How to Turn Into a Dragon

[43tripandskip]

Two years into Polymyalgia and with the prospect of another year to go, it was time to take stock of a body that wouldn't fit into my old summer dresses.

I longed to return to my old weight, but a ravenous appetite, a longing for sweet things and feeling generally lousy prevented this happening.

Looking through my book of spells (diet books) I decided to return to the Cambridge diet which had worked well for me in the past. I started the diet and in 2 weeks lost 9 pounds, determined, that if I felt in any way ill, I would stop using that diet.

What I was not prepared for, was the transformation that came over me. Snapping and contradicting anyone who expressed an opinion and even snapping at my poor husband. Getting angry at any minor situation. It reached a stage where I could almost see myself doing all these things as if I were in the distance but I couldn't stop myself or rationalise what I was doing. I was also starting to feel ill. I quickly stopped the diet and cooked healthy food that day. Overnight, I felt better. It had given me a fright and we realised that something in the shake sachets was not doing me any good. My husband was also able to come out from behind the couch.

I have now left the realm of Hogwarts with the sorcery of a diet quick-fix behind me. The magic potion sachets have been consigned to the garbage tip – I hope the local foxes don't eat them and become mini dragons.

[HeronNS]

Yikes, what a tale! I've found that virtually eliminating refined carbs, especially wheat and sugar, and adding more fermented foods, eventually made me start to crave, of all things, leafy greens! A summer of kale and broccoli salads has satisfied that craving. No weight problems here, rather the reverse, but I think it's good I can enjoy a square of dark chocolate and not want any more, or a slice of very healthy bread, toasted, with butter melted into it proves a totally satisfying snack with no cravings for more.

Another possible chapter for your book of spells: I believe we crave to eat what our microbiome is craving. Feed yourself to encourage a healthy microbiome and you'll eventually (may take months) start to want to eat things which are healthy for you, and lose cravings for things that aren't.

[43tripandskip in reply to HeronNS]

Thank you for such useful information. I thought I had replied to you earlier but can't find evidence. I've printed out tour reply as it is so useful

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

As has been said many times - the majority of diets are bad for you, just look at how miserable the people on them look!

Eating a wide variety of healthy foods, with the odd treat thrown in occasionally is a much better way. For your body, your mind, and your poor husband!

🐉🐉🐉🐉 be gone!

[43tripandskip in reply to DorsetLady]

Yes, my husband has lost that strained, haunted look! He has been very understanding and supportive. It's hard living with a fire breathing dragon.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to 43tripandskip]

Yes my late husband would agree with that - his pet name for me was 'the dragon' - even the kids called me that.

In fact he even used to quote that when he taught aircrcaft recognition in the armed forces - there was a Swedish fighter aircraft called the Draken in the 60s and 70s - and he always used to say to his students "when I see that one I always think of my wife" . Of course they were all naive rookies and said "why sir" - so he used a play on words -Dragon/Draken.

Bless him!

[Rokerman in reply to DorsetLady]

Not to worry DL - the Saab Draken is one of my favourite aeroplanes.......!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Rokerman]

Oh good! That's alright then 😉 Now perhaps every time you see it you'll think of me as well🐉 If I ever need to change my name I've got a choice along with Sage & CorsetLady (don't ask!)

[Rokerman in reply to DorsetLady]

Haha - Corset Lady!! That wasn't Mark Benjamin by any chance, was it.......?!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Rokerman]

No, surprisingly it wasn't - and I don't think he saw it- or I can imagine the comments that would have followed!

I think it was a touch of "Pred head" from one of our fairly new contributors!

Made me laugh though! I nearly changed it there and then, but thought I might be banned!

[Rokerman in reply to DorsetLady]

MB and I are constantly in fear of being banned....

I can relate to this post tho' - my other half has complained that I've become more snappy & much less carefree since the dreaded PMR came to visit!

[Hindags]

Any idea what it was in those packets that transformed you into a dragon? You sound like someone suddenly on speed of some sort. Wise of you to notice and stop.

Hope you find a diet that doesn't do that to you. It doesn't sound like you or anyone around you enjoyed that level of irritability.

[43tripandskip in reply to Hindags]

I wonder if a lack of natural foods as opposed to using fabricated powders has an effect on the adrenal glands? I certainly didn't like myself while it was happening.

