Question
My wife has been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis recently and is taking a few prescriptions for it. She's 36.
Is there anything else we can do to fight it and make her more comfortable like herbal remedies, change in diet, exercises...we'll even try voodoo if it will work!  I just think we should do all we can in addition to what our Dr. is doing with meds.
We've read alot on the 'net about different 'home remedies' and food do's & don'ts but our Dr. doesn't seem to place much worth on them.

Your thoughts? Any web sites you'd recommend?

Thanks

Answer
Dear Randy,   First of all you should NEVER use any herbal remedies without FIRST checking with your doctor or your local pharmacist to see if there will be unfavorable interactions with the RA medications...  Often, herbal remedies interfer with the prescription medications and thus do not allow the prescription drugs to do their fullest work....

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease and once you make yourself knowledgeable about how RA forms and why, then you will know if there are any foods etc that will help... The best defense against an autoimmune disease is to eat foods that will help build on the immune system and limit those that do nothing....  Also, you must know that SOME people with RA can and often do develope other autoimmune diseases and be on the lookout for any other symptoms that may develope in the coming months and years....

As for web sites there are literally hundreds out there about Rheumatoid Arthritis and Autoimmune diseases....  Also, you should note that blood work called RF (rheumatoid factor) is needed to diagnose Rheumatoid Arthritis and the RF blood work if positive can also mean the presents of other autoimmune diseases....  So be sure that your wife does have RA and that this diagnosis is not being confused with other possible autoimmune diseases.....

Thank you,    karen