Acupuncture and PMR

Posted by gjc111 @gjc111, Feb 17, 2022

Has anyone tried or had any luck with acupuncture treating their pain and symptoms with acupuncture?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) Support Group.

@adrigibby

Hi and thanks for your response... I'm looking to read the many opinions out there of how to solve this awful debilitating problem.
I have read hundreds of opinions from Prednisone users, and you are the third one that has a positive review.

The carnivore diet is not boring, first I love meat and second I'm never hungry because 80% of the diet is animal fat and 20 % is protein. I eat around 1600 calories once a day so I also do internment fasting that is so good for the system.

I started this way of eating to reduce inflammation and it did, but also, before I started, I had many gut issues and they're all gone, from acid reflux to fatty liver to pain on both sides of my stomach. all this is a thing of the past. In 3 months I lost all the weight, 20 pounds, I still need to lose 6 more. When I don't want to lose fast all I have to do is have more protein than fat and the weight loss stops. I do realize that meat adds acidity to the body and this is not what I want.
I was not planning to eat this way for the rest of my life. There are some autoimmune disorders that takes longer to go away ..after going 0 carb. I will eat like this way another 3/4 months and see what happens.
I'm asking my doc if is ok to use prednisone when there is no longer inflammation, since this drug is to lower it, what happens to the body if we use it when the inflammation is gone. Waiting for her call.

Thanks again for taking the time to comment on your experience. I'm glad to hear it has helped you! This pain is awful.
One more thing I need to add in case it helps someone, after eating 0 carb, I still have pain BUT when I have cheated (and I did this twice) with refined sugars, the pain triples.

Have a great day!

Jump to this post

Reviews from prednisone users often aren't clearly positive or negative. The disabling pain and restricted movement of PMR before prednisone is not something I could live with and the drug restored a lot of function, but with harms which must be managed. So my review is both positive and negative.

Like you, I had immediate relief from chronic gastric problems by switching to low carbohydrate meat based eating. Six months of terrible acid reflux every night went away completely within days of starting a low carb, gluten free, low oxalate, low lectin, no vegetable oils, no processed food diet. I'm back to laying flat in bed at night with one pillow instead of three.

The main thing I think was removing gluten and lowering carbohydrates drastically - no grains or grain products, flours etc, and limited natural sugars.

I do eat certain low oxalate vegies in salad every day and eggs and/or meat too (no manufactured junk with additives), but don't eat high sugar fruits. Carnivore diet used to be seen as weird and extreme but is being recognised more now for it's health benefits, at least in the short to medium term as an exclusion diet.

EDIT: Apologies to the discussion starter for being way off topic.

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@megz

Reviews from prednisone users often aren't clearly positive or negative. The disabling pain and restricted movement of PMR before prednisone is not something I could live with and the drug restored a lot of function, but with harms which must be managed. So my review is both positive and negative.

Like you, I had immediate relief from chronic gastric problems by switching to low carbohydrate meat based eating. Six months of terrible acid reflux every night went away completely within days of starting a low carb, gluten free, low oxalate, low lectin, no vegetable oils, no processed food diet. I'm back to laying flat in bed at night with one pillow instead of three.

The main thing I think was removing gluten and lowering carbohydrates drastically - no grains or grain products, flours etc, and limited natural sugars.

I do eat certain low oxalate vegies in salad every day and eggs and/or meat too (no manufactured junk with additives), but don't eat high sugar fruits. Carnivore diet used to be seen as weird and extreme but is being recognised more now for it's health benefits, at least in the short to medium term as an exclusion diet.

EDIT: Apologies to the discussion starter for being way off topic.

Jump to this post

Love your comment! I've read a couple of comments on Youtube from people that cured their PMR eating 0 carb but took 5/6 months. SO I'm not stopping! But tomorrow I will have my first acupuncture treatment. I'm looking forward to see how it goes.

Best to you!

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@adrigibby

Hi and thanks for your response... I'm looking to read the many opinions out there of how to solve this awful debilitating problem.
I have read hundreds of opinions from Prednisone users, and you are the third one that has a positive review.

The carnivore diet is not boring, first I love meat and second I'm never hungry because 80% of the diet is animal fat and 20 % is protein. I eat around 1600 calories once a day so I also do internment fasting that is so good for the system.

