PMR diagnosis: Diet on Prednisone with less small intestine

Posted by wordnoid @wordnoid, Apr 14 2:48pm

Hi - I'm 65, female, blindsided by recent diagnosis with PMR - currently on first round of prednisone (15 mg/daily) and following up with NP tomorrow. I have been prediabetic for some years but at a very low level - no medications at all for diabetes. Now everybody is warning me that I will tip into frank diabetes on prednisone and I will have to change my diet.

I'm a survivor of neuroendocrine neoplasms in my small intestine (discovered December 2015), multiple abdominal surgeries since then and complications lasting another 5 years. We don't get "cured" but I've been "No Evidence of Disease" for 8 years.

Only problem is that through the multiple surgeries I lost 20% of my small intestine and my gall bladder. I had adjusted very well to a low fiber, low-residue diet (white bread and rolls, no whole grains, no fruits, seeds, nuts, skins, or red meat; uncooked vegetables are bad, some greens.)

Now I am looking at the various low-carb diets recommended by the American Diabetes Association, and am not sure what the heck I'm going to be able to eat. Anybody out there in this situation? Advice? Tips? Cookbook recommendations?

Thanks!!!

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) Support Group.

John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Apr 14 5:11pm

Hi @wordnoid, My PMR is currently in remission but I've been pre-diabetic most of my adult life (now close to 82). It sounds like you are already eating pretty healthy which I didn't start doing until after my first round with PMR when it came back after being in remission for six years. There is another discussion that you might find helpful:

-- PMR Diet: Foods to eat and avoid - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/diet-and-pmr/

It was reading about Dr. Terry Wahls that got me into eating healthier and low carb diets. She does have a cookbook but I have only read her first book Wahls Protocol - https://terrywahls.com/the-wahls-protocol/. She also has a new one Cooking for Life - https://terrywahls.com/wahls-protocol-cooking-for-life/.

jabrown0407 | @jabrown0407 | Apr 15 5:27am

I would suggest you eliminate processed foods and refined sugars. This will get sugars down. You might want to also read up on an antiinflammatory diets since PMR is an inflammatory challenge.

I went organic following breast cancer 20 years ago. This eliminates most all processed food. Yes, I cheat with potatoes chips, etc, but I require they be non-GMO at a minimum. With PMR I gave up sugar 3 years ago and after about a month I no longer craved it. Now I don't even like the idea of desserts, etc. Lipid panel rewarded me within 6 months.

I wish you success on navigating your approaches and decisions. Not all of mine were right fit, so be open to hitting the reset button.