Has anyone tried Specialized Pro-Resolving Mediators (SPM) for PMR ?

What is he using them for?

never heard of it before.

Hi shellet45866

I think they are fish oils Omega 3 that are recommended as an anti-inflammatory.....

What is SPM??   Can you expand this a bit more?  and in what way did it help your pharmacist ?? I would like to know if there is a panacea out there for PMR, please share it with us.

If your Pharmacist thinks he is onto something for PMR etc, then surely he would be contacting the NCP and researchers.    I would oke to know what SPM's are for. So I am copying this to my Pharmacist mate.  Will let you know when I get an answer.

I see this is on the Net:

Is this REALLY anything 'new' or proven to be effective with conditions like PMR though ? Isn't this just an aspect of a recommendation to take a certain sort of fatty acids ?

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What is "Pro-resolving Mediators(SPM)??

Well - if they are just fancy omega-3 supplements, is there something special about them compared with ordinary ones? 

My new rheumatologist, and absolute world-renowned PMR/GCA expert, suggested trying omega-3 supplements this week - not for my PMR/GCA but to see if it will lower my LDL level since it is slightly raised and I refuse to take statins.ever again. The 10 days I did were bad enough PMR-wise. 

There is a clinical study ongoing looking at their role in peripheral arterial disease and there has been discussion of their role in cardiovascular disease in general.

They are produced naturally in the body:

"SPMs are the end result of a multi-step conversion process in the body that begins with dietary omega-3 fatty acids. This is converted to EPA and DHA; numerous steps farther downstream, EPA and DHA are then converted to a number of different SPMs metabolites. Two that have been carefully studied and shown to have therapeutic value are known as 17-HDHA and 18-HEPE.

Unfortunately, the complex conversion process that ultimately leads to the production of SPMs in the inflamed area is slow and inefficient, even in the healthiest individuals.5 Normal genetic variation means some people will convert even more slowly than average. For occasional inflammation from an injury or illness, a healthy individual may be able to produce enough SPMs to resolve the inflammation in a timely way. But what about more serious or ongoing inflammation? What about people with suboptimum health?

If the body can't produce enough SPMs, the inflammation will be slow to resolve. It may linger on and become chronic. The protective effect of inflammation becomes destructive instead.

SPM production in amounts large enough to help with resolving inflammation relies on good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. These fundamental factors aren't always sufficient to help an individual naturally produce enough endogenous SPMs to overcome and resolve an inflammatory condition. Factors that can limit SPM production include:

Environmental irritant overload

High intake of low-quality dietary fats

High intake of processed carbohydrates

Too little exercise or overexertion

Other physical stressors, such as poor-quality sleep

The aging process."

So certainly there is some basis for thinking they might be useful. And that list of limiting factors certainly suggests a parallel - environmental factors may play a role in the development of PMR and other autoimmune disorders. It also provides a basis for why many patients feel better when they exclude processed carbs, do some exercise etc.

As far as I can gather - the SPM supplements have increased proportions of the ones they think are particulalry significant to boost what the body is making. Interestingly too - they are claimed to boost bone production, a more natural alternative to bisphosphonates.