Connect
Comment receiving replies
I totally agree that a Mediterranean diet, focusing on anti-inflammatory foods, is super helpful. I have also found that eating mostly vegetarian, including fish, so pescatarian diet has made a huge difference. Anytime I eat meat my pain flares! I am now almost 3 years into having PMR and have found incredible relief from Prednisone and have tried three times now too wean slowly off of it. I have been eating a Mediterranean diet for 15 years and still contracted PMR sadly. I have been off gluten and dairy 15 years. I noticed, however, one day after eating meat for breakfast that my pain was horrible About two hours later. This is what caused me to think that possibly eating meat was exacerbating my pain. I am down to 5 mg daily and have returned to training for a 5K and doing yoga which for two years was impossible. I am an active 54-year-old so super young to have PMR, even though I have eaten a Whole Foods organic diet for 25 years and seek out alternative medicine always first, knowing that big Pharma often causes more problems than solves. I know that there is a big genetic factor here, a history of stress, childhood trauma, and a terrible childhood diet that has contributed. I have tried an untold number of alternative treatments over the past two years, name it I have done it, but nothing except prednisone has made any long-term difference. I have taken six rounds of Kevzara so far, but still not able to get below 3 mg when the pain and weakness returns. I’m back up to 5 mg. I am also concerned about GCA so I will continue on the prednisone.
Replies to "I totally agree that a Mediterranean diet, focusing on anti-inflammatory foods, is super helpful. I have..."
Well done. Diet does play a large part in recovery but it's not the same for everyone. I have no problem with meat but there are other things that I do. I can't always predict what might give me a problem so I stick to the same boring palate of food. I have read many items on PMR diet and all too often they contradict themselves. One says cheese and tomatoes are bad the next says they aren't. I got a kindle book yesterday for an autoimmune diet that is totally unrealistic. Recipies are complicated and time consuming, like we need something else to take up our time. That book says pork and bacon is OK. I don't believe it.
Interesting to hear your story. I also have followed primarily a whole foods organic diet for years and only had a mild case of PMR. I do include small portions of meat each day and did not notice a relationship between eating it and any flare-ups. It took me about a year to wean off of 10 mg. and then I had a flareup when I caught COVID, so went back on 2 mg. prednisone for a few months. Note that my only pain was in my thighs and upper arms initially, and only while in bed at night. My flareup only occured in my upper arms.
Connect
I share your studied belief in the ant-inflammatory eating pattern
for cytokine control in PMR.
I also am an avid stretch fitness advocate. Exercise is medicine and
eat to live worked for me.
Alcohol consumption should be
limited. Turmeric, vitamin D and
C, and melatonin are all down regulators of inflammation markers. Physicians and patients
need to be informed of the cardiovascular risk associated with
autoimmunity and employ statins
to mitigate atherosclerosis.Spread the word! I got past PMR and have
controlled psoriatic arthritis with
a healthy retirement lifestyle.