Reduction

I read that you said that going from 15 to 1 mg is fast, but my Dr. Took me from 15 to 7 mg in 2 months do you think this is too fast? Cause I still get a lot of pain but it's not only on my shoulders and my hips but also my back and sometimes all over my body, but I've gained 25 lbs. Don't know what to do. I'm feeling very frustrated. And at that I'm taking hydrocodone for the last three months. Any body has any answers, Help!!!

Far too fast - if it works it would be fine but it obviously didn't - he has taken you to a dose that is too low to manage your symptoms. 

You can lose weight while on pred and often avoid gaining it in the first place by cutting carbs drastically. I started to lose weight while still at 15mg and lost the best part of 36lbs before I got to about 7mg. It can be done - but you have to be consistent and honest. No junk carbs, and very little fruit - it has loads of sugar and whatever sort of sugar it is, it is carbohydrate!

You know Eileen, I am very confused. My wife has suffered from migraines for almost 14 years. Been to doctors everywhere. The last two doctors told that Western Medicine had no more options for her. A friend gave her a book and said I think you might find this book interesting. She read a portion, said what do think. To which I said "like a smart ass read the book". Told me? when she finished, he says we have to eliminate, dairy, meat, go gluten free, she was, eggs and all process foods. What no pepperoni, cheese and pepperoni, I could live on it. Okay, I will try, but my sugar readings have been off the charts for me since Phredsone, if they go higher I am finished. Agree, agree! Now fun thing happened, the reading started to improve and getting better all time. How could this, at first only fruits and vegetables, double checked, my readings were the lowest I had seen. Now, the great news she not had migraine since three days after we started the diet. She has been a stained glass artist for over 14 years, the migraines started a year or so after she started. No more cheese and pepperoni for me, if it wasn't for PMR, I would be on top of the world. Even without my pepperoni. Eating fruits in the morning for breakfast and Blood Sugar goes DOWN!

Depends how you look at it I suppose - if you have eliminated pretty much all processed foods your overall sugars should improve - fruit or not. And not everyone has the severe sugar problem with pred. 

But what DO you eat? Vegan obviously - but what do you use since most vegan products are wheat-based. If you are only eating fruit and veg - do be careful about B vitamins. It is the one thing I know my vegan mates have problems keeping up with - there was panic in the UK a few months ago when Tesco refused to stock Marmite because the manufacturers put the price up. Marmite (similar to Australian vegemite) is a love or hate substance but the easiest dietary B vit source and vegan. I'm a hate person...

Good morning EileenH, at least it's morning here. Crazy weather though has been high 60s low 70s, they predicting snow tomorrow into Friday.

Food, morning shake, wild blueberry, coconut milk based, other fruits plus Spirulina, then another mid morning shake similar, salad for lunch, green leafy vegetables, lots of spinach, maybe some black beans. Drink cilantro juice, Jan adds drops in water. Fruits and veggies through out the day, dinner sweet potatoes, home made Salas on potato, can Salomon or Sardines. I eat a lot of Radishes and have done so for years. All foods are either organic or wild.

I thought my blood sugar readings would fly through the roof, but they fell. I couple of years back, I went on a no carb diet, lots chicken, eggs, cheese, fish the only fruit was an orange after a hard ride. BS numbers were higher, no carbs, but that orange. I did diet for six months, no better numbers, Jan was saying all along she thought it was unhealthy. I had a nice steak, baked potato and a couple of beers. I don't know that product you were speaking about. Jan was a vegan a number of years back, I was traveling and never was. Good day with the PMR, going for a walk. Keep smiling, I got a smile on my face.

Marmite is a very salty yeast extract, used as a spread on toast, or to flavour foods like soup.  I suppose the closest thing to compare it to is a beef extract, but marmite and vegemite have no meat component.  If you live in the US you probably have never heard of either.  If you are in Canada and consume it (I do, but as Eileen knows I always was strange ) then you are almost certainly of British extraction.  Yes, it is supposed to be a good source of B vitamins.

