Immune system boosters

You presented on this peer support forum for PMR?

Thanks for sharing that article. Early in this journey I had been using various mushroom compounds for my immune system, then came across an article in Well Being Journal about the mushroom Chaga as being a substance that would interfere with prednisone. Stopped taking all mushroom supplements and other than a good multivitamin and a cal/mag supplement I try to get all nutrients through minimally processed foods.

I know that I have stated this before in other threads, but not this one yet. I am a registered dietitian who has been eating a whole foods, organic diet for many years, with very little animal protein. I also take omega-3's and tumeric daily. My PMR started after my second Pfyzer vaccination (?coincidence) and lasted for about 1.5 years. It was so mild, only bothering me while in bed, that it took 4 months to diagnose. I started with only 10 mg. prednisone. While on prednisone, I started experiencing hip pain, which turned out to be a severe case of osteroarthritis. Prednisone is known to contribute to osteoarthritis, but the doctors didn't think my low dose was significant enough to cause it. I do think that my less active lifestyle during COVID, plus the prednisone were both probable factors contributing to it. I experienced a flare up recently after having a mild case of COVID for one week. I am now on 2 mg. prednisone and plan on tapering off by .5 mg. every one or two weeks. I just had hip replacement surgery 2 weeks ago and am recovering remarkebly well, they say. I hope to be off of the prednisone very soon. Fingers crossed.

Amen to that John bishop! I completely changed my tapering schedulenbased on everything I have learned on this site and after feel better that I have in two years, and.fornthe first time feel optimistic about the potential of a future without PMR. Someonenshould write a paper gathering the themes of this site. Have you.presented on the content of this site at conferences for physicians and other health care.providers. should be required reading in med schools. You would.be doing a wonderful community service, and greatly contributing to the community of practice. My rant for the day.

I know that I have stated this before in other threads, but not this one yet. I am a registered dietitian who has been eating a whole foods, organic diet for many years, with very little animal protein. I also take omega-3's and tumeric daily. My PMR started after my second Pfyzer vaccination (?coincidence) and lasted for about 1.5 years. It was so mild, only bothering me while in bed, that it took 4 months to diagnose. I started with only 10 mg. prednisone. While on prednisone, I started experiencing hip pain, which turned out to be a severe case of osteroarthritis. Prednisone is known to contribute to osteoarthritis, but the doctors didn't think my low dose was significant enough to cause it. I do think that my less active lifestyle during COVID, plus the prednisone were both probable factors contributing to it. I experienced a flare up recently after having a mild case of COVID for one week. I am now on 2 mg. prednisone and plan on tapering off by .5 mg. every one or two weeks. I just had hip replacement surgery 2 weeks ago and am recovering remarkebly well, they say. I hope to be off of the prednisone very soon. Fingers crossed.

I guess I am pretty fortunate. I live in Canada and have an excellent doctor who discovered my PMR. He stays constantly in touch with the rheumatologist and orders the tests for my inflammation, minimally, once per month.

He let me make the decision when to start the prednisone. We decided to go slowly up to 10, I have had bad side affects in the past. I have been on 10 mg for two months and all my symptoms have gone. We decided that 1 month more on 10mg and then go down a mg a month until I get to 1 or 2 mg.

I guess what I am saying with all this is that there are still some doctors that really care, and listen with empathy. Ours has been and is a shared PMR
journey.

I have been very active with all my health issues and take action. I have read some very good suggestions here which I am looking forward to implementing. I live on my own so I had to change some things so that I could take care of myself; like buying a grabber, a bench to shower with and preparing meals sitting down instead of standing to name a few. Thanks for your help.