NeuroTalk Support Groups - GFD/Arthritis/Nightshades

NeuroTalk Support Groups (https://www.neurotalk.org/)

- Gluten Sensitivity / Celiac Disease (https://www.neurotalk.org/gluten-sensitivity-celiac-disease/)

- - GFD/Arthritis/Nightshades (https://www.neurotalk.org/gluten-sensitivity-celiac-disease/13534-gfd-arthritis-nightshades.html)

Mrsd, my sister also avoids citrus because she has found it causes her arthritis to worsen.
I've been reading this thread with interest, since I've got an apt with a rheumy in March. My fingers, wrists, elbows and shoulders finally got to aching so bad (when it "flares") that I went to my GP, who made me the apt to see the rheumy.
I've been GF for several months now, and have started to rely heavily on potatoes. Boy, I hope that doesn't turn out to be something else I've got to give up! I eat little citrus or tomatoes, but the potatoes and potato flour/starch have come to be staples in my diet.
Hugs,

here is the chemical pathways...

http://www.genome.jp/kegg/pathway/map/map00251.html

Glucosamine is at the top of the chart.

Here is another way of looking at glutathione:
http://web.indstate.edu/thcme/mwking...ml#glutathione

Also on this second chart is the serotonin pathway, by chance.

Being sleepy while taking SAMe is not typical. But at 200mg that is not a
very high dose either. I used to use 600mg/day, and am now down to 400mg
a day for my arthritis. If I go lower, I flare.

I am also doing light therapy to minimize melatonin secretion during the dark times of this winter. I have a thread on page 1 of Peripheral neuropathy about the success of this, in reducing my sleeping problems (hypersomnia), and the depression that sneaked up on me. I don't blame the SAMe for this, since I have been using it since 1999 with no sedative effects.
I do think if you are low in B6 you will not convert well to serotonin either.
Some people cannot convert pyridoxine B6 in vitamins to P5P...so if you think you are failing with B6, then trying P5P may help. SAMe is only a methyl donor...it has certain metabolic effects by donating methyl groups to various places in the body. There has always been a suggestion to take a quality B-complex with it, to enhance its effects. If you are low in light, your melatonin system may be in overdrive like mine seemed to be. I took my hints from the fact that in summer, I feel fine. It was this winter particularly because of some shift work, that I seemed to bottom out.

Lois--- it seems that oranges are the worst for me. I can do some lemon, some lime and some grapefruit. I always overdue oranges in season each winter.. and when I stopped them last year at this time, my knees finally stopped the flare they were in. I really miss them too! sigh. I took my clues from Dr. Kittley's book-- Obesity's answer..which we discussed on OBT last spring. Whatever you CRAVE she suggests -- you do an elimination for.
Onions were another that surprised me.
www.obesitysanswer.com

Thank you for those biochem pathway pages, mrsd.

We've owned a lightbox for the past 6 yrs., but it's parked in my son's room. Without it, he's like a hibernating bear in the dark dreary months here in the PNW. Now that you mention the light, I'm wondering whether the last few times I tried the Sam-E, maybe it was in winter. I do know that I am quite sensitive to melatonin; even a fragment of tablet makes me sleepy, achy, and depressed.

Hi...I realize this thread was started a while ago...I just found it. Wanted to put my 2 cents in. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by NancyM (Post 71123)

You might also want to consider a vit. D deficiency. I've had amazing results since I started taking 4,000 iu a day. Even my knees don't hurt now.

http://www.insinc.com/onlinetv/direc...vnetplayer.htm

I'm on prescription vitamin D, which has virtually done away with my S.A.D. I recently found this: Soy foods increase the body’s requirement for vitamin D. Taken from: http://www.frot.co.nz/dietnet/basics/soy.htm

Very interesting to me, since I don't eat meat and eat a bit more soy than the average bear. I'm rethinking my position on meat now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KimS (Post 71136)

Dh swears by glucosamine, MSM and chondrointin for his joints. It's one of the few supplements that he will remind me to get BEFORE we run out. :rolleyes:

I must admit, I don't notice a difference with them either but I've upped my dosage and will see. I have certain joints in my back that get a minor ache once in a while but it doesn't 'seem' to be attached to any food. Because dh swears by it so much, I'm hoping that upping the dosage will improve that dull, minor ache.

As I'm keying this in, I'm realizing that it's not hurting at all right now but I can't really say yet if it's this stuff... until I cut it out and add it back in a few times to see if there's a correlation.

I'll let you know when I've got some 'better' results.

After getting the e-mail on this thread this morning, I realized that I've figured out the lower back pain is dairy related.

I gave up *all* dairy completely. When I added it back in, the lower back pain came back. I didn't really notice it until I was lying in bed. I've done this three additional times (at least) all with the same result.

Oh, and to my chagrine I noticed that I did not voice my support of the nightshade/joint issues in my first post. We most certainly do notice a difference in joint mobility etc. in our home.

I've also helped a dance instructor through a total elimination diet and we did indeed find that her joints improved a great deal until we added potatoes and nightshades back in. She gave them up easily as she'd obviously rather do without the joint stiffness.

I still haven't really noticed any difference with gluc./chon./MSM but my husband still swears by it and won't miss it for anything.