Does Diet help?

[cocobell]

Hi

I am new on here, been having symptoms for some years now, just had a diagnosis for last year.

would love to here if anyonehas had any benefits from changing their diet at all ??

[PMRpro Ambassador]

There is no specific diet that will "cure" PMR symptoms - but a lot of people have found that frequently eating anti-inflammatory foods such as oily fish, turmeric, garlic and so on helps them, noticing a difference when they don't eat as much.

What does seem to help a lot is cutting carbs - it helps avoid pred-associated weight gain and even lose weight (I lost 36lbs despite still being on pred) and of course by doing so you are removing sugar and simple carbs from your diet which are highly pro-inflammatory foods.

And everyone is different - if you can identify a food that aggravates your symptoms, it makes sense to avoid it. I also developed a wheat allergy about the same time the PMR happened. It isn't gluten, it is specifically wheat (spelt is fine), and if I eat too much regularly I get a horrible itchy rash. Occasionally I decide something is worth itching for! But there isn't much...

[cocobell in reply to PMRpro]

Hi PMpro

Thank you for your response, firstly of all, well done with managing the weight loss.as Im aware its not easy. I currently am not on medication at the moment, I am really going to try my very best with the diet method, I also found that I was sensitive to wheat, , I have been struggling for some time with sticking to a non inflammatory diet as I get all the cravings quite often. I ve only had 1 hospital appointment but I think I need to be more informed when it comes to foods for example simple carbs, and other foods that I am not sure of.

[kezzybabes]

I have found that cutting carbs, gluten and sugar has been the way forward! I have been on the blood sugar diet for 2 months now and not only do I feel great on it , I am losing weight.

I have still got a steroid belly but the moonface is going. Thoroughly recommend it!

[cocobell in reply to kezzybabes]

Hi

Is there a book for the blood sugar diet that you can recommend?

[kezzybabes]

Yes it's by Michael Mosely and it's called "The 8 week Blood Sugar Diet"!

I don't do the 8 week one which has fasting days (there are 3 different ways to follow the diet in the book - I use the slow and steady way - easy!) The dietary advice and the recipes in the book are really good. Here is the website:

thebloodsugardiet.com/

[cocobell in reply to kezzybabes]

Cheers!!! it is helpful to have a guide to go by.

[Toenti]

I was told by someone to go on a strict paleo diet. Have not done it,as Idon't believe it would work,unless others who have tried it say that it does work.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Toenti]

It is unlikely to "cure" your PMR/GCA (which I bet was what they meant) but paleo omits a lot of carbs and that may help avoid weight gain while on pred.

I wouldn't normally say diet was a miracle cure - but my granddaughter has severe and very brittle asthma, has circled the drain in resus several times, was on permanent high dose pred, gained loads of weight and could barely get up the stairs or walk anywhere without being breathless. She went veggie about a year ago and a few months later decided to go the whole hog and go vegan. She's very born-again about it - but her asthma is much better and she has lost a load of pred-associated weight. As a baby she had a dairy allergy, developing eczema until we removed milk from her diet, but seemed to have grown out of it. Or maybe not.