I started this way of eating to reduce inflammation and it did, but also, before I started, I had many gut issues and they're all gone, from acid reflux to fatty liver to pain on both sides of my stomach. all this is a thing of the past. In 3 months I lost all the weight, 20 pounds, I still need to lose 6 more. When I don't want to lose fast all I have to do is have more protein than fat and the weight loss stops. I do realize that meat adds acidity to the body and this is not what I want.
I was not planning to eat this way for the rest of my life. There are some autoimmune disorders that takes longer to go away ..after going 0 carb. I will eat like this way another 3/4 months and see what happens.
I'm asking my doc if is ok to use prednisone when there is no longer inflammation, since this drug is to lower it, what happens to the body if we use it when the inflammation is gone. Waiting for her call.

Thanks again for taking the time to comment on your experience. I'm glad to hear it has helped you! This pain is awful.
One more thing I need to add in case it helps someone, after eating 0 carb, I still have pain BUT when I have cheated (and I did this twice) with refined sugars, the pain triples.

Have a great day!

Jump to this post

PMR came on overnight and I was completely debilitated. Two weeks later I started on 15 mg of prednisone and was 85% pain free and functional.
Currently at 8 mg and tapering.
I became pescatarian. I don’t think it affected my PMR one way or the other but I feel lighter and generally better.
Prednisone has been a life saver for me.

REPLY
@alissahe

PMR came on overnight and I was completely debilitated. Two weeks later I started on 15 mg of prednisone and was 85% pain free and functional.
Currently at 8 mg and tapering.
I became pescatarian. I don’t think it affected my PMR one way or the other but I feel lighter and generally better.
Prednisone has been a life saver for me.

Jump to this post

Happy this works for you!!! No anxiety with pred?
I can't take it due to that and many other contraindications, heart related, insomnia and more.

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@glinda47

Happy this works for you!!! No anxiety with pred?
I can't take it due to that and many other contraindications, heart related, insomnia and more.

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No anxiety and no significant change in sleeping patterns. My hair was thinning but I found a solution with a supplement and shampoo/conditioner. My skin has become quite thin. I use a special oil but though it helps my frequent small wounds heal quickly it doesn’t prevent them.
At 8 mg my moon face has gone. I still have those crazy eating binges but much more infrequently.
In short, it’s been well worth it so far. I hope to be off it by this time next year and will be pleasantly surprised if it happens sooner
I’m a yoga teacher and therapist. I believe meditation, regular breathing exercises, and 8 hours a week of yoga has been very helpful.

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Awesome that you have had manageable side effects. You were started on a very low dose for most PMR patients. That probably has a lot to do with it. May you taper off and enjoy your lifetime without PMR again.

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@johnbishop

@gjc111, Do you mean tried accupuncture along with prednisone when trying to taper off of prednisone? @virginiaj posted about using accupuncture in another discussion -- How to address PMR pain while decreasing prednisone: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/138163/

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Hello
I have been using Accupuncture for several months. Two times a week literally 50 visits since and truly don’t think it has helped with my pain reduction
Down to once a week and down to 10 mgs of prednisone. Pain levels 6-7
Good luck warriors !

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@glinda47

Awesome that you have had manageable side effects. You were started on a very low dose for most PMR patients. That probably has a lot to do with it. May you taper off and enjoy your lifetime without PMR again.

Jump to this post

15mg is the standard starting dose of prednisolone (prednisone) for PMR in Australia.

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@glinda47

Awesome that you have had manageable side effects. You were started on a very low dose for most PMR patients. That probably has a lot to do with it. May you taper off and enjoy your lifetime without PMR again.

Jump to this post

Thank you for your comment!

I have no inflammation, and for that reason I'm now on 4mg for a few days and down to less and planning to be out of using it in less than 2 weeks.
My doc says if I don't have inflammation, I should not use it.

Yesterday I had my first acupuncture appointment and this morning I woke up with a little bit less pain. We'll see!! If in 4/5 app I don't see results, I will stop.

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@megz

15mg is the standard starting dose of prednisolone (prednisone) for PMR in Australia.

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That’s what I started at - 15 mg

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