vitamins

[poppysmam]

has anyone tried ginger and turmeric in vitamin form to help with reducing steroids.

[Runrig01]

Hi poppysmam, I take a Turmeric capsule twice a day. It seems to help the pains a little. However I would not say enough to lower dose of Prednisolone. Turmeric apparently has a similar anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect to Brufen, without the GI effects of Brufen. I add ginger regularly to meals but don't use a supplement. Hope this helps, Runrig x

[poppysmam in reply to Runrig01]

thanks I read about taking both together helps so I thought I would give them a try before reducing again xx

[maria40]

Not in vitamin form but there is a tea, containing 51% ginger and 4% turmeric. The brand is Pukka and it can be bought in Holland & Barrett. The downside is that to me it tastes vile but being someone who hates to waste anything , I put one bag (it comes in teabags) into a veg and lentil soup which had other Indian spices and it seemed fine. But it's probably better to use fresh chopped ginger and powdered turmeric in food. Cheaper too! Whether it's effective in helping steroid reduction I don't know but I'll try anything natural. Ginger certainly helps with RA. Good luck!

[poppysmam in reply to maria40]

thanks, ill try anything, after 4 years of PMR managed to get down to 5mgs of pred but finding it difficult to get lower x

[maria40]

Good luck. I've had PMR and GCA for fifteen years now and have never got lower than 4mg. I'm now back up at 17.5 after a GCA flare. It is frustrating if you try to eat and live healthily and still can't conquer the weight gain and the flare ups. Thank heaven for this forum which keeps me sane and reminds us that we're not alone.