Can anybody advise me

"Can anybody advise me of NATURAL methods to help treat autoimmune conditions. I'm particularly interested in vitamins and diet?"

I have Lupus which is an autoimmune disease. Things like carotene, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E are all good for boosting the immune system. Also Orange Juice.

-- Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:53 am --

I forgot about Fish Oil, you can get that in a pill. It can also help you lose weight.

I hope you find answers here

Cracked

I have a reactive arthritis which is a member of the spondylitis family of autoimmune diseases. I don't have insurance, so supplements are my only option at this time, and frankly if you look at the side-effects of a lot of those immune inhibitors I'm not sure I'd want to be taking them even if I had insurance.

I take a vitamin B complex as well as a "Ener-B Shot" B-12 in liquid form. I also take a liquid vitamin D. The reason I choose liquid is that I have some stomach issues, and pills don't always sit well for me. One thing that was helping me for awhile was Carlson's fish oil liquid, the lemon flavor. It tastes like furniture polish, but that's still better than the fishy taste. I suffer from a constant low-grade fever which sometimes goes into full-blown sauna mode, the fish oil helped with that a bit. In my case, only the liquid fish oil seemed to make a difference, plus it doesn't have the fishy aftertaste or burps as the case can sometimes be with even the pills. But that is just what works for me, the pills may be fine for you.

I've tried evening primrose supplements, which contain Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). Personally I didn't really notice much of a difference with that. I've read a lot of people trying to stay away from simple carbs i.e. white flour, sugar, etc. Since eating is one of the few things I take any pleasure of in life, I don't stay away from those things 100% although I do try stay away from white bread and potatoes.

Some stranger things I've tried are oil of oregano, an olive leaf tincture with oil of oregano, and this "Lazarus Elixir" with mixed results. My god, I want to laugh just reading that especially the whole "Lazarus" thing, but when you're suffering you're willing to try (almost) anything. They all were from this dude I found on ebay. The oil of oregano was pretty good but it burns going down but oddly enough does not upset a perpetually upset stomach. I really liked the Lazarus Elixir, but it's too expensive for me at this time so I'm stuck with the fish oil as the best thing going for me right now.

Of course there's the obligatory, "Stay away from stress," advice which makes me want to smack the person giving it since people generally don't actively seek to put themselves in stressful situations. Still, finding better ways to cope with whatever might stress you out is always a good thing regardless of any autoimmune condition you might be suffering from.

Some places to buy supplements are Puritan's Pride, Swanson's, and Vitacost. Google for coupons because you generally can always get something off from any of them when placing an order online.

Hope this helps!

Fish oils, or eating a diet that includes fish at least three times a week, may reduce symptoms. Another option is fish eggs, also called roe. Fish oils have anti-inflammatory fatty acids called EPA and DHA that could reduce the inflammation response.