How do I know PMR diagnosis is correct?

Thank you! I responded to pred after 3 days feeling full benefits at one week or so.

I shall go back & have another chat with doctor about dosage & tapering until dosage correct. Huge thanks, it's good to hear such great advice.

Darn - forgot to add: the sweating can be part of the PMR or it can be due to the pred, especially at higher doses, or it can be both. For me it was more PMR than pred, it returns a bit as I get down to low doses of pred.

Wow, thanks I'm overwhelmed with advice!

I've 2 grown ups & one 13 yr old boy & hubby has leukemia & gets very tired so housework is a must, plus I'm also carer for my 87 yr old mum so need to keep on top of things.

I was working as a full time community health care assistant but due to mine, hubby's & mums health have stopped for as long as needed atm.

The sweating / hot flushes been for at least 5 years but much worse since on pred, now I'm just a human fireball 😂.

Thanks for sharing your experience with me & all the useful links. With all this knowledge I'm feeling much more confident.

I keep hearing about the dreaded weight gain, is this because of increased appetite or lowered metabolism & does it happen every time? I don't feel any different & because I'm recently diagnosed diabetic haven't touched anything sweet in ages. I'm overweight / curvy anyway. If I keep my habits the same will I still gain weight? I guess everyone's different but am interested to hear people's experiences. Very much appreciare your guidance. Thank you!

I think the weight gain happens because pred triggers the release of blood sugar spikes by the liver - leading to insulin production and plummeting BS level with a ravenous craving for carbs causing a cycle, The excess insulin and hunger pangs result in weight gain. Many of us have found cutting carbs drastically has resulted in weight gain or avoiding weight gain if you start quickly enough. It also helps reduce the risk of steroid-induced diabetes. Some people lose weight on pred - unusual but it does happen!

Sounds like you are still working as a fulltime HCA - just not paid!

Some people gain weight and some don't.  I think it is combination of factors. Pred does make you more hungry, it seems. Combine that with reduced activity and one can see how the weight can pile up. On the other hand, if you stay active chances are you will not gain any weight. Some here reduce carb intake or eliminate carbs from diet all together. We are all different.  I was very active before PMR, and stayed active afterwards...My weight stayed the same.

Lol yes carers allowance is not generous so funds are very tight. Carbs are cheap! I'm finding having to fill up on pasta / jacket potatoes as meat & fish is becoming a luxury. I guess I'll just have to suck it up & see!

Thanks nick67069. Good to hear your weight stayed the same. I haven't gained in 7 years but prior to that gained 3 stone & hope it'll stay that way! I read somewhere that it's important to maintain carb intake to avoid adrenal stress? I don't know if it's correct but will research that too.

Carb intake has no effect on adrenal function. Adrenal insufficiency is an organic illness when it happens and nothing you can eat or drink is likely to improve it. The body doesn't NEED carbs - if it doesn't get many it uses up the fat stores - which is what you are aiming for to lose weight!

I can vouch for that, Eileen, at 3mgs and would agree that it can be both.

Body is smart enough to convert whatever food you eat to what ever it needs.  Carbs are the most preferred energy source, but as Eileen pointed out, body does not need carbs and will convert fat or protein to energy source it needs (glycogen). Any excess is stored as fat, regardless of the source ( protein or fat or carbs).

The key is balance between intake and energy spent.

Hi Sara77, here is a thought from an old Diabetic, try a dish of quinoa and black beans, no fish, no meat lower in carbs. Good luck!

Thanks Michdonn! & all of you for your great advice..any cheap, diabetic friendly low carb recipes / advice welcome.. I've never tried quinoa or black beans so will give it a try.

I didn't know the body doesnt need carbs even at my age! I can see I'll be gaining much knowledge on this site, so pleased I jumped on board. Thanks everyone ?

Sara77, a few years back I read a book, that if you didn't eat carbs you could cure your Diabetes. I rode a bicycle with a group of friends, all my friends said you will never be able to ride. Not eating carbs never affect my performance.

Black Bean and Quinoa, fry a little onions, garlic, celery and tomatoes to add to the mix and you can have a great health tasty meal. Give it a try, you might be surprised! 🙂

you do realize that black beans have carbs ? and tomatoes ... the rest of the list has low carb content.

