Hi There

I was diagnosed with RA back in January 2007 after, approximately 4 months after initial symptoms developed and turned very nasty very quickly. From pains in one wrist one week to both wrists the next ... and then over 90 percent of my joints within the next 3 months or so.

I have been on sulfasalisine, methotrexate, Anti-TNF and Etodolac and whilst these brought some element of control to the condition I was constantly researching to find out what the triggers were for this auto-immune response.

I finally found them - and it was all down to food intolerance. I am now totally medication free, with no arthritis symptoms. My diet is quite restricted but it's very healthy and very varied.

The foods that triggered the auto-immune response were

Cow's milk whey

Wheat Flour

Yeast

Mushrooms

Soya

Gluten

My diet now consists of mostly freshly prepared meat, fish and vegetables and avoiding processed foods at all costs. Cakes/sweets/biscuits are easier to make and source than you may realise!

I found a website called "testyourintolerance.com". The results came back in about 10 days form hair strands and within 5 days of cutting this stuff out of my diet my symptoms had gone completely. 

I'm not wishing to give you false hope - but it worked for me and I'm planning on telling as many people as I can that may have a similar problem to me. I was fed up just treating the symptoms and feeling like a damn pin cushion!

I have tried re-introducing some of the things on my banned list - but as soon as I do the arthritis symptoms return within hours in some cases (yeast, wheat, gluten and soya) and two days (cow's milk products).

Good luck!

Simon