This 20-year-old woman was frustrated. Despite years of medications for rheumatoid arthritis, she still suffered from joint pain, fatigue, brain fog, digestive symptoms, anxiety, and depression. She wondered if she would ever get better.
I’m happy to say she did get better — and in this post, I’ll show you how.
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My name is Dr. Tom Rofrano from the Natural Medicine Clinic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and I’m the author of the FreeDiet®. I’ve been blessed to have seen over 100,000 patient visits over the last 38 years, many involving gut and thyroid issues. This patient was no exception.
Her Symptoms: A Lifetime of Pain and Inflammation
Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at just 9 years old, she came in with:
- Joint pain in shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles
- Stomach pain, heartburn, indigestion
- Bloating, gas, nausea
- Fatigue and brain fog
- Anxiety and depression
- Weight gain
- Frequent vaginal yeast infections and UTIs
- PMS and menstrual cramps
- Itchy skin and acne
She had been prescribed the usual RA medications:
- Methotrexate
- Prednisone
- NSAIDs
- Weekly biologic injections for the past two years
She was concerned about the potential side effects — including increased cancer risk — and even worse, she wasn’t feeling any better.
She was at her wits’ end.
Step 1: Proper Testing to Identify Root Causes
Her initial labs showed:
- Low blood sugar
- Low cholesterol
- Low thyroid hormones
Functional testing revealed deeper issues across five key areas.
Deficiencies
- Magnesium
- B12
- Vitamin D
- Ferritin (low iron)
Infections
- Candida yeast overgrowth
- Bacterial overgrowth in the intestines
Food Reactions
- Gluten sensitivity
- Leaky gut
Hormonal Imbalance
- High estrogen
- High DHEA (an androgenic hormone)
- High cortisol
These imbalances explained many of her symptoms, including:
- Acne
- Facial hair
- Excessive perspiration
- Menstrual cramps
- Mood swings
Her Results After One Month
After starting her personalized plan, she returned one month later with dramatic improvements:
- Joint pain cleared up
- More energy
- Better digestion
- Less anxiety and depression
- Lost 5 pounds
- Acne and itchy skin improved
Her labs also showed improvements in:
- Blood sugar
- Cholesterol
- Ferritin
- B12
- Folate
- Magnesium
- Uric acid
- DHEA
Her Results After Two Months
Two months later, she continued to feel better:
- More energy
- Clearer skin
- Better digestion
- Less inflammation and pain
She had stopped her RA medication two months earlier — and still felt great.
Her Results After Two Years
Two years later, she returned with incredible news:
- Her rheumatologist told her she was cleared of rheumatoid arthritis
- Her labs were normal
- She had no symptoms
- She had been off all RA medications for two years
Her doctor was shocked that she was able to heal her rheumatoid arthritis naturally with diet and supplements and without her medication— weekly injections that cost nearly $100,000 per year.
Step 2: The FreeDiet® — An Anti-Inflammatory Healing Diet
The diet I put her on is called the FreeDiet®, which I developed years ago while healing my own autoimmune Hashimoto’s thyroid condition, rheumatoid arthritis, fatigue, brain fog, IBS, and skin issues.
The FreeDiet® is free of:
- Gluten
- Grains
- Sugar
- Yeast
- Dairy
- Eggs
- Soy
- Legumes
- Nightshades
- Processed foods
These foods are the most common triggers for inflammation, gut issues, thyroid dysfunction, and chronic health problems.
If you’d like a copy of the FreeDiet® Phase 1 Food Chart, I’ll include a link below.
As patients improve, they move into Phases 2 and 3, gradually adding foods back in.
Step 3: Targeted Supplements for Gut, Hormones & Inflammation
Along with the diet, she took supplements tailored to her needs.
The Functional Five (Foundational Supplements)
- Multivitamin
- Fish oil
- Vitamin D with K
- Magnesium
- Strong probiotic
Gut Support
- GI-Mend™
- Gut Immune Repair
- Yeast Defeat
- Microb-Balance™
- Other gut-healing formulas
Inflammation Support
Nutrient Repletion
Hormone & Adrenal Support
- Thyroid support
- Adrenal support formulas
This combination helped her reduce inflammation, heal her gut, balance hormones, and restore her immune function.
Two Paths: Medication or Root-Cause Healing
For someone with her symptoms, the traditional medical route would involve:
- Rheumatologist for joint pain
- GI doctor for stomach issues
- Psychiatrist for anxiety and depression
- Dermatologist for acne and itchy skin
- Gynecologist for PMS and yeast infections
- Endocrinologist for hormone issues
Each doctor prescribes a different medication for each symptom.
But medications don’t fix the underlying problem — they only manage symptoms.
The other option is to choose health:
- Identify root causes
- Follow the right diet
- Use targeted supplements
- Heal the gut
- Balance hormones
- Reduce inflammation
And that’s how she got better.
The Bottom Line
If you’re dealing with rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune issues, or other chronic health conditions, you have options.
When you uncover the root causes and are provided the right solutions, I believe almost anyone can get better.
Go here if you would like a free copy of the FreeDiet® phase 1 food chart.