Anti-inflammatory diet

Thanks for this Daniel - I was poised down the same route and it's an expensive one. Food for thought here!

I think many of us would like the supplements to work.  I can tell you by the time I got my pred prescription in my hot little hand I wasted no time filling it and taking the first dose.  Before months of non-diagnosis and increasing suffering I wouldn't have believed I'd succumb to taking steroids so easily.  But the next part of the journey is more difficult because we really do have to do everything we can to get the dosage down to the lowest effective level, and that is where some supplements will work for some people, and other strategies can also be helpful - limiting eating processed foods, especially carbs for example, and getting enough but not too much of the right kind of exercise.  And some alternative therapies can also help if they relieve things like tight muscles which are contributing to pain (Bowen therapy, dry needling, some kinds of physio) or, as in the case of low intensity light therapy, actually reduce the production of pain-causing cytokines.

I picture pred and PMR as a two-headed dragon and we have to get the beast going in the right direction towards healing.  Pred does its bit, but we have to do ours as well.  I thought from the very beginning it made no sense to take pred to deal with the pain, but as I weaned down to return to the same body which got sick in the first place, so lifestyle changes are in order, if possible, and in my case active stress avoidance!  

Thanks Anhaga, you've put it very well. A sense of taking some control, whether diet or exercise, is part of our artillery. I like the two headed dragon!

I've just had a lesson in how significant stress is to my PMR.  There is work going on in our street - major work, all new sidewalks (pavements if you're in UK) on both sides, plus the road will also be repaved.  They've messed up a little section in front of our house by giving us this enormous concrete pad, which no one else seems to have, and which means less grass will now be growing along our section.  Dealing with the workers is no fun.  I finally gave up, told hubby I'd just made things worse, and if he wants things fixed he'll have to deal with it.  I went and researched how one could plant over concrete!  Decided creeping juniper might work and actually survive the winters and salt in the roads....  But meanwhile, coupled with my having paid a man to transfer all my data from a defunct computer to a new one over two months ago and not getting the device yet, I've been feeling majorly stressed.  My house is a veritable tip and needs all sorts of little things done, you know, like interior walls painted, new bedroom curtains, the kind of things you have to do occasionally if you live in a place long enough, and I have literally no energy of stamina to do it.  Was down to a very low dose of pred.  Seemed to be doing well at 1.5, but hadn't been on it long enough when I stupidly decided to follow my doctor's casual suggestion that I use up my remaining tablets and stop and see what happened.  Should have waited, because even the dead slow method wasn't working and I even tried twice (dumb move).  So now I've gone back to 3 and hoping this will work but I have a suspicion it isn't enough, so next move is getting light therapy again, which really helped me reduce before.  I felt a lot better last week after a session, but it didn't last the whole week, I think because the roadworks and the computer are getting to me....  So my dragons aren't behaving very well these days, but I'm going to be very kind to myself for the next little while and see if I can get through this without a further increase.  Certainly doesn't seem to be getting worse, and I'm much better than when I tried to get down to one mg.  Sorry for this long post, I guess I needed to sound off to someone! 

Oh oh oh! I feel for you. Concrete and computer - nightmare. As for mini irritants, they just keep piling up! My wardrobe door knob fell off the other night and I swear it poked its tongue out at me on the way down. Pretty amazing to get to such a low dosage with all this going on. Yes, cherish yourself, Virginia Creeper is terrific at covering concrete, gin is good and light therapy sounds amazing. Go for it all! 😄👏🏻🍸🍫🍁🐉x

Thanks, Daniel--for sharing your experience.  It's always good to hear about other people's experience.  I'm going to give this a try.  I guess my aim is not to get rid of the Pred but to perhaps lessen the dosage.  But that may be wishful thinking!  :-)

daniel08939, I am PMR pain free using Pred anti-inflammatory diet plus supplements, Turmeric and few others. I been a diabetic since 1962, so that is a concern and I take supplements for the BS. I think that the Pred, diet, supplements and exercise have all contribute to being PMR pain free. I do not know if I am correct, but I am not will to drop anything to find out.

Think positive and smiling. 🙂

Virginia creeper is very pretty but I think it might take over the area which we don't want covered!  Our neighbour had creeping juniper draping over an old wall they had, and it smelled lovely so I looked it up and it sounds salt resistant, so that's a plus.  The storm door at the front of our house has a latch which has decided not to stay closed unless we lock it, so I do understand about the annoyances of doorknobs!  When I get my new laptop (when, not if) I'll be able to use cute emoticons again   I'd got to the low dose before the latest rash of stressors....  But feeling better this afternoon.  Thanks for support.

Hi Anhaga

good to hear that your increased dose is helping. I follow your posts as I have osteopenia and I'm always interested in any bone advice you give.....and I've been envious if your reductions as they are faster than what I am able to tolerate. 

Its interesting Ing about what can stress us out. I was looking at our credit card bill and noticed a large interest charge. Turns out that OH paid the bill late - punched in the date wrong when paying it online. Waste like that really stresses me out 😡 And then the PMR symptoms are worse as it takes me a day or two to get over it. 

Re your cement work, the city was repairing sidewalks on our street and all the other houses got nice smooth cement but the section in front our house was filled with lumpy black asphalt.....it looked terrible. We contacted the city, sent pictures of our ugly place and the other nice ones......and the city came and replaced ours with nice cement. Hopefully you can work out something for your situation.....though it's nice you have the option of covering it withnice plants.

Oh Mrs CJ it took me a year to get from 3 to 1.5, not fast at all, and I'm back at 3 again, although I hope not for another year!  I'm feeling ever so much better today, and if things continue to improve I'll start a cautious taper back to 2.5 after I have bloodwork next Tuesday.  

I think stress is a major factor in many illnesses. I still maintain that my OH's life limiting illness has not deteriorated due to the fact that he retired from an increasingly stressful job. Take care of yourself Anhaga and don't stress about the minor problems like curtains. The most important issues are nourishment and warmth. The others can wait until you feel better. 

Rhea, I reduce according to how I feel, but get blood work done every three months. I've been monitored for high blood sugar and low iron as well, both now okay. Upcoming test is extra, thanks to a locum ?

Attacked a couple of piles of clutter today and feel better. It's a bit like clearing the Augean stables without aid of Hercules....

Anhaga, I been monitoring my blood sugar for years and the worse I have ever been has been this past year since I have been a Pred. My blood pressure has been higher also. Just some of the side effects of Pred that are not felt. Things should get a bit better when I get lower. Thinking positive with a smile on my face. 🙂

😀

Celia, if you're referring to my computer, yesterday the answer was as usual "tomorrow".  Which is now today.  He'd going to see me every day.... 

He's

That's good. I'm sure you will have a sense of achievement and better not to do too much. I found myself suddenly feeling good and full of energy and rushed headlong in to clearing and gutting a room. I overdid it but it's done and now I'm just doing as much as I feel like doing but not too much. Rome wasn't built in a day and we get there eventually. 

I liked the Augean stables reference. It made me smile. But get that computer fixed. Go sister!😈

I was exhausted!  Three hours of drawing, with a tea break in the middle. But I love drawing, it's my "thing"

I'm not surprised you were exhausted. It's a long time concentrating, even allowing for the tea break and the fact that you enjoy it. I'm sure drawing will give more of a feeling of satisfaction than clearing clutter.