1. < Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR)

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.

edwardh | @edwardh | May 9, 2023

Dietary question. As I understand it, while taking Prednisone the body holds on to sodium and excretes potassium. I have been told to cut down on sodium so have substituted a no-salt replacement that is mainly potassium. Is this a good idea or should I not avoid salt?

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1 reply
marid57 | @marid57 | May 10, 2023

My son told me to try eating grass fed beef as I had cut out regular beef. It made all the difference in the world! I can eat the grass fed beef with absolutely no exacerbation of pmr symptoms. Also, I feel pretty good this morning to start my day. Hurray! Just what is working for me....

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issyb | @issyb | May 10, 2023
In reply to @omidee7 "So happy to see a discussion about clean eating and PMR! I would say it is..." + (show)
@omidee7

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!

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There are lots of options in the grocery store now I eat a lot of Simple Mill products, not like homemade but made with nut and seed flour. Organic frozen cherries from BJ Or Costco. ( big bag) I eat a cup full with a dollop of organic whip cream for dessert !! Heavenly !! And really good for you cherries !! Big anti inflammatory fruit !!

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1 reply
louieangel | @louieangel | May 10, 2023
In reply to @issyb "There are lots of options in the grocery store now I eat a lot of Simple..." + (show)
@issyb

There are lots of options in the grocery store now I eat a lot of Simple Mill products, not like homemade but made with nut and seed flour. Organic frozen cherries from BJ Or Costco. ( big bag) I eat a cup full with a dollop of organic whip cream for dessert !! Heavenly !! And really good for you cherries !! Big anti inflammatory fruit !!

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Just diagnosed with PMR 7 daze ago. Prednisone 20 mgs. daily for 2 weeks than taper begins. Cherries. Thank you. Family history. Neuromuscular and MS. 64 active and hopeful. LouieAngel. 5/10
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sheralee | @sheralee | May 10, 2023
In reply to @douglwuoregonedu "My understanding and experience is that Tylenol does not impact PMR. Advll does. Not yours?" + (show)
@douglwuoregonedu

My understanding and experience is that Tylenol does not impact PMR. Advll does. Not yours?

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News to me. Allergic to nsaids & all I could take was Tylenol, which mildly helps.

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1 reply
achybreaky | @achybreaky | May 13, 2023
In reply to @echogirl2019 "I am a very active 60 year old semi retired health care worker . My PMR..." + (show)
@echogirl2019

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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echogirl2019, Has no one told you that prednisone is the only reliable way to control PMR? Has no one told you that without prednisone, you run the very real risk of PMR's big, ugly sister, GCA blinding you permanently? I have had both (yes, both) conditions for almost 4 years and have been active on a British PMR/GCA forum most of that time (healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk). That forum has over 18,000 members and dozens of members who, in ignorance or defiance of the facts, are now blind in one or both eyes. Please don't risk it, I'm not.

I suspect big pharma of some ugly things too, but please don't be the one who "cuts off his nose to spite his face".

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1 reply
mansplainer101 | @mansplainer101 | May 14, 2023
In reply to @sheralee "News to me. Allergic to nsaids & all I could take was Tylenol, which mildly helps." + (show)
@sheralee

News to me. Allergic to nsaids & all I could take was Tylenol, which mildly helps.

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Until my PMR was diagnosed, like you, Advil/Aleve/etc. provided moderate relief. Prednisone relief was both overwhelming and w/in 24 hours.

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mansplainer101 | @mansplainer101 | May 14, 2023
In reply to @achybreaky "echogirl2019, Has no one told you that prednisone is the only reliable way to control PMR?..." + (show)
@achybreaky

echogirl2019, Has no one told you that prednisone is the only reliable way to control PMR? Has no one told you that without prednisone, you run the very real risk of PMR's big, ugly sister, GCA blinding you permanently? I have had both (yes, both) conditions for almost 4 years and have been active on a British PMR/GCA forum most of that time (healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk). That forum has over 18,000 members and dozens of members who, in ignorance or defiance of the facts, are now blind in one or both eyes. Please don't risk it, I'm not.

I suspect big pharma of some ugly things too, but please don't be the one who "cuts off his nose to spite his face".

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Thanks for that link to the UK article. Living in the US, I have found the articles I read on the British NHS site to be quite well done indeed!

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marid57 | @marid57 | May 15, 2023
In reply to @edwardh "Dietary question. As I understand it, while taking Prednisone the body holds on to sodium and..." + (show)
@edwardh

Dietary question. As I understand it, while taking Prednisone the body holds on to sodium and excretes potassium. I have been told to cut down on sodium so have substituted a no-salt replacement that is mainly potassium. Is this a good idea or should I not avoid salt?

Jump to this post

Too much potassium can affect your heart rhythm. Be careful.

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celiacm | @celiacm | Sep 21, 2023

I agree! I have had it since March 2023, after a Shingrix vaccine. After I was finally diagnosed in August, I immediately started a Mediterranean diet. I eat loads of organic greens and other veggies. I also exclude most dairy & all gluten. Supplements I use for inflammation (I researched NIH PubMed journal articles) include turmeric/tart cherry, collagen, vitamin D, olive leaf, quercitin, DHA, fish oil, NAC, calcium, and a multi-vit approved by my rheum. My turnaround has been remarkable. I lowered prednisone from 60 mg to 25 in 2 weeks, and I have little pain. I can swim daily, and even got back on an elliptical yesterday. As a teen of the 80s, this diet was an extremely uncomfortable departure. It's a lot of "good" fat, mainly olive and avocado oil.

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