[Rugger in reply to 43tripandskip]

I think it was/is a Very Low Calorie diet, so your blood sugar must have been very low, which can affect mood. Some of the 9lbs will have been fluid loss, but some will have been true weight loss - whatever, in 2 weeks it was too much to lose, too quickly. Healthy eating wins the day for me.

[43tripandskip in reply to Rugger]

Yes, I think that is a good explanation. It's hard to think of any other cause.

[sennetta in reply to 43tripandskip]

Hi trip and skip -

Look out for Dr Sarah Myhill's books about Sustainable Medicine and Diabetes - a good place to start is here - drmyhill.co.uk/ where there is a lot of information. She looks and treats the cause of problems rather than blindly firing drugs at them. Makes interesting reading. It turns conventional western medicine on its head....looking at causes rather than treating symptoms with chemicals and then giving out more drugs to treat the problems the first drug caused. SM takes the view that excessive body weight is likely to be a symptom of a problem rather than the cause. I am taking her advice with nutrition etc, plus I take turmeric paste. The weight is falling off me, I feel fine and am never hungry. Her theories are complex but well worth reading.

I'm also tapering the pred although I did have a bit of a problem with this because I had a house full of visitors to cook for for three weeks after painting two bedrooms!

The rule is - don't do too much(?) - but we often have to!! :oP

Good luck with your wish to be a shadow of your current self.

[Hidden in reply to sennetta]

I have always held the theory that the increase in my size was a symptom of more than me eating too much. All my life I was a savoury person and really are anything sweet but ws hooked on pasta etc . Doctor more or less laughed at me when I said it was symptom.of something going on. .

I was told them that I would prob be on insulin within 8 years with type 2. Only pred pushed me into that territory 17 years later. The name myhill rings a bell...I have read so much in past on diabetes that I am at overload. once I get low enough on pred that spikes don't come quite so high I will be trying out a theory that supposedly resets pancreas. ultra low carbs for several.weeks then low carb maintenance.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

Have you read the Newcastle research about their reversal of Type 2 diabetes by diet?

diabetes.co.uk/diet/newcast...

ncl.ac.uk/magres/research/d...

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks. Will do. I do feel that is possible so will make interesting reading.

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

it will be interesting to see results and implementation of Newcastle study post 2018.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

It will - but the patients will whinge about low cal diets I bet...

I've always said that Type 2 is too much body for your pancreas function - seems I was right!

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

lol. I have no doubt. I lost 50lb in 2014/15 and barely noticed.It was hypothyroidism and being menopausal which seemed to throw spanner in works. I reckon a few inches off my waistline by low carbing will again make significant difference in hba1c.

[43tripandskip in reply to sennetta]

Thank you, I'm really going to follow this up. It sounds like the very article I've been searching for.

[43tripandskip in reply to sennetta]

I checked her books out on Amazon. They really look like interesting reading. Thanks for recommending her.

[jinasc]

Before you head for the shops.................try this link pmr-gca-northeast.org.uk/as... Page 4. Then smile at the cartoon on Page 7

Yes, it is headed Demystifiying Diabetes........................but just go read it and you can download any or all of the Newsletters on that site.

My top tip : keep a cucumber in the fridge, wrapped up in foil, when a craving comes over you, cut a one inch piece and eat it..........amazing.

Chocolate crave, 1 square of 70% dark chocolate and if you can eat 2, please let me know.

[43tripandskip in reply to jinasc]

What a source of information. Wonderful. I liked the cartoon too!

[GerriMc in reply to jinasc]

Thanks so much for sharing that link. The article about Myofacial Pain was a revelation too. It has answered some of my questions.

[Nruble in reply to jinasc]

Thanks so much for sharing that link. Now I know for sure I have piriformis syndrome and not just a pain in the butt! The entire newsletter is quite informative. By the way, you're right about one square of dark chocolate, too.

[bunnymom]

That is a wonderful link. I went to see a dietician and got a suggested diabetics diet to help control blood sugar. What the article doesn't say is that if you balance the carbs you eat blood sugar levels stay steady and cravings go away. I have been doing this and it works. I also eat about every 3 hours and have lost 4 pounds. Mostly fat off of upper abdomen and neck hump. 3 pounds more and I am back to where I started weight wise.

