Curcumin as an anti inflammatory

[fmkkm]

So many ask about tumeric’s ability to decrease inflammation, I thought this article would be of interest. It appears curcumin may actually be able to down regulate IL-6. I believe Actemra works by blocking IL-6. Maybe the stumbling block is the amount of tumeric needed?

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/277...

[fmkkm]

I am answering my own post here😂.I have not been down the IL-6 rabbit hole for months. Interestingly, due to Covid research, there is now a ton of information available about cytokines, IL-6, inflammation etc.. This research will certainly help with future autoimmune studies.

[Grannyasbo]

Hi forwardmotion. Thanks for this. I like the occasional research based rabbit hole myself. Am new to PMR (GP still isn’t sure it is PMR though) and have “enjoyed” several courtesy of the links and info provided on this forum. 🙏. I’m pretty much an evidence based tunneller but have been toying with the idea of trying things like tumeric but want to see how my early journey goes. But I am as cynical about the supplement pushers profit motives as I am about big pharma so these papers are a good to keep an eye on.

[Linny3]

Thank you for the article.

I am trying a high dose turmeric to see if it will help while reducing the prednisone for PMR.. It seems to me, since it is a powerful anti-inflammatory it should help at least some with the pmr inflammation.

If it doesn't, I wonder why? I have often wondered why NSAIDs don't help since they are an anti-inflammatory. I would appreciate hearing any undersatnding anyone has about this.

I have been struggling for 4 months to come down from 20mg pred. ( been on 15 mg most of my pmr journey of 5yrsand 5 months) Had a flare and had to up the amount to 20mg and have struggled to get back down to 15mg. I was able to drop to 17&1/2 mg on slow process and couldn't go any further. On May 9th, I started high does turmeric. I am down to 16mg and it seems to be ok so far. Been on 16mg for about 11 days. Keeping my fingers crossed that the turmeric is helping and will continue to help. After developing osteoporosis and after 3 fractures I have had to go on Fosomax. That is going ok, only been on it for 10 days.

Good Luck to all as we take this journey

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Linny3]

It all depends on the mechanism that produces the inflammation and whether the substance concerned interrupts the way the inflammatory substances are created.

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

[Karenjaninaz in reply to Linny3]

The Doctor Who did my bursitis injections before I was diagnosed with PMR thought I should try a good pure turmeric. I tried it for 30 days it did not help. There was a Chinese publication which suggested that tumeric aggravates the anemia that goes with an auto immune disease. Indeed after taking turmeric for one month, and never been anemic before, my blood count was low. My hemoglobin was 11 which is very unusual for me. Once I stopped the turmeric and started the prednisone do it was gone within one month.

[beringer]

Actemra helped Me for about a year, then I got side effects, Diverticulitis & a large abscess on my bowl, Dr said that alone could make Me worse & took Me off for ever…. Going through a GCA flare up now & I like others only have prednisone to work with… I would not recommend Actemra, just because it made Me so very sick…. Sorry I have nothing good to say about it…. Good luck..

[lawrencesmith667 in reply to beringer]

I tried curcumin/tumeric a couple of times to replace atrial fib causing NSAIDs. It gave me terrible diarrhea after only a couple of weeks. And I have a strong gut. It took days to resolve.