Holistic medicine approach to PMR

I am a Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach and a retired nurse. One thing I have learned is that there is no one perfect diet for everyone. You do the best you can given the industrialized foods and toxic soup we all live in. Michael Pollen says “Whole foods, mostly plants, not too much”. I might add -organic whenever possible, to avoid toxins and maximize nutrients.
BTW- my husband and I started this detour in our medical careers when he reversed his condition of MS with the Wahls Protocol. This summer he is hiking the John Muir Trail, a 220 mi backpack adventure at the age of 74. I don’t say this to brag. I just know in my heart that all these positive changes in diet and lifestyle do matter.
I don’t know why I got PMR, except that I had it 17 years ago when I wasn’t as “healthy”. I believe that I can beat it again and that is the first step!

@menetski4 I wholeheartedly agree with your dietary guidelines--Whole foods, primarily plant based, and organic, plus high in anti-flammatory foods. I am a registered dietitian and had a very mild case of PMR for about a year. I've been in remission for over a year now. I was extremely healthy prior to my bout--I do believe that the Pfyzer vaccination triggered my case, as many others also believe.

I believed my PMR was triggered by the flu vaccine (they have established a link). However, I also got a Pfizer booster the same day. 18 days later I was walloped by PMR.

I’ve had PMR since early April 2022. Have been under the care of a rheumatologist since December of 2022. I am currently under the care of a naturopath since December 2023. I had a slew of tests run. Have been on expensive supplements and stayed on the autoimmune protocol diet (AIP) for 3 months, and currently adding foods back slowly. I don’t think the diet made much difference and can’t say what the supplements are doing, if anything. I am currently down to 3.25 mg prednisone. But I can’t attribute that to the naturopath. I was able to taper to 2 mg prednisone 7 months into my journey and pain shout up again within a few weeks. I was back up to 3mg when I started with my rheumatologist. She didn’t suggest checking my adrenal glands at that time, and instead had me go up on the prednisone because I still had pain, although it was low levels. It has taken me a year to get back down to 3.25 and will insist she check my adrenal glands next month. I will also continue with the naturopath with the hope of healing. I’ve heard success stories of many people with autoimmune issues other than PMR on you tube and the different eating plans on the internet. I have yet to hear anyone say that a naturopath has been the key to PMR healing. I wish you the best. Do what you can to reverse PMR. Never give up. Keep trying. Giving up just keeps us in the same place.

Got a new situation. In the last week, I've started feeling mild "shortness of breath" sensations in my chest. Also having a cardio history (heart attack in 2016), I'm hypersensitive to those twinges. Seems that possible side affects of both prednisone and Alendronate include that symptom. Heading on a cruise late next week, I've booked a cardiology appt for next Monday. *sighing* the cardio office is closed Thursday and Friday for the 4th of July, so I couldn't get in sooner. On the plus side, my full lipid panels, thanks to Big Pharma since the heart attack, have had me consistantly in a very low risk category.