anyone else on a vegan diet?

[Briza]

Hope it's ok I put this topic here. Since most here are not following a vegan diet, I didn't know if it was appropriate to discuss this in the IC diet forums.

Anyway, I've been dealing with bad muscle inflammation, pain, and stiffness in my neck, shoulders, hips for over two years now. Majority of days over the past year I awake feeling like I've been beat up with a bat. Polymyalgia rheumatica and psoriatic arthitis are two conditions my doctors are considering, but I am as yet undiagnosed. My symptoms match more with polymyalgia rheumatica, but it's rare to be dxd w/ that before age 50. Out of desperation and at the suggestion of someone who has had good luck with pain reduction by cutting out animal products from their diet due to their inflammatory effects, I decided to do the same.

I started it about a month ago and I gotta say, for the first time in a long time I'm feeling a lot better! Much reduced pain and stiffness. Much less tired. I've lost 5 of the pounds that I've gained from being laid up with pain the past year, my skin looks better and less puffy. So far so good.

It's kind of funny how having experience with the IC diet prepared me for this. I've been viewing it as my new project to get me out of pain rather than thinking of it as deprivation! lol

Anyway, if anyone would care to share their experiences with eating vegan, particularly regards to controlling pain and inflammation, I'd love to hear! I I realize there might not be many on this board eating this diet but thought I would put it out there. :)

[agilityme]

Hi Briza,

Thought I'd give this a bump and maybe someone who has some better answers will see your post.

I've been vegetarian for eight years, vegan off and on. The first time I went vegan, it was because I thought dairy was causing GI upset, fatigue, headaches, brain fog... Turns out it was gluten not dairy :( My pain was not reduced by a vegan diet. Still had headaches and minor joint pain - wear and tear related.

Now that I'm following the IC diet, I've started eating cottage cheese and eggs again. What I am noticing is that I have zero joint pain. I suspect it may be due to removing tomatoes -those used to be a daily part of my life. Weird though because I do eat potatoes fairly often and they are also a nightshade plant. :hmm: It could also be because I'm less active these days. Who knows.

Anyway, hope the vegan diet works out for you. Keep us posted on your progress.

Pam

[ICNDonna]

I looked at vegetarian and vegan diets, but there is no way I could do it without soy products, which are a huge problem for me. We don't eat a lot of meat, very little beef, but milk and cheese are an important part of my diabetes/IC diet.

Good luck!
Donna

[Briza]

I'm limiting my soy intake as much as possible, and relying on other sources of protein available in beans, nuts, and vegetables, and I feel that that I am meeting my protein needs. I thought I'd be hungry all the time, but that hasn't been the case at all! I'm assuming because all of my meals now are very nutrient-packed, moreso than ever before.

I've been thinking about a vegetarian diet for a couple of years now, but after research and out of desperation to get myself out of pain without the use of drugs, I decided to try this diet as I figured I didn't have much to lose by keeping to it strictly for at least a month since my muscle pain has majorly affected every aspect of my lfie over the past year, at least. It's actually an elimination diet, and if choose to I can add back in some animal protein such as salmon later on, but as long as I am continuing to feel better, I plan to continue with the current diet plan as is. And since I am already feeling so much better, I'm stoked about having something totally within my control to manage my muscle pain, which has been near-dsabling many times over the past year, have missed a lot of work.

As with any diet, making changes to the usuall eating routine is difficult, but there are so many online resources now for vegan recipes and lifestyle, that it's easier than ever before. I like to cook and try to recipes, so that helps.

I'm glad Donna that you have found a diet to help you manage your health conditions, as well. There's been quite a bit of discussion lately on the ICN by various members trying different diets. I'm finding it all very fascinating and hope that this continues. I'm a big supporter of the IC diet but it's interesting to learn about additional ways that people here are managing their IC and other conditions through different variations of the bladder friendly diet, individualizing it for their own needs. The IC diet of course is a great starting point for everyone here, but there is always room for fine-tuning and tweaking, as we become more aware of the how different foods can affect us, and how changing our diet can lead to better health and hopefully more pain free days, which we all deserve :)

[SuziQ64]

Hi Briza

I was on a mostly vegan diet (26 yrs) before my IC kicked in. Now I eat eggs and some butter everyday. I'm hoping that once I get my symptoms under control (still new to all of this) I can go back to eating beans, nuts and lentils which I miss immensely! I think one can live very well and healthy on a vegan diet! Would love to be kept up to date on your progress.

Good luck!

Suzi

[Briza]

Suzi--thanks! That means a lot to me :) I appreciate your support. You're right, the IC diet is a huge change with all the foods that can cause problems, but hopefully with time your bladder will calm enough to experiment with expanding your diet. Please keep me posted.

I'm thinking about raising my own chickens so I can have fresh eggs at some point! As long as I don't have a rooster I think I'll be able to keep them in my yard. Until then, no eggs.


Pam-thanks for the bump! I've been eating tomatoes here and there, but slowly working them out as I try new recipes with new ingredients. I'm not completely gluten free, I'm not sure yet if that's one of my goals, but I've definitely cut back in that area. Do you think gluten free has helped your joint pain, or was it only the GI distress, etc., that it has helped? Thanks for your input :)