate well. Look up images on google for gluten intolerance eczema and see if it looks like your eczema. Your bowel issues could also be celiac disease or gluten intolerance. You might want to get tested for celiac.

Good luck!
Viv


I am feeling better now. i cut out beans, brocoli and cauliflour and that seemed to help a lot! I am jut bummed because those were some of my main nutritious foods. :cry:

I find when I try to eat more "healthy" I get extremely ill. If I eat lots of green veggies and leafy greens my stomach gets so sick. If I eat more potatoes, rice, flour, bread, pasta ect I feel MUCH better. However when I started eating more starches I stopped losing weight. It has been 2 weeks with no weight loss.

I was eating:

Breakfast:
Cauliflower smoothie
Cauliflower, soy milk, date

Lunch:
Beans and rice mixed with various veggies such as brocoli or corn

Dinner:
Veggie soup/stew with potatoes or rice

I was also eating lots of frozen spinach as a side once a day (with lunch or dinner)

Now I eat:

Breakfast:
Oatmeal(sweetened with a date or molasses) or Sweet potato (cooked) smoothie

Lunch:
Noodle soup with veggies(non gassy, usually mushrooms, zucchini, carrots ect) or potato soup/potato salad.
Homemade oil free tortillas filled with potatoes.

Dinner:
Sushi bowl (sticky rice, steamed sweet potatoes, mango, avocado), spaghetti (simple tomato sauce with carrots, zucchini over corn quinoa pasta) mashed potatoes with oil free gravy (mushroom gravy ect)


On what I eat now I feel SOOO much better! But.... I stopped losing weight. worried next I will start gaining it back.

As far as eczema goes, I looked up gluten eczema and it does not look like mine. Mine is "Wheeping" eczema. So my skin is very dry, then it splits open (looks like small cuts). It also sometimes gets these tiny clear pustules filled with fluid.

How long did it take before your eczema improved? I had a really bad flair up the past few days!

The past week I have had the worst acne flair up. Usually I only get acne on my jaw line and lower cheek that tends to stick to the right side of my face, but this past week I have bumps all over my face! Even on my forhead which I never get. Its on my neck, shoulder and chest too. I feel so ugly...

I also have been battling feelings of doubt. I see so many people saying this diet did not work for them, that its too much carbs and they could not lose weight and there hormones were imbalanced. i am severely overweight ( I am about 70lbs over weight and am considered obese) and have PCOS(as mentioned before).

After seeing the results for my husband there is no doubt this is the right way to eat for him. I just wish i was seeing similar results. I do not expect to be thin overnight, or all my ailments caused by eating bad all my life to be fixed immediately. I just want to see progress, even if its tiny. Instead my weight loss has halted and I feel so sick and my skin looks disgusting. I am very discouraged and trying not to get depressed.
KatRose
 
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Re: Psoriasis Arthritis & PCOS

Postby LizzardGee » Thu Jun 01, 2017 8:26 pm

i too have psoriasis , hoping this program will help me control it, i will post any updates.
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Re: Psoriasis Arthritis & PCOS

Postby KatRose » Fri Jul 07, 2017 12:53 pm

Well it has been a little over 3 months and I just got my yearly exam with bloodwork.

My ALC is pretty much the same, which was really disappointing. My Testosterone had gone up A LOT, which is REALLY bad! My dhea-sulfate is through the roof now.

Testostarone: Was 66 now 81
ALC: Was 5.4 now 5.3
DHEA-Sulfate: 521.8
Vitamin D: 18.4

After losing 25lbs I was really hoping for better results not worse :crybaby:
What is weird is I got my periods back when before I only had then once or twice a year. Since going plant based I have had one every month and its been normal! Which makes no sense if my hormones are even worse now.
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Re: Psoriasis Arthritis & PCOS

Postby lisacerny » Mon May 18, 2020 7:48 pm

Hi Kat,

Just wondering how you are going today and if you managed to heal your PCOS.

I am in a very similar situation - PCOS, high Testosterone, Low Progesterone, Insulin resistant and get eczema on my fingers like you described.

I also noticed if I stick to starches - mainly potatoes and oatmeal plain I am so much better as broccoli and cauliflower effects me along with fruit and sweet potatoes and any refined carbs. I believe your results were impacted due to sweet potato and any sugar in diet effecting testosterone levels perhaps.

Fresh fruit and veggies I also struggle to digest and get bloated. However yellow potatoes are amazing for me! Sweet potatoes on the other hand kill me - causing insomnia, bloating, acne, hot flashes, night sweats. I've done a lot of research and believe it's due to the phytoestrogens - I'm so sensitive to phytoestrogenic food even the lower phyto-e foods. It's in so many plant foods - soy, flax, herbs, garlic, onion, carrot, nuts, beans, legumes, beans, sweet potatoes, broccoli etc but virtually zero in potatoes and oatmeal (only in oat bran not in oatmeal). DIM and Emerita Progest cream have helped the most and when I eat plain potatoes (cooked anyway - steamed, air fried, microwaved etc) and oatmeal all my symptoms go away and skin clears up. DIM gets rid of excess estrogen and testosterone and progest helps boost low progesterone which I feel is the underlying root cause of PCOS. Eating a very low fat diet also helps to balance hormones naturally and get rid of the insulin resistance which I believe I had. Removing any sugar, fruit and sweet potato sugar helps while getting rid of the fat in body of years before I can go on to eating fruit and sweet carbs like sweet potatoes. Anyways sticking to this for awhile and see how I go. Excited to then move on to eating all fruit, veggies, wholegrains and legumes WFPB. Really well steamed Kale I find is lower in phytoestrogen and not causing symptoms like other veggies. So potatoes, oatmeal and kale it is for a couple of months and will bring in other foods - elimination diet style.

Wondering where you are now with your PCOS? Hope you are well!

Cheers
Lisa
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