Weight gain

[angelone2]

Thanks to all who replied to my request for hints on losing weight. It is a long and hard road because as soon as get down to 5mg which I do very slowly (hqlf a mg every other day for three weeks at a time) I have a bad reaction and my dosage has to be increased by my doctor. I take note about carbs but I have very little anyway.However it is comforting to know other people have the same problem and that we are not alone. Thanks again fellow sufferers.

[or01ah]

Hi angelone2

I have found that being on 3-4 mg is easier. I have managed to lose half a stone that way taking 2000 cals a day plus fruit and yogurt. My son did an exercise plan for my height and weight whci has worked well. Hs is studying health and fitness so he could design th eprogramme for my exact needs. I followed the Scottish Slimmers eating plan which allows you anything. I find when reducing I crave sugar for a few days so have to allow for that. It has to do with sugar levels during reducing times, took me a long time to disciver that. Good luck

[angelone2]

Thanks for your reply but what is Paleo please?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

What do you mean by a "bad reaction"? Reducing does not mean reducing to zero relentlessly, it means reducing to the lowest dose that controls the symptoms. If you are happy at 6 but not at 5 then stay at 6 for several months. Your body is telling you it is not ready to go lower - and it might be worth your doctor arranging a synacthen test to see if your adrenal glands are working. He will probably tell you you can't have that done until you are off pred but that is not true, several people on the forums have had one done.

The paleolithic diet is one of the many fad diets that have became popular in the last 15 years or so. It is supposedly the way Stone Age man ate - so you only eat non-processed foods. That means no dairy, grains, and legumes - and obviously removes all the processed carbs and sugar that really are bad for us from the diet. It could be said what I eat/don't eat means I'm on a paleo diet - but that is just a label and I personally don't subscribe to the "science" logic they claim for it.

Google it!

[angelone2 in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks for explaining what paleo means it seems there is very little left to eat when following it. but it is worth a try. After 6years of Prednisolone I have gone from 5mg to 25mg and back again, when on 5mg I have had arteritis which I had never heard of and as mentioned I do reduce them VERY slowly but still keep on trying . They have caused osteo arthritis and the recent flare up I couldn't move my right arm for three weeks with extreme pain. Maybe some day I will reach a plateu without side effects.

[Polywotsit PMRGCAuk team member]

Please don't forget that when you have PMR and GCA you have an illness, i.e. you are ill! So you should be thinking about nutrition and getting good nutrition. Any kind of fad diet is a bad idea for somebody with a chronic illness, especially, in my opinion, we older people. Eat food that is easy to digest and plenty of it - your body needs a whole range of nutrients. By all means cut down on refined carbohydrates. When I was on steroids I hated the extra weight but I left the dieting till I was confident I was recovering.