1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Polymyalgia Rheumatica and GCA

Terrible weight gain

Posted , 9 users are following.

rocketman42
rocketman42

Hi All,

I am a 65 y.o. male who was diagnosed with PMR the end of April. I started on 15mg for a week and then, without the knowledge or insight that I've gained since joining this group, I reduced to 12.5mg. Luckily, I again did OK with that for about a week and then reduced to 10mg. I have now been fluctuating between 10-11mg for about a month now with a reasonable and acceptable reduction with aches, pains and stiffness. The fatigue is another story with very unpredictable increases and decreases on a day to day basis. Can never predict if it will be a good day or not with the fatigue.

At this point, what is really concerning to me, is the weight gain that I am experiencing. I am now officially heavier then I've ever been in my life with no end in sight. I am sure this is adding to the fatigue and the general feeling of discontent with myself since I can't properly fit into any of my clothes. I hate this side effect and might be willing to trade the pain for a reduction in my weight.

Is there a specific diet that should be followed to minimize weight gain and help with the PMR ?  Is there a dosage of prednisone at which weight gain typically stops being an issue ?

All thoughts and recommendations would be appreciated. Have a great day !

0 likes, 18 replies

18 Replies

Prev
  • Daniel1143
    Daniel1143 rocketman42

    Posted

    Two comments.  First of all, cherries are a natural anti-inflammatory fruit.  I eat a lot of them and drink quite a bit of tart cherry juice.  Very tart.  In lieu of sweets, try dried cherries.

    Also regarding vegetables, we have cut out the Night Shade veggies which would include tomatoes and eggplant, and legumes which would include peas, beans, chick peas, peanuts.  All of the above tend toward inflammatory.

    • EileenH
      EileenH Daniel1143

      Posted

      On the nightshades - I'm not disagreeing, just mentioning that, as always, everyone reacts differently in PMR. I removed nightshades (of which I eat a lot) for some considerable time and it made no difference at all except to make my diet seriously boring! It's also not a good idea to take legumes out of a vegetarian diet.
    • Anhaga
      Anhaga EileenH

      Posted

      Agree with you about foods.  I tried the nightshade thing even with the guidance of a naturopath, and no difference for symptoms I had at that time.  And can't imagine removing legumes.  I do see the merit of trying to add more so-called anti-inflammatory foods, however, which is why, for example, I'm careful to drink my ginger tea regularly, probably at the time people with split doses of pred would take their evening share.
Back to top
Prev

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.