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UCTD -does gluten and dairy free help? Post knee surgery problems

Posted by mojo55 @mojo55, May 5 2:33pm

Four years ago I had surgery to remove colon cancer. It was contained with no further treatments necessary. Then I found out I had multiple stomach ulcers, doctor said from years of overuse of ibuprofen for migraines and osteoarthritis. I gradually grew weak in my legs, could barely climb stairs. Then my sense of balance was out of whack and I developed raynaud’s in hands and feet. The 3rd rheumatologist ran tons of bloodwork and diagnosed UCTD and possibly fibromyalgia. I was on prednisone for 5 months then being weaned off as he put me on plaquenil. After a month on plaquenil I had an awful allergic reaction of hives for 6 weeks. Next he wanted to put me on methotrexate, he said for life. At that point I said I wanted time to research and get a 2nd opinion. I’ve been swimming and doing PT which has helped strengthen my legs but lack of balance is still an issue so I use a cane. I had a total knee replacement 6 months before the UCTD diagnosis. The surgery was fine and I was doing well until about 10 months. Surgeon said I have PCL “issues/injuries”which is not unusual for UCTD patients. He wants to go back in to add more adhesive to stabilize, but I really don’t want to do anything surgically with no guarantees the tissue disease won’t cause issues again. I’ve read 3 books now by medical doctors who have autoimmune diseases themselves who stated they and their patients are managing mostly with strict diets of no gluten, dairy, sugar or nightshade veggies. Has anyone else found that strict diets can help that much? I can’t take NSAID’s but I am honestly just as afraid of the methotrexate, prednisone and other drugs as I am of the UCTD itself. I’m almost 70 and I do have an appt. for 2nd opinion the end of July. Thanks in advance for any thoughts, questions to ask doctors!

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texasblooms | @texasblooms | 1 day ago
In reply to @julieceann "I have been diagnosed with UCTD. I like Plaquinil and it has helped in a few..." + (show)
@julieceann

I have been diagnosed with UCTD. I like Plaquinil and it has helped in a few ways. I'm on prednisone, too. It helped in a few ways, but it's stopped helping in some ways that it was. Azathioprine helped me a lot but I had to stop because it hurt my liver. I have tried
strict diets and have not noticed any difference. Exercise is my best help, swimming and walking. Quality of life...! Strict diets do not make me happy!

Jump to this post

Julieceann, this is in addition to my earlier post. If you decide you want to try a less restrictive diet, I believe it is also important to maintain a strict self maintenance plan and a diary dedicated to flare ups.
My diary includes the date, my stress level and why it may have changed, if I ate foods out of the ordinary, changes in daily self maintenance, etcetera. A diary is much better than my memory.
I have a baseline of foods I will never eat because a flare up is guaranteed.

My food plan is not for everyone. Many people in this thread have several scary severe autoimmune diseases and must eat severely restrictive diets to prevent flares and life changing symptoms.
Wishing everyone strength and tolerance in their journeys, and hope you have a pause or long-lasting relief of your symptoms.

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jw9 | @jw9 | 23 hours ago
In reply to @texasblooms "Reading and my discussions with vegans has been helpful, inflammation and gut health are highly correlated...." + (show)
@texasblooms

Reading and my discussions with vegans has been helpful, inflammation and gut health are highly correlated. My zoom meeting with a nutritionist was expensive and disappointing. She was selling supplements.
After many hours of research on autoimmune and GERD gut health and months of trial and error I asked my rheumatologist questions and found his responses helpful.
Fortunately I do not get a reaction from diary and I like the taste of Keifer. Before each meal I drink 2-3 ounces of 1% fat no added sugar plain Keifer. Nuts are not an option, I don't like the smell, taste or texture.
Eating at a chain restaurant doesn't work for me and sometimes I don't have a choice. I'm comfortable not eating - this will not be my last meal. It can be difficult finding something to eat at a fine restaurant and I don't want to get sick. Now I call ahead of time and ask if they will cook unseasoned protein and fresh vegetables on a clean grill. My friends are kind, let me determine the restaurant choices.
With that said I believe flexibility is important, just like autoimmune symptoms vary person to person so do the reactions to different foods. I found removing one food product from my diet and adding it back in a month later helps me figure out what foods I can eat without a reaction. My diet is a moving target, and viable options are more limited than they were a year ago. I work at being creative and thinking outside of the box.
The results are not perfect, by working on diet I hope to reduce the flare ups and intensity by 50%. Autoimmune drugs are Plaquenil and Cellcept.
May your health improve and you find doctors that give you confidence that your health plan is appropriate. Be well.

Jump to this post

@texasblooms I love that write about being creative, this is a kind of flexibility in life that reduces stress and opens new perspectives. Also: "the results are not perfect." Those two suggestions are very helpful for anybody living with chronic autoimmune illness. Thank you!

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lkirnbauer | @lkirnbauer | 6 hours ago

Yes, to the question does gluten dairy help with joint inflammation. I have eliminated gluten, dairy and soy from diet as I suffer from Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroidism. I also had 18” of my colon removed 3 years ago due to severe diverticulitis disease and already have a sensitive stomach. Eliminating those 3 foods have taken away body inflammation along with digestive issues. It’s been a huge help to me.

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kayabbott | @kayabbott | 5 hours ago

I have celiac disease and collagenous colitis, so gluten free (GF). Due to the colitis I'm sensitive to legumes, and NSAIDs and other meds. Consider contacting a nutritionist that has experience with autoimmune GI diseases, and keeping a food log to see if you feel worse after eating certain things. My doctor recommended a FODMAP diet for me, which helped with my cranky GI tract. Some people also start with an elimination diet and gradually add things back in (best done with a nutritionist). Gluten triggers the autoimmune system with folk that are sensitive, but they are also large complex protein molecules that are very hard to digest, especially for old or compromised GI tracts. With GF one needs to read ingredient lists because things like malt (from barley), spelt (also a wheat), soy sauce, and a lot of processed foods contain gluten. I can eat dairy, but in small amounts as part of the FODMAP diet. Mediterranean diets are recommended as well.

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