[Hidden in reply to bunnymom]

Yes carbs cause the spikes in blood sugar. Some carbs cause quicker and higher spikes. Having had diabetes for 17 years I have tried a range of dietary arrangements. At the moment I am low carb but taking into account the fibre content and indeed fat content of particular good. Both fat and fibre slow down the absorption of the carb. Even on insulin (been on since feb this year cis of pred) I can tell if I have been remiss in including enough fat etc in a meal.

An other thing I have found for me is that highish blood glucose leads to raging hunger. Going shopping in this state is a big mistake. So unlike the usual advice I don't eat before shopping on the full stomach. I go when my blood glucose is in normal range or slightly lower side but not below 5 (on meter).

For those of you who have steroid induced diabetes or are see as pre-diabetic and worry about the issue I would say just try to reduce carbs. If you have to have bread, have wholegrain version and one slice rather than 2.

I have discussed managing pred tapering with nurse at diabetes clinic and she said I would have to reduce insulin as pred goes down. at present I am 100% sure that my hba1c will fall as pred comes down. insulin just keeping it as low as possible until pred free. If you have been put on meds for diabetes that's all that is happening and you should come back to normal ranges. I have to say that managing diabetes has been easier on insulin. less ups and downs. sorry about long post.

...not much sleep!!😪

[BonnyQuine in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for info. V helpful.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

"carbs cause the spikes in blood sugar"

Not only - but also pred causes the release of random spikes of glucose by the liver. Every little counts!

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

Certainly does. My fasting numbers on waking had reduced to 5-6 since insulin kicked in for past 5 months. Since I started taking coated pred (13MG AT MO) last thing or at 2am when I do loo run it's between 9-12. That is a significant increase I would say. I am managing it as evening test dropped from teens into single figures for same reason so overall just swapped times it raises. But it does show the difference the pred makes. My hba1c was 114 in Feb and has dropped to 61. They don't want me much lower than mid 50s so I am content just to keep carbs down.

[43tripandskip in reply to PMRpro]

But it would be great to know why a low carb high protein engineered diet could cause such a reaction in temperament.

[Hidden in reply to 43tripandskip]

My brain fog has turned on but I am sure I read something, probably from pmrpro, about muscles and protein and fat burning. maybe something in that process. I find that pain and fatigue impact on my temperament and if I stopped feeding body giving it energy to burn I would feel antsy!

[43tripandskip in reply to Hidden]

Yes, this does seem to point to a reason for changes in temperament. Thank you, you've been very helpful.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to 43tripandskip]

Could possibly be the transition period from using carbs to produce glucose and getting into ketogenic metabolism where the body burns fat. If you eat some carbs and are slightly above the level that achieves ketogenesis it will swing back and forth and in the meantime you may suffer low blood sugar episodes.

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

I thought it was you pp

I can confirm that irritability, argumentativeness and refusal to co-operate can be signs of hypoglycemia. Personality changes are signs relatives of diabetic told to watch for.

[43tripandskip in reply to Hidden]

Wow! Thanks for this information. It's all coming together now like pieces of a jigsaw. Many thanks

[43tripandskip in reply to PMRpro]

An interesting theory. I didn't realise that I could be suffering from spikes.

[jinasc in reply to bunnymom]

Gerrimc, 43tripand skip, bunnymom, et al.

PMRpro writes articles on a regular basis. The translation from medical terms into words we can all understand is brilliant. PMRpro happened to be listening to a radio and it led a 2 hour journey of 82 miles on the off chance that perhaps get into ticketed meeting (there were no tickets left). PMRpro was admitted.

All the back editions contain information from many people and all of those newsletters are available to download.

One thing, I would urge everyone to go to the Summer 2017 front page and please take part in the Research & Development. You need to help yourself.

5 minutes of computer time or a 2nd class postage stamp ...........not much to ask.

[Amkoffee]

I know this has nothing to do with PMR or your diet but the way you described how it was is exactly how I used to feel when I was experiencing PMR. Every month was a nightmare not only for me but for everyone living with me. I thank God for getting a hysterectomy at the age of 35. For that put an end to all that misery.

[43tripandskip in reply to Amkoffee]

Thank you Amkoffee, I can't tell you how relieved I am that you experienced similar symptoms to mine. I was beginning to think that there was something wrong with my brain! Thank you