Anti-inflammatory diet

You already know my opinion but I'll repeat it here for the benefit of anyone else looking in:

There is no alternative to pred for reliable management of PMR. You may be able to reduce the amount of pred by diet but you have to bear in mind this is something that is going to be a problem for years - not months. Can you really face such a restrictive diet for that long? The few people on the forums who have tried it weren't able to last more than a few months.

I have tried no alcohol, no nightshades, gluten-free (I was gluten-free when PMR struck as I have an allergy to wheat starch) and I used very little dairy for a long time. None of it made the slightest difference - just made my diet rather boring and eating out very difficult.

We recommend here that when on pred you try low carb - and it really does help with the weight gain problem though there you do have to be strict. Even root veg and fruit can take you above the amount of carbs that keeps YOUR weight controlled. Everyone is different.

Now you are below 10mg you do need to be sure you are trying to reduce SLOWLY. No reduction should be more than 10% of the current dose but even that is too much for many people.

There will be practitioners who will happily take your money and tell you they CAN improve adrenal function through diet. It's bunkum. Adrenal dysfunction may cause some things - but it really isn't the basic cause of PMR although in some patients they have found poor adrenal function. This hardly surprising as PMR is predominantly a disorder of the elderly and adrenal function declines with age.

There are several causes of poor adrenal function - diet doesn't help any of them.

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, diets, diets and more diets.......how to make money.

The only dietician I listened to was the one who was the Lead dietician in the local hospital.   Sensible.

How much is the naturopath charging you?  My advice was free of charge..............

Yes a few months ago I did a diet for 30 days no dairy. No sugar, no grain no alcohol just like you mentioned it was amazing really helped my  inflamation a lot and lost 15 pounds so feel so much better . Have resumed normal eating except trying to not have as much sugar or breads and really missed my dairy so it is back .  I was on 15 mg since last year am now down to 3ml a day getting there with no flare ups so far. I really believe diet is a big part of controlling this disease at some point  we have to take ownership of our body and not rely totally on the meds.  

Yes - re Donna's comment: I should have said that the low carb eliminates the substances most likely to encourage inflammation - sugar and simple carbs are very pro-inflammatory. So taking them out alone should make a big difference and help with the weight problem at the same time. 

But it doesn't alter the fact that diet makes no difference to adrenal function...

I think reducing grains and sugars makes sense. Eliminating nourishing foods like nuts and pulses not so good. Some places claim to feel better not eating too many nightshade foods but probably not necessary to eliminate them. You've been put on a drastic elimination diet which is hard. Years ago a naturopath tried to help me figure out causes of a skin problems and to make it easier I eliminated one type of food at a time, which for the record were dairy, wheat and nightshades. And I did seem to benefit marginally from eliminating nightshades. But as has been said diet may help with some things but nearly certainly not with pred.

That being said I believe that finding the best foods for one's own body may well help to maintain health as pred does its healing.

How far into the two weeks are you? What's the verdict so far?  I don't think pred can be 'supplemented' by diet when it's used as 'supplant'..  you need the pred you need. Diet working alongside the pred to achieve a sense of doing something positive and beneficial for yourself is a good choice - low carb works for me, I've lost weight and there's a good variety of foods, keep hydrated, and have a splurge every now and then, it isn't meant to be penance (that's the pred! for living far too full a life previously ...)  

I checked this out and did some research. Taking Pred over a long period of time can make us vulnerable to diabetes and the formation of kidney stones. I stress 'can'. So I'm watching all sugars and foods high in oxalates like spinach, blueberries, chocolate,  grains etc. Having them but not overdoing it. Apparently oxalates also inhibit the absorption of calcium, so if you're on AdCal you're advised not to take the tablets within two hours of eating foods high in oxalates. Nutrionists try to reduce inflammation by eliminating certain food stuffs, and you can test this through trial and error. I have certainly found avoiding processed food helpful - so much stuff added to give flavour, and it has helped to keep weight down and other parts of the digestive system! But some of the advice - celery juice every day, fruit and vegetable juices ditto - not so good. Like Almond milk though 😀