Diet & PMR.

Posted by chrissieg @chrissieg, Apr 28, 2023

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.

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

seniormed | @seniormed | May 6, 2023

I have found diet is very helpful in managing autoimmune symptoms.
The general Mediterranean suggestions and low gluten program are not that hard to follow. Fast foods and processed foods cause inflammation.
Very difficult to control body mass on the usual American junk foods.

bradninchgirl | @bradninchgirl | May 6, 2023

I fully believe stress was the instigator of my autoimmune problems. It began to be recognized about 35 years ago when a doctor took the unprecedented step in testing for Sjogren's. His prescriptions saved me for decades from any escalation of autoimmune problems but they came to light when my drug plan upped the cost of the medication to a level where I couldn't afford it. But it was nearly 10 years before I had the flare up. My stress originally came from my immigrating from the UK to the US in 76', the drastic change in diet, and having to take a job right away because I was also a single parent. Now my daughter is grown and I have a great man in my life. I can concentrate on me and relax a little.

bradninchgirl | @bradninchgirl | May 6, 2023

In reply to @chrissieg "Did you have any injections of any description before your PMR began? Flu vaccine maybe or..." + (show)

I believe I may have been living with PMR for 40 years or more, but it didn't get tested for or treated until 4 years ago. As far as food is concerned, taking back control for us means cooking pretty much everything from scratch. I am retired, I don't know how anyone with a job would cope. My husband and I garden extensively so that the vegetables we eat are without chemical fertilizers, insecticides or herbicides, but at 78 how much longer can we continue to do that. I have read to be very careful of Nightshade Vegetables: Potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, egg plant, ground cherries (my favorite) and tomatillos. But this means most savory dishes are difficult to make. I have avoided flu shots for decades and not had a problem. Everything else I rely on natural remedies until now. And be careful of gluten free products, they mostly have potato starch and/or rice flower as well as too much salt and sugar.

bradninchgirl | @bradninchgirl | May 6, 2023

In reply to @douglwuoregonedu "My understanding and experience is that Tylenol does not impact PMR. Advll does. Not yours?" + (show)

I think Tylenol has had an influence on my brain function and I am convinced it's responsible for my tinnitus. It's not just hisses and whines but full orchestra music. At Christmas it's like I have an Ipod in my head. But, I don't think it has impacted my PMR, except it takes away the pain for a while, not something to sneeze at. And my duodenal ulcer makes Advil unadvisable.

chrissieg | @chrissieg | May 6, 2023

In reply to @bradninchgirl "I believe I may have been living with PMR for 40 years or more, but it..." + (show)

I’ve read info on the nightshades too - really frustrating as I love them. I’ll see how I go before eliminating them. I agree it’s very difficult to control what we eat if we have busy lives but think we must make a stand really. Health before profit has to be our demand of the food industry. We’re all very worn down by our ailments & life generally but we can’t let them get away with what they’re doing - to our grandchildren! It enrages me!

suemce | @suemce | May 6, 2023

When I first had PMR (didn’t know that’s what it was though) I used Tylenol ES which made the pain , stiffness slightly better. I can’t take ibuprofen. I have now tapered slowly to 1 mg after 26 months. I am having an increase in symptoms, nothing like the onset! Never had a flare up during the
whole process. NOW I’m taking a Tyl ES daily and it is working to make life manageable.

omidee7 | @omidee7 | May 7, 2023

So happy to see a discussion about clean eating and PMR! I would say it is a definite must (it is for me, including no red meat), but definitely a try for everyone. We know what is not healthy for us, that should be easy not to consume on a regular basis (moderation), but what you eat and do now, when you are older, you will have wished you were better when you were young! Inflammation has so many consequences, you and your health will suffer-guaranteed!