Diet & PMR.

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.

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.

Dear celiacs, So glad you did your research and are proactive about your health. I was diagnosed in the ER with PMR October 2022 at 82 yrs old. My sed rate and crp were off the charts! By going on an anti inflammatory/Mediterranean diet, my inflammatory markers were down to low normal range in 90 days! I stared at 15mg prednisone, now stepped down to 6mg. Can’t wait to get off prednisone! Probably by January! Yeah!
Wishing you success in your PMR journey!

I love it, all of it! 🤗

Good for you! I'm a registered dietitian and follow pretty much a Mediterranean whole foods organic diet with rarely any dairy and very little portions of organic meat. I also take many of the supplements that you take. I had such a mild case to begin with, it took 4 months to diagnose. It only hurt while laying in bed! I started with 10 mg. of Prednisone and weaned off of it in about a year (I think). It flared again when I came down with COVID, but then I only took 2 mg. and weaned off in a few months.

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.

Supplements. The more I read about some of the talked about supplements here, the less likely I am to consume them. Now this is just ME I'm talking about. As soon as I read turmeric can cause gallbladder issues, the thought of taking it as a supplement went right out the window. My gallbladder was removed 50 yrs ago because it was packed full of tiny stones. I don't need another biliary issue. If it's in a recipe, fine, but not an everyday pill. Melatonin. I just read melatonin is not recommended for people with auto immune disorders. Also if you have hypertension you need to be careful. Fish Oil. I stopped taking fish oil a few yrs ago. It can lead to bleeding problems. Prednisone can lead to some bleeding issues and compromise wound healing so fish oil as a supplement is a a 'no' for me. I am enjoying salmon for dinner one night a week and a leftover salmon sandwich for lunch the next day. Also a handful of walnuts everyday.
I may revisit this discussion later, I am always rethinking diet choices. Once again, this is just ME, if these supplements work for YOU, it's a good thing.
suzanne

Turmeric gives me the scoots if taken as a supplement. Melatonin brings on a slightly depressive state. Diet and supplements can work hand in hand if you tolerate them well. I take Vitamin C and Zinc Picolinate to boost my immune system. Even before PMR my diet consisted of almost no red meat but fish, chicken and turkey; salads, beans, sweet potatoes and green vegetables. It’s just what my body tolerates well.

I’m hoping to ring in the new year without PMR and prednisone!

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.

https://www.healthcentral.com/article/autoimmune-disorders-and-melatonin
This article seems to give a fair assessment of the pros and cons of taking melatonin.
suzanne