Sugar and PMR

Reducing my sugar intake and changing my diet was one of the reasons I think helped me reduce the amount of time that it took to get my PMR in remission. I didn't change my lifestyle much the first time I was diagnosed with PMR back in 2007 and it took me 3 and half years to taper off of prednisone. Six years after it went into remission it reared it's ugly head again in 2016 and I started learning a little more about PMR and what can help thanks to all of my PMR friends here on Connect with shout out to HealthUnlocked.com and the wealth of knowledge and experience their members have on PMR. I do struggle more with sugary treats during the holidays and have to watch myself. I think high sugar intake plays a major part in a lot of different conditions so anything a person can do to cut down is a help. Here's another reference I found on the topic but there are a lot of them 🙂

--- Excessive intake of sugar: An accomplice of inflammation: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.988481/full

Thanks John. I'm glad to hear that cutting down on sugar helped you too. As you say, it's going to be a challenge avoiding sugar over the holidays. I've already received a box of chocolates as a gift, but am going to try and limit myself to one a day. I've also switched from flavoured to plain yogurt, and only buy gluten-free cereals with the lowest possible sugar content. And I rarely eat desserts, cookies, pastries, etc. Thanks for the article link -- I'll read this one too!

No question in my mind that sugar is a direct link to my RA flares. Stands to reason it would trigger the same in PMR.

Starting in January this year (2 months before PMR started), I've been on a strict low carb diet and stuck to it. Since getting PMR in March (diagnosis May) I've also eliminated packaged and processed foods, including vegetable/seed oils, and gone low oxalate & low lectin. That means no gluten, as wheat and other grains are high in oxalates.

I had lost 2 stone in the months before PMR struck and have lost over 2 stone more since diagnosis, which I am pleased about. The low sugar/carb nutrient-dense diet has meant I've avoided some prednisone side effects like weight gain and fluid retention.

For the whole year, I've had only two planned sugar binges to see the reaction. There was no change in PMR pain or symptoms, but my blood pressure rose for 24hrs, I had a little indigestion and light-headedness and was very thirsty. I feel confident that the planned Christmas pavlova will not be too detrimental as a once-off.

Everyone is different. We should all pay attention to our own body's reactions and respond accordingly.

I experienced “easy” weight loss and found out it might be related to cytokines with my onset of PMR.
IL-6 is related to CRP and sed rate. I’m on Mediterranean diet with gluten avoidance.

Sugar definitely makes my pain and stiffness worse. And it’s so hard to avoid at the holidays. I’m suffering now because of a sugar “binge” while visiting my daughter.

Good luck with having one candy a day. That would put me over the edge for sure with my PMR. No sugar, no candy for me.

Charlotte, Yes, sugar is the most potent inflammatory food--primarily because it's low fiber and low nutrient-density/calorie is replacing high fiber and high-nutrient density foods. I am a registered dietitian and contracted PMR after my second Pfyzer COVID vaccination. I had a very mild case--no inflammatory blood markers and it only hurt while in bed! It took me about a year to wean off of 10 mg. of prednisone and I had one flare when I caught COVID, but I am now off of prednisone for several months. I eat an organic, whole foods, primarily plant-based diet that includes about 3 oz. of animal protein per day. I do eat a little something sweet after dinner, like fruit pie, which doesn't seem to affect me at all. I think the single most important nutrient lacking in the American diet is fiber, which feeds your gut microbiome, and when food is processed and the fiber is removed, most of the nutrients are also removed. Keep in mind that 70% of your immunity starts in your gut. If you feed your gut mcrobes and keep them healthy, your whole body will thank you.

I had been eating very healthy for a number of years with very little “added sugar”. Our adult son moved in with us for a few months and started bringing home fresh pies, cookies, and pastries from the local bakery. I indulged. I actually think putting the sugar into my system kicked off my onset of PMR. Within those first 3 weeks, I felt pain, and then the morning it hit hard and I couldn’t turn over in bed or stand up without excruciating pain and stiffness.
There is a PMR Facebook group and they discuss this often with the new joiners regarding their diets. They agree that sugar makes PMR worse the following days.

We're all so different!

80-year-old female. I've always had a sweet tooth, and for the last few years I've habitually had quite a lot of sweets without gaining weight; admittedly, I felt I should lose a bit. When prednisone was prescribed in June, I read that I should expect substantial weight gain, which I wanted to minimize. The plan was to eat much in the same way as when I was pregnant (back in those days doctors got angry if you went over 24lbs.), high in protein, calcium, etc. low in calories. Liver. Yogurt.

Surprisingly, on the same day as I started prednisone I developed an aversion to sweets - open bags of candy, cookies were finally thrown away. Jars of jelly have crystalized. Can't say that I'm going out of my way to avoid sugar in my diet, just the concentrated stuff. Also, the planned diet proved unneccessary since mostly I only want bland fare. Oatmeal with lots of raisins is as sweet as it gets. I could live on trail mix. It's been six months, and I've lost 10lbs. It could be more but I don't want to have to buy new clothes other than belts. That said, I recall reading a forum post from a lady who said that the first time she was on prednisone she lost 11 lbs. and the second time she gained 30. Oh, yes - my response to prednisone has been good. Some aches and pains in upper arms and shoulders while tapering, but I'm fully functional. Can dress immediately on waking, take long walks daily, was able to mow lawn again.