Useful book

[tangocharlie]

I'm reading this book 'The Autoimmune wellness handbook' at the moment and finding it really interesting. Tips on diet, sleep, de-stressing, keeping moving but not overdoing it, etc etc. I'm not sure if PMR is different to other autoimmune illnesses in that it is self-limiting, unlike say arthritis, but the advice seems generally sensible. I've tried the Auto Immune Protocol (AIP diet,) which it also advocates, but struggled to keep it up for long as it is so restrictive so don't know if diet has an effect on PMR. I have cut out sugar which certainly won't do me any harm and also discovered I can't eat nuts or blue cheese now, both make me flare, I'm wondering if it's anything to do with histamines? Anyway, I'd recommend the book, it' well written and researched.

[SheffieldJane]

Thanks for the recommendation. As well as sugar, carbs are bad for us. I am sure all the self care applies to our diseases.

[peanuckle]

Thanks for this info. I too have reduced carbs and found that it helped.

[xdbx]

How lovely to see this book here! I have it and have been following the AIP diet and lifestyle very closely since March. I stayed on the full elimination diet for six months and have been gradually reintroducing things over the last two months.

I can confirm that the AIP diet definitely DOES have an effect on PMR and has made a tremendous difference to me. It's made reducing my Pred dose (via DSNS) relatively swift and easy with no negative/PMR symptoms until recently tapering from 7mg to 6.5mg, when I'm now experiencing some fatigue because at this dose my adrenals are being challenged to kick back in!

Prior to AIP I was struggling to taper without flares and was having to stay on each lower dose for weeks or months before I could go down another 1/2 mg. I know I would not be at my current dose without AIP. It is very restrictive but for me it is SO worth it!

I've also lost the weight I gained when I started on steroids and I've reversed the Type 2 Diabetes I already had before the PMR diagnosis. My blood sugar level is now normal.

Since September I've successfully reintroduced eggs, nuts and seeds, legumes, coffee and dark chocolate and I'm now testing raw goats milk to see if I can tolerate any kind of dairy. I'll be taking my time with grains and nightshades and alcohol is still off the menu for now.

For you, with the nuts and the cheese, it may be that you'll be able to tolerate them after a longer period of avoiding them. It often seems to work that way.

It might well be worth looking into histamines too if you think they could be an issue for you but then you could find yourself on an even more restrictive regime than AIP!

Certainly cutting out sugar, and any other fast carbs and processed foods, is definitely very helpful.

As they say in the book it's not just about diet, it's the whole AIP lifestyle that is SO beneficial including sleep, gentle exercise, stress management and a good support network, like this fabulous forum!

I hope to hear more about how you get on