alternative diagnosis...?

firemonkey,

Hello, glad you eventually found out the cause, can I ask what your symptoms were?

Hello there. My symptoms were a lose of energy ending up with a total inability to get out of bed and a week of running a low fever,and terrible muscle pains in my upper arms, thighs and neck. The fever left, the pain and stiffness in muscles remained, with no energy to get on with daily life.Just the thought of going out was exhausting!.....As I said I consulted with a G.P who also uses kenesiology.She found that at that time my body was having allergic reactions to a long list of foods. Changing my diet to follow her recomendations had a major effect on my energy levels,and gave me hope to continue with her method of managing my situation. Hope thats useful. Cate.

Wow! Kate, that's interesting reading. I've often wondered whether our adrenal glands sort of crashed or something leaving us open to an auto immune disease such as PMR. I would be interested to hear what diet you followed to boost the adrenals and what treatment you have been on/are on now, please.

MrsO

Hello Cate, I am a bit mystified as to how your doctor & specialist diagnosed you with PMR. As I understand it, there is no 'test' as such, but the diagnosis is based on good response to steroids (which you didn't have), plus symptoms & sometimes raised blood markers. With me, I had become virtually immobile within a week (after a year of slowly incresing aches & pains) & after first dose of steroids was back on my feet again.

Really pleased for you that you have got the corrrect diagnosis & treatment. Hope all goes well.

Margaret

Hi there Margaret.When my first symptoms began,( fever, fatigue, muscle aches and weakness), I had all kinds of tests done to eliminate other possibilities ,and was then told that I had p.r.I chose the none chemical route of treatment and further investigation, which luckily for me has worked out well.

The diet I followed was totally personalised andto my body at the time.as cortasol production also affects our allergic responses. I stopped eating so many things during that time,..sorry I can´t remember them all, but amongst them was wheat flour and all other cereals except quinoa, all citric fruit except lemon, night-shades, tea and coffee. I generally kept to fresh foods and white fish. the improvement in the way I felt was pretty rapid. I also took various suppliments (eleuterococo,vitamin c,omega 3 and drenatrophin pmg amongst others), all controlled by my G.P.But as I said this was all tailor made for my particular case.This experience has taught me to consider alternative routes to health care which address the root cause of the problem, and not just covering up the symptoms which can have so many reasons for occurring. best wishes Cate

Cate

Thank you for posting the information about your diet.

It does sound like a gluten-free diet in the main, and as far as tea and coffee go, it's the caffeine they contain that places stress on the adrenals.

As far as acid fruits are concerned, too much acid is not good especially for an ailing body as it needs to be returned to a more alkaline state - and certainly lemon juice is one acid that turns alkaline in the body. Did you just rely on vegetables for the Vitamin C content?

I have also included at least 3 helpings of the Omega 3- containing oily fish a week, definitely noticing an increase in my discomfort if I missed it for any length of time and then noticed the benefits when I introduced it again.

I don't know anything about the other medications you mention which I presume are based on homeopathy.

I'm so glad that you and your Dr found what appears to have been a successful and mostly a natura lway to treat PMR - definitely worth investigating. Keep well.

MrsO

Definitely interesting - it does sound Cate as if you did not have PMR, doesn't it.? Thank goodness you got the correct diagnosis. I don't think there was any doubt with me that it was PMR. I take Omega 3 supplements, eat lots of oily fish & eat a pretty healthy diet. I do not like the idea of taking steroids for one second, but I would be too worried about the increased risk of GCA associated with untreated PMR than the risk asssociated with steroids.

We each have to make 'informed decisons', I guess.

Hope all goes well for you.

Margaret

Hi there, answering the question of vit. C...I took supplements, and still do..

Thank you for all you´re good wishes, and good luck in finding a return to good health, Best wishes Cate.

Cate - thank you.

MrsO

you´re welcome MrsO.!