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Diet & PMR.
I’ve had PMR for 2yrs & am now down from 15 to 5mg Pred. Having researched possible causes of this painful illness I recently went on a Mediterranean diet & excluded dairy & gluten whenever possible too. I use supplements such as Turmeric, collagen & vitamin D. My symptoms are now much better. I know the PMR is still there but I can live with it at its current level. I’m an active 66yr old & can now return to exercise & gardening. Research tells me the inflammation that causes PMR (& very many other illnesses such as thyroid issues) is caused by damage to our gut lining. Modern food manufacturing is guilty of harm here & we need to stop consuming processed foods of any description. Whilst I’ve always cooked from fresh there are things that I’ve eaten that have damaged my body (bought biscuits, pizza etc). An excellent read on this subject is Silent Fire by Shula Ravella. She really does makes the topic of Inflammation & illness make sense.
I feel I’m now proof that an anti inflammatory diet can work too. In December I was told I was borderline hyperthyroid but, after just 3 months on the Med diet, my thyroid levels were “normal”. My doctor was pretty impressed & said she should really be suggesting it to other patients with similar problems - I hope she is. My aim now is to come off the Pred & the blood pressure tablets I’ve been taking for 6 yrs (the 2 drugs clash & the BP medication had to be increased!). I do believe we can help ourselves with our inflammatory illnesses. My experience is that as soon as we accept pharma meds then we’re on a journey of ever increasing dependence. During my PMR experience I’ve been prescribed tablets to counteract the affect of other tablets - 7 in all. Ridiculous!
We aren’t built to consume the rubbish that food manufacturers put in our foods to give them extra colour, false sweetness or a prolonged shelf life. The more I’ve read the more angry I’ve become with the idea of corporations gambling with our health - especially our childrens. Please research for yourselves. I really think there’s something to be gained here.
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I am a very active 60 year old semi retired health care worker . My PMR came in suddenly and severely
Affecting both hips and shoulder areas. I was travelling at the time and figured I picked up a virus . I struggled for the first month with walking , and returned to home with many questions and concerns . It’s difficult in a broken health care system to get answers on this disease and I must say reading your posts have helped me so much . There is so many common findings here . I believe I had a perfect storm
For PMR … autoimmune ( Graves’ disease) stress and I had the bivalent injection and flu shot just ten days prior to my flare up . There is a pattern here but there is a big stigma in health care relating the vaccine to PMR . I’m not an antivacer , but it is a coincidence. And one I just avoid talking about to most professionals . Fast forward the two following months I travelled again to help my sister with her cancer only to receive her helping me with my clothes and pony tails and passing a coffee cup at times I can’t even drive I’m so stiff in the mornings .
Being a boxer and runner( not lately or anytime soon ) I can honestly say this is such a humbling, bizzare. And real disease . But I have had some amazing results with my naturopath , GP and internist . 1) I do not want to take prednisone . Just reading from this site it scares me .
2) diet IS everything … Mediterranean all the way and then some ..
3) hot tub, LIGHT exercise , TYLENOL to the max , hey I even used horse lineament on my shoulders , lots of water and a small tens machine .
The naturopath gave me some supplements ( I was never into that ) but hey they are working believe me .
Not Putting down prednisone I will use it if I have to . But now at 5 months in with a lot of knowledge and support even from
All you guys . I’m doing this . Diet is key . Good luck and Ill keep reading all your posts because it helps too .
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6 ReactionsI was never on Prednisone because nobody diagnosed me until 2 years into this. I suspect it is too late now, even if I wanted to take it. I survived on massive doses of Ibuprofen which so far has not caused me additional problems, but it does concern me. I'm trying to go to Tyelonol and wondering how many you have to take to function and if it has caused you any additional problems. Also trying to be better (I'm not bad) about diet.
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1 ReactionSo i git PMR 5 months ago but it took 4 months to diagnose
The stiffness originsl was in my hips and i hsd severe miscle weaknessd in my legs .It then moved to my shoulders especially above anf below the shoulders. Then my fingers started to really hurt . I could not dress easily, brush my teeth or touch the floor. P MR was diagnosed after my physio told to gave a blood test and then suggest PMR to my Doctor.
I was precribed 15 mg of Predistone and in 1 day I started to feel better By 4 days in 95% of my symptoms had dissapeared. I know taking steriods can be scary and over time you need to wean off them. However for me Predistone is a wondet drug like a miracle and living with PMR pain is the enemy from
hell So please dont be frightened just take it.
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5 ReactionsHi - I can only give my experiencc on Predistone.
NO PAIN
NO SIDE EFFECTS
ONLY A MIRACLE
The journey to reduce from 15 mh a day has started so i will keep you updated.
Also just for info i take my 15mg dose in 3 x 5 mg dose spread out so 1 in the morning and same at 14.00 and evening arounf 21.00
It works for me.please.do not fear Predistone only to suffer pain.
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2 ReactionsPleasebtrybPredistonebwithin 4 days you will.knoe if it works or not. Do not suffer pain !
Good luck.
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1 ReactionI used to split my dose of prednisone, but one rheumatologist told me that wasn't good for your adrenal glands. You might ask your rheumy about that.
Totally agree with you! What is in our supermarkets is mostly not real food. I'm a registered dietitian and eat a whole foods, primarily plant-based, diet focusing on anti-inflammatory foods. I also take turmeric and omega-3's daily. I had no inflammatory markers in my blood and my pain only occured while lying down, so it took a long time to diagnose PMR. My PMR was triggered by the second COVID vaccination and I managed to wean off of prednisone in 1.5 years. Then I caught COVID in December and it came back. Now I'm tapering off prednisone once again and will soon be off of it, hopefully. I'm also a very active 69 year old--swim, dance and gardening!
Managing my food has been the biggest help to me with PMR. There are a few GF product on the market right now that aren't too bad. Otherwise I find that I have to make almost every meal from scratch. There are times that I feel too dispirited and tired to cook then I rely on fish fingers, even though they aren't GF. It's hard to design a recipe that I really want to eat, so meals have become energy filling stations only. I'm facing my fourth year and even though I have improved 80% I still feel resentful for having to go though this. It might be easier to put up with if there was someone I could blame.
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3 ReactionsDid you have any injections of any description before your PMR began? Flu vaccine maybe or any imaging dyes before a scan? Autoimmune Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants (ASIA) is worth researching if that’s the case.
As for our limited diet, roasting a colourful array of veg (sweet potato, carrot, onion, red pepper, beetroot, courgette etc) tossed in olive oil, varying the herbs/spices & maybe adding some olives or wedges of lemon is my go to food. Adding a piece of salmon, cod or chicken on top makes a lovely healthy meal - & creates very little washing up as it’s all done in one roasting tin.
I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I have to live with PMR now - but refuse to be governed by it. Taking control of diet gives me some control & researching to find answers helps too. As for blame? I’m angry with food manufacturers for contaminating so much of what we buy. The industry is being called out now & exposed for the harm it’s doing to us. It’s us, the consumers that need to refuse to buy the rubbish they produce - see it as the poison that it is. We need to take back control.
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2 ReactionsMy understanding and experience is that Tylenol does not impact PMR. Advll does. Not yours?