In my experience, nothing I put in my mouth food
related makes any difference to how I feel. I am
guessing that the withdrawal from your drugs is now
flaring for you and that would have happened whether
you were fasting or not. I hope your doctor knows what
you did and sanctioned the cessation of your drugs. It
is not a wise thing to do on your own.
Duckie

Shandi,
I am new to all this but have probably read more about RA than most
medical students. I also have another autoimmune illness. You may very
well have allergies and removing them from your diet would cause you to
feel better but since you did not add each food back to your diet one
by one then you can't know which allergies you may have-if you suspect
allergies why don't you go to a doctor and have it checked out? Also
your body is not cooperating with itself and doing extreme things to it
like starving simply add to the physical stress and can cause all sorts
of problems. If you have RA why are you only on Pred and DayPro, why
are you not on an immunosupressant or biologic?
I am not at all being critical, I am just concerned that what you're
doing may not be the best thing for you. I know you will get other
responses and if people sound harsh it isn't meant that way-it's real
concern.

I have. Back in 2001, I fasted for 3 days and everything got better. After
the positive change in health, I began eating 2 meals a day and cut out all
snacking in between meals. I don't deprive myself of anything, I just won't
abuse food anymore. I haven't changed anything since. This is not a cure but
it sure makes life tolerable.

ummm . . . yes, i've done long fasts, but not for therapudic or health
reasons.  no.  i don't have RA; do have oa and assorted other arthritic
"goodies".   yes.  fasts have made me feel better.  however, that didn't
last long.  some long fasts can actually cause a form of physical and mental
euphoria that is delusional---not saying that happened to you.

fasting for long periods really is a shock to (and stresses) your system and
your body will need to be gently readjusted to eating again.  that
readjustment can be painful, depending upon how long you've fasted and what
foods you reintroduce suddenly.  four apple skins are a bit harsh to
reintroduce in such quantity and so soon after a ten-day fast.  the
vegetable soup, depending upon what was in it and how soft the veggies were,
was a good choice.  when reintroducing foods, one needs to think in terms of
baby food introduction---soft, bland, little bits at a time.  think many
tiny meals.  nibble your way back.

if you suspect food allergies, why not have that checked out by an allergist
or ENT?  however, if you do have RA (or any other form of arthritis evident
in radiological imaging), discovering which food allergies you have, that
you will avoid as a result, will help you feel better, but won't reverse
extant arthritic damage, nor will it slow the progression of the underlying
disease.

i've yet to see solid medical research that indicates food allergies cause
arthritis.  but, yes, food allergies can make you feel awful, in addition to
arthritic flare ups simultaneously.  food allergies can stress your body,
the stress of which might (or might not) promote/trigger the onset of an
arthritic flare (as does a fast stress your body and might or might not
promote an arthritic flare).  but those are two separate things going on and
only related by body stress, not linked such as, 'food allergies cause
arthritis', which you didn't indicate you thought.

still, you will feel better if you eliminate allergens.  i say call an ent,
or get a referral to one, and find out if you have food allergies. eliminate
that body stress, if that's something you can do.  eliminating anything that
stresses your body or you, period, is a good thing for arthritis.

kate
(now, where did i put that darn lottery check? my bill payer needs to pay my
housekeeper, laundress, tax accountant, handyman, butler and gardener.  i
want to be stress free!<smile>  oh!  i forgot.  that was in a different
incarnation, wasn't it.)