I see so many posts related to milk and calcium related dietary products.

If by sharing this experience with you, if I can help just those few who's reasons for there suffering are the same as mine, I hope other sufferers will forgive my pleasure. I am new to your website tonight after searching the results of a test I carried out on one side affect I suffered. After associating itchy calcium spots on my fingers with the joint pain days after family parties and barbeques when double cream and ice cream desserts are rampant, I indulged this weekend after a year of no symptoms of joint pain and itchy spots. I can say while scratching my fingers, I am now certain. From the point of diagnosis, this time last year, when all my joints became affected and I could hardly walk, I studied the possible imbalance of calcium, magnesium and more recently the probable original cause, vitamin D deficiency. After eventually persuading my general practitioner to test for para-thyroid problems he declared my vitamin D levels were also low. I note Sara's post, (from Sudan), who for her own reasons avoided milk and high calcium foods and other comments such as lactose intolerance from other members, which I thought I had 20+ years ago for other reasons. Constantly testing my theory during this past year that my joint problems were caused by calcium deposition due to a magnesium deficiency which is essential for calcium transport, I originally cured my joint pain within 5 days, by taking magnesium citrate, drinking plenty of water and avoiding any calcium rich foods. (However, our drinking water has a higher calcium content than milk.) Gout and pseudo-gout sites explain why calcium deposition could also cause my high CRP, RF and ESR levels, which also returned to normal within a few weeks if not in those first five days. I could re-write all my findings here, but perhaps it would be better to start a dialogue instead. I am a support specialist for instrumentation for DNA extraction and testing, and as a trouble-shooter, I was not going to accept the definitions on most sites that the cause of RA is unknown. Even though I believe that it was a misdiagnosis in my case, I do accept I had overwhelming symptoms for RA, which is probably why the last angry word from my rheumatologist was that I have palindromic rheumatoid arthritis. After symptoms in the build up were coming as frequent as every 3 months before they effectively became permanent, I am hoping a clear year may prove him to be wrong.