Thanks, sounds delicious! Have you cut out most carbs permanently Michdonn?

forgot Quinoa,  71%water, 21%carba, 4% protein, etc

 

Black beans, yes..but I thought tomatoes were low carb? I can see I've much research to do!

I think the goal is to stay away from processed carbs... Most of the vegetables and fruits are carb rich, but that is natural food for us. Our bodies, our teaths indicate that thruout evolution our food was plant based. We don't have k9s, which are typical for meat eaters.

yes tomatos have relatively low carb  about 5g per 100, but the point I am trying to make that one cannot eliminate carbs and the focus should be on processed food, not fresh.

True, but not like potatoes, rice and bread. Fruit has sugar, but if you are a diabetic and eat a candy bar or an orange and check your blood sugar you will see the difference. Both have sugar, but eating candy bars if you are a diabetic is disasterous.

Absolutely agree. I'm from an Italian family & cook from scratch, but we do like bread, foccacia, pasta etc. If I gain weight I'll be cutting these out, for now a good reduction will do 😊

Nick 67069, we eat only organic, wild caught fish, none process foods and have done so for the last 4 months. My BS reading have got better even when I was on the 30 mg of Predinisone compared last year. You have to see how different food affect Blood Sugar. 🙂

No, I was on no carbs for about 6 months, it did not cure my Diabetes. 🙂

Sars77, I am from Rhode Island, grew up eating pasta my favorite thing to eat, 7 days a week at one time. No more too many carbs. We now are trying Quinoa in place of Pasta with some sauces. I then check my readings, been doing this a long time 55 years this month. But I still have a smile on my face! 🙂

Did you lose any weight in that time Michdonn?

Sars77, at which time, no carbs, I was riding my road bike 3000 to 4000 miles a year and there was very little change in my weight. Now I have gained weight on the Predinisone, lost some last winter when I got on lower doses, back up this spring after the flare. But as I reduce I think I will get the weight off. 🙂 But I smiling!

Sounds delicious! When can I come over for a dinner? My wife lived in Italy for a while and cooks at least once a week italian dish... I don't have special diet because of PMR, and still eat steamed rice almost every day, bread few times a week, etc.  But I exercise a LOT 5-6Km/day walks, swim and do mountain biking and usually burn more then 20K Kcal/month doing so... I think this keeps my weight in check.

We eat no grains, no dairy, no chicken, no beef no process foods, my wife had suffered with Migraines for over 13 years and has not had a migraine in over a 100 days. So we are going to eat this way for the future. I currently am following a regiment to kill or down viruses, who knows if it will work, but I am willing to give it a try. Seems to help with the. Blood Sugar. 🙂

You may not have k9s - but most of us do! The upper No 3s on either side of your front teeth are called canines.

If you google low carb you will find loads of sites with suggestions for recipes. Most veg grown above ground is low in carbs, root veg has far more. Most fruit has a fair bit but berries are fairly low in carbs. Google will also give you lists of veg and their carb content. 

The stuff you need to keep to a minimum is the stuff you like of course - bread, pasta and so on. I eat large amounts of salad and veg and 75-100g meat - and lots of olive oil. Eggs, cheese and meat/poultry is all no carb. The advantage is that cutting carbs also usually reduces your appetite so you naturally want to eat less. But I still occasionally eat pizza. I make lasagne with sliced courgette - and tonight we are having mousakka made with aubergines and the topping is an egg beaten in a Greek yoghurt - very low in carbs. 

EileenH, when on the no carb diet and up to this new diet, my wife would make lasagna with thin slices of zucchini instead of noodles, that can be a great lasagna. I will miss that with no dairy!

Now I imagine you as vampire with k9 distinctly sticking out.  You know what I mean, don't you. If you compare our teath to carnaivore's teath, like tiger or wolf, we are more like herbivorous animals. Our guts are 9x in length compared to our hight, while average carnaivore has short guts, only 3x of their length, etc.

This is healthy diet, no doubt. I just would call it low carb instead of "no carb".  By that logic I can call wine non-alcoholic drink, because it is mostly water, but 12% alcohol

I am not on a no carb currently, I was couple of years ago, think of anything you would think of as carbs and I did not eat them for 6 months, but ate a lot of protein and fat! 🙂 Bacon and eggs no toast!

Courgettes are zucchini...

Doesn't alter the fact that the human race may have eaten a lot of plants as well as meat - but meat-eating they are! And the cereals are a very late addition to the human diet.

Thanks, new term!