Sadly, for me, it's on the NO list if you have gout. I'm tossing up whether to resume my Marmite toast after a very painful and, I hope, isolated, attack.

Any novice thinking of giving it a try, you must use it very sparingly. Don't be tempted to use it like chocolate spread.

I cannot bear marmalade. We all have our funny ittle ways!

Another food I remember form childhood which I can't get here is Patum Peperium or Gentleman's Relish.  I think it might be anchovy based.  And I do like marmalade, probably because it is slightly bitter.  

What is it about marmite which is bad for gout?

Yes, I live in the states, my father from Ireland, my mother from Nova Scotia, way back, supposedly from when the French were relocated to the New Orleans. I do not understand, PMR, I thought it was in Northern Europeans.

Yes, the Acadians were exiled by the English, and many went to Louisiana, but some returned.  There is a sizable Acadian population here.  

But - isn't Ireland rather far north, not Scandinavian, but there will no doubt be Viking blood in there somewhere!  Same with the French, the Normans were "Northmen".  

You are correct, both the Norman's and the Vikings over ran Ireland. I guess I can blame them, thanks GUYS!

It is supposedly more common amongst people with Scandinavia genes - in the US at least. A lot of research was done on communities in Olmsted County, Minnesota. But there really don't seem to be massive numbers in Scandinavia according to the few people on the forums (and yes, there have been some!).

I only know 3 persons with pmr in Sweden and att almost 80, I know many people!

Hi pauline I've got really bad pains in my buttocks my legs feel really heavy and its painful to go up the stairs , I'm know taking 1 mg a day but its doing nothing would you up the case a bit more

Ask your doctor for a physio referral - buttock pain is often due to piriformis syndrome and even trochanteric bursitis can do it. Both make stairs very uncomfortable. But 1mg of pred won't help a lot!

If there's a genetic component American incidence easily explained by it being present in the early Scandinavian immigrants, creating a proportionaltly high rate in limited population?

 

But in that case wouldn't you expect it to also be more common in Scandinavia? 

That is strange, isn't it?

That I can understand, while in Germany, I came across a small village near where I was stationed, all the people had red hair, I had never seen so many redheads. I mentioned to a friend a local, he says well they were isolated for years!

Yes, I would think it would be more common in the Scandinavian countries.

Not necessarily.  There could have been one or two families with the gene which was then widely shared within the community.  I think there are cases of other relatively rare conditions occurring in certain communities, and they can mostly be traced back to a single individual or family.

Just did a bit of googling about this.  It's called "founder effect" and studies have been done in Quebec - not for PMR.

Michdonn: But what I'm saying - and Ragnar who is Swedish agreed - is that it ISN'T noticeably more common.

Oh, okay misunderstood, sorry! Just came in cleaning the yard after our dogs. Yesterday​ in the 60 s, day before in the 70s, today snowing, the skiing trails are white again, predicting up to 3ft of snow up north of here, welcome to spring in the Rocky!

Worse than spring in the Dolomites! 

Oh, but it is soo beautiful, when it stops I will go out for my stroll. The glass is half full, feel good, smile on my face!

I was about to say on the other post - there are weather conditions that even I refuse to go out in!!!! 

Oh, I am going to wait for the snow to stop falling, but what the hell I have skied all winter in the snow and cold I will not let a little snow stop me now. Still smiling!

hello Eileen,

I had been feeling very tired recently and put it down to I am on only 2mg of Prednisolone a day now, 7 months ago I was on 5mg day, so making progress. To combat the tiredness I tried the new Floradix liquid herbal tonic from Boots. This has Vitamin B and it has helped give me a bit more energy and at 78 years I am glad of anything. Has anyone else tried this?

Not me - no Boots in northern Italy for a start! Sounds like something from the garden centre! If it works...

Floradix isn't a Boots brand.  Don't have any in the house at the moment, but the iron supplement I'd been taking was Floradix, and I'm sure it's European, possibly German.