Yes, ankylosing spondylitis comes with a whole package of potential disorders, including iritis, psoriasis, Crohn's . . . I've been fortunate in that I had one major spinal flare about 17 years ago, which resulted in my diagnosis (positive HLA-B27, inflamed SI joints), but the flare was resolved by a few months on Voltaren (NSAID). I went off that during pregnancy and never went back on, and any flares since have been very mild. No changes on x-rays, no reduction in range of motion. My rheumy long ago d/c'd me as a regular patient--I last saw him a couple of years ago when I made the connection between IBS and AS, and simultaneously was having some fingernail psoriasis and tailbone pain. So I have SOME symptoms, on occasion, and they are mild. I'd love to be rid of them all, but would not go on the scary immunosuppressors for such mild symptoms. I'd much prefer dietary management, but there's just not a lot of evidence it works. Also, it's very conflicting. What Heather says here, for example, directly contradicts what Carol Sinclair says about dietary management of IBS. And I would think that IBS that's paired with AS might be triggered by different foods, by a different physiological series of events, than that that's not. In non-AS people, IBS wouldn't be considered autoimmune. In AS people, it can be considered to be part of the autoimmune package, just like the IBDs, psoriasis, iritis, spinal joint inflammation, etc.
Definitely don't want to further hijack the boards with AS talk, though. I'm trying Heather's approach to my IBS-D (sort of)/nausea, and so far so good. If starch was going to cause me trouble, I'd have been sick as a dog this week with all the rice I've been eating!
Thanks for the link, Syl.
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Re: No-starch diet
