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.

janiceem | @janiceem | 2 days ago
In reply to @megz "The "Blue Zones" have been debunked. Award winning researcher Dr Saul Newman looked into blue zones..." + (show)
@megz

The "Blue Zones" have been debunked. Award winning researcher Dr Saul Newman looked into blue zones and found the secret to living over 100 is to live somewhere (the blue zones) that have poor record keeping, including birth and death certificates. People without a birth certificate have routinely claimed to be older than they are to get the pension in those places and some people have continued to collect their parents pensions after they died, so the records show they were still alive when they weren't. Those facts were not considered when the "blue zones" were made up.
Google "blue zones debunked". His research and award for it are all on the record.

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It sounds like much of his research can be validated in many areas of the world, but here is the rebuttal to his research from the scientists that validated the data in the Blue Zones...
https://danbuettner.com/the-science-behind-blue-zones/

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wfroslansky | @wfroslansky | 2 days ago
In reply to @robnicho "I have been on the Mediterranean diet forever. I am Italian makes it easy. We have..." + (show)
@robnicho

I have been on the Mediterranean diet forever. I am Italian makes it easy. We have never been consumers of pre prepared meals of food. Occasionally we have baked beans on toast. I am 77 in general good health. My doctor has me on declining Preds now down to 4mg. I take Curcumin and drink anti-inflammatory teas.
I have had PMR for 18mths and annoyed with the impact on my lifestyle. Currently off any alcohol for June. With my evening meal I used to drink a third of a bottle of wine mainly red. It seems like it is helping.
I exercise daily and spend some time on my garden and outdoors generally. Where we live in Perth WA we have a great climate and great tree canopy. Lots of native birds etc. So ideal and still can't shake the PMR.
Maybe it is an age and general body deteriorating. Thoughts.
Any comments on effects of alcohol on PMR. Any further ideas to help recovery would be welcome.

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I have one drink every now and then. I go with everything in moderation as my guide. The achoo turns to sugar which is inflammatory so I don't eat desserts mostly but an occasional cookie does slip in. things like prunes sour cherries turmeric chews all may help or at least make me feel like I am looking out for myself.

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thereselefever | @thereselefever | 2 days ago
In reply to @robnicho "I have been on the Mediterranean diet forever. I am Italian makes it easy. We have..." + (show)
@robnicho

I have been on the Mediterranean diet forever. I am Italian makes it easy. We have never been consumers of pre prepared meals of food. Occasionally we have baked beans on toast. I am 77 in general good health. My doctor has me on declining Preds now down to 4mg. I take Curcumin and drink anti-inflammatory teas.
I have had PMR for 18mths and annoyed with the impact on my lifestyle. Currently off any alcohol for June. With my evening meal I used to drink a third of a bottle of wine mainly red. It seems like it is helping.
I exercise daily and spend some time on my garden and outdoors generally. Where we live in Perth WA we have a great climate and great tree canopy. Lots of native birds etc. So ideal and still can't shake the PMR.
Maybe it is an age and general body deteriorating. Thoughts.
Any comments on effects of alcohol on PMR. Any further ideas to help recovery would be welcome.

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When I drink, I have more pain. My best friend has PMR as well. When she drinks, she has pain.

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centralflorida | @centralflorida | 2 days ago

Since being diagnosed with PMR in August 2024, I have resorted to a low sugar, high protein, high calcium diet. I don't eat any pre-packaged foods, and severely limit white flour and white rice. Not only have I kept my labs in the normal zone, but the diet has apparently also improved my thyroid. It had been on a downward spiral to hypothyroidism, but the last labs put me back in the zone of normal thyroid.

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1 reply
megz | @megz | 1 day ago
In reply to @centralflorida "Since being diagnosed with PMR in August 2024, I have resorted to a low sugar, high..." + (show)
@centralflorida

Since being diagnosed with PMR in August 2024, I have resorted to a low sugar, high protein, high calcium diet. I don't eat any pre-packaged foods, and severely limit white flour and white rice. Not only have I kept my labs in the normal zone, but the diet has apparently also improved my thyroid. It had been on a downward spiral to hypothyroidism, but the last labs put me back in the zone of normal thyroid.

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My diet is similar to yours, but I haven't had any rice or flour for two years - no gluten or high oxalate foods either. My blood tests and blood pressure have both been good too, and no weight gain on prednisone.

Diet as medicine is so much overlooked and undervalued generally. I don't know if some people don't know the big impact that diet has on health, or if they just don't want to change what they eat. Doctors don't emphasise the importance of healthy eating and dieticians often suggest things that are not so good. Well done on using food as medicine and getting that thyroid healthy again.

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barb26 | @barb26 | 1 day ago
In reply to @gre "i am an active 80 year old man who started with pmr in march 2025 after..." + (show)
@gre

i am an active 80 year old man who started with pmr in march 2025 after having started to take a statin for the first time in january 2025.

prednisone:
i am on 10 milligirams daily. Rheumatologist then reduced it to 5 mg. The immobility started to return, so i was returned to 10 mg.

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It seems most rheumatologists are tapering 1mg a month until at 5mg. Then dropping .5 milligrams a month until hopefully we are done. If at any time problems occur just go back to previous dose. Wishing you well.

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pmrsuzie | @pmrsuzie | 57 minutes ago

I have seen three rheumatologists. I have considered all three excellent physicians. Whenever I mentioned diet, it was not really discussed as having a major role in my plan of care. My PCP regularly discusses diet choices. I am a believer in a healthy diet but as healthy as I eat, I'm not convinced it's contributing greatly to my overcoming pmr or some other ailments I have.
After I discovered I have macular dystrophy not macular degeneration, my retina specialist told me I was wasting money on the eye vitamins I've been taking for years. So I just switched to what I hope is a good multi vitamin hoping it will he more beneficial.
I have always made reasonably good diet choices, never smoked, don't drink, never overweight although now I would like to lose a few lbs and yet I feel I have more than the average person's list of present/past ailments. You be you. You are you. Sometimes you can't change mother nature.

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