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Baking Soda for PMR

Posted , 14 users are following.

MR._BELLA
MR._BELLA

I am wondering if anyone has taken baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) while taking prednisone. I am willing to try this if it won't kill me. I have osteoporosis and don't want to take a medication for that. I am doing everything I can to build my bones, calcium, D3, K2, dark greens and walking. Just need to get rid of prednisone if at all possible.

0 likes, 17 replies

17 Replies

  • EileenH
    EileenH MR._BELLA

    Posted

    You might like to read this article which quotes the lead author in the study:

    https://drugsafetynews.com/2018/05/02/could-an-effective-treatment-for-autoimmune-disease-be-as-simple-as-drinking-baking-soda/

    Who is basically saying - don't try this at home yet. 

    Taking bicarb of soda daily is a large extra amount of sodium. They mention that taking the bicarb also triggers extra production of gastric acid - so one would imagine it should be restricted for patients with reflux.

    • MR._BELLA
      MR._BELLA EileenH

      Posted

      Eileen, thank you. I am having a hard time reducing this pred. Going from 18 to 16mg and it is not going real great and I am doing the DSNS method. I had the same problem when I tried going from 20 to 17.5. Had to go back to 25 for 2 weeks to stabilize then I went down slow to 18 and all was good but tried to go to 16 and it is not working. I am not sure what to do next.
    • Buffy61
      Buffy61 MR._BELLA

      Posted

      You’re trying to reduce too fast for your body. Go slower! Sometimes you have to drop in 0.5mg increments!! 
    • EileenH
      EileenH MR._BELLA

      Posted

      Try reducing at 1mg at a time, or even 1/2mg. As Buffy says - you are trying to go too fast for YOUR body. Everyone is different and some people have to go really slowly. 

      And have you introduced lifestyle changes too? It isn't just about pred.

    • MR._BELLA
      MR._BELLA EileenH

      Posted

      I try to do the things I read on this forum. You people are the only ones I trust.
    • barb3389
      barb3389 MR._BELLA

      Posted

      I read an article somewhere that made a good point. As you are reducing the mg, you are actually increasing the percentage of prednisone that you are reducing by. When I got to 5mg - my next reduction was down to 4.5 mg, then 4, then 3.5, etc. Each dosage I stayed on for 3 weeks. I have been off prednisone now send Mar 20, 2018 and hopefully forever. Occasionally I will have symptoms, but only for a little while during the day.

      I also take a lot Of suppliments - double doses of tumeric, krill oil. I also take 1200mg of calcium, B complex, and Vit D. Not sure which if any of these are helping, but I would like to think they are.

      Under a different discussion about Supplements that I starte, I provided a link to an article all about treating PMR with suppliments. Would love some feedback from all of this.

  • Buffy61
    Buffy61 MR._BELLA

    Posted

    Baking soda is great for cleaning the bathroom and makes cakes rise but why on earth would anyone think you can use it to get off prednisone???!!!

    Don’t believe everything you read on the internet!!😂😂

  • cindy58102
    cindy58102 MR._BELLA

    Posted

    I got stuck at 12mg prediction for too long- doc changed me to methylprednisolne and it got me unstuck. I'm at 1mg now- yeah!

  • Anhaga
    Anhaga MR._BELLA

    Posted

    I read somewhere, but I forget which forum, a post from a person who is taking 1/2 tsp morning and evening dissolved in water and thinks it it helping.  According to her post the dosage she'd heard she should take was a teaspoon, but she decided to be very conservative.  A site I can't link to here suggests that if your diet is low in salt 1 tsp baking soda per day will not be harmful, but apparently "the average adult" consumes as much as 10,000 mg salt a day, and one wouldn't want to add even a single grain to a figure like that!

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga

      Posted

      From google it appears bicarbonate of soda has a little more than half the sodium of table salt. 
    • EileenH
      EileenH Anhaga

      Posted

      True - but every little counts!!!!!
    • Anhaga
      Anhaga EileenH

      Posted

      i was thinking it would be quite safe for moi!

       

    • Buffy61
      Buffy61 Anhaga

      Posted

      IT may be ‘safe’ but it’s going to do bugger  all to get you off prednisone! These are old wives tales that have become popular because of the internet! 

      Yes it sucks being on prednisone but it is the only proven treatment for PMR and we have to suck it up and live with the side effects as best we can! Or get used to the pain of PMR! 

    • EileenH
      EileenH Buffy61

      Posted

      This isn't just based on old wives tales - because believe me, I'd have said it first if it were!! This is a serious study on autoimmune disease for which I put a link to an article in the first reply at the top of the thread. The lead author does also say  "Don't try this at home" but drinking bicarb in water is similar to visiting spas which specialise in certain disorders.

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