Here are a couple of my questions that I figured I'd throw out to the forum:

- Is it worth it to give up alcohol? I drank a lot in my 20's (I'm 40 now and just diagnosed) but now drink an average of maybe 1 1/2 glasses of red wine daily. In the past 10 years, my body has been reacting much more strongly to overdrinking, particularly beer. If I drink 4 beers with friends, I will be sick until 5 pm the next day. Are there other Dupuytren's sufferers with a similar experience? I wonder if there is some sort of inflammatory response in the immune system for some of us that is related to alcohol. Has anyone experienced good results from giving up alcohol?

- What about caffeine? I love my daily espresso but I can make it decaf if there is some inflammatory link to Dupuytren's. However, from what I've read online, there's no diet that has been proven to slow the progression of the disease. I don't want to give up my caffeine on pure speculation alone. Has anyone experienced success with giving up caffeine?

- Same questions above about sugar and general lifestyle changes. I'm willing to be strict about an anti-inflammatory diet but I don't want to completely deprive myself if there's no benefit. I already eat healthy but I do participate in the occasional candy/soda/cookie/burger-munching session.

I would love to hear individual thoughts, particularly if there's anyone who's experienced any measurable success in changing their lifestyle.

Edited 03/22/11 19:55

My two cents. Food and drink choices make no difference with DD. I tried a strict anti-inflammatory diet for 8 months. Also took some beneficial supplements (tumeric, mushroom extracts, etc.) My DD continued to progress, no difference noted at all. I've also read a number of articles and opinions on it. I think the majority believes as I do. I enjoy a beer or drink in moderation. Same with coffee. A good burger is hard to beat.

I have always eaten pretty healthy though. I think you are fine to continue doing those things, especially since they are enjoyable to you.

Thanks for this thread! I tried searching the forum and gleaning tidbits on this same subject. So much information, I just felt uncertain. Hopefully others will respond to this, if something has worked for them.
Being a coffee drinker, I have wondered about the caffiene issue. Also wondered if that once in a couple of months Heffeweissen would cause me to wake up with contractures.
I'm with you Luba. Aside from German ancestry and one distant relative with DD, I don't fit the profile. I thnk lots of others would say the same.
Beth

I'm in the same boat. When I met with Dr. Seegenschmiedt last week, he summarized my situation as "no family history, no risk factors." When I asked then why do I have such an aggressive case of DD, he just said that sometimes that happens. I am of Northern European descent, though (German, English, and French).

Also, I eat a pretty healthy diet and do not drink or smoke. Plus, after my diagnosis in Jan. 2010, I went on a pretty strict anti-inflammatory diet which I am still on. I love the diet -- I lost more than 15 pounds and I feel better generally. But it hasn't helped the DD as far as I can see, as I had a recurrence in the past few months a year after receiving RT.

I do drink a fair amount of black tea. I don't know if that's a problem. I do know that I'd need some pretty good evidence before I'd be willing to give that up. Since I don't drink alcohol or sodas or eat sugar, I'm hanging on to my tea as long as I can!

Maddie

Edited 03/24/11 16:31

bill_c:

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I'm wondering if maybe you all can help me with one more issue. Since figuring out that I have DD, I have had a lot of sleepless nights. I keep imagining how horrible this thing is going to be but I think the fear of it is probably worse than the actuality. I drive to work each day past a cancer center and it reminds me that there are far worse afflictions. But each night, I wake up with fear about not being able to play baseball with my son or fear about not being able to type at work (I'm a programmer). How do each of you mentally process this disease and deal with it in your everyday lives?