Hi i am helping a friend who has pmr
She has refused PRED in the past as she is scared of side effects
I have persuaded her to go to consultant and try steroids
In your experience what encouragement can i give
The only thing your friend can do if if she really has got PMR is TO TAKE THE PRED. There is no other drug which will help her through, what could be, a very difficult time. The inflamation could spread quite dramatically and
the side effects of that could be much worse than Pred.
She can start taking Pred and if it doesn't work after a few days she can drop off it again with no ill effects. Of course, that would more than likely mean she didn't have PMR in the first place. If the Pred does work she then can decide if she likes living without pain or not.
Thanks that what i feel too
I agree thanks
Check this out and then go to the website addresses.
http://www.patient.co.uk/forums/discuss/pmr-gca-website-addresses-and-resources-35316
First let her try a week or so and see if it helps. In my experience it will be a big converter.
There are over 82 listed side effects. No-one gets them all, some people get next to none and most of them can be managed.
Perhaps her biggest fear is weight gain - and many of us have found cutting carbs drastically has helped avoid weight gain in the first place (the best approach) or to lose weight even while on pred (I lost 36lb while still at between 15 and 10mg). But she will find that if she doesn't take pred she will almost certainly gain weight anyway. I had gained much of my weight gain in the 5 years I had PMR but was not on pred - simply because I couldn't exercise, I could barely walk to the end of the street and I crawled up stairs. Many of the side effects that are claimed to be due to pred are common in untreated PMR - I know, i had that and not taking pred was not my choice, I wasn't diagnosed. Nothing would persuade me to go back to that. I've had my share of unpleasant pred side effects - none yet that made me say I'd stop taking it.
Hi tim44o68, been on prednisone almost a year now, I could not manage
without it. At one point could not walk was in a wheelchair, couple of weeks
later after being on prednisone, I was up and go for walks. I do believe there
is no other way to manage PMR today. Good Luck!
Hi
Thanks for response
Do jou get any side effects??
Please get your friend to try natural methods first. I too was diagnosed with PMR before xmas and refused PRED. I stopped eating processed foods and started on high doses of magnesium, turmeric vit A,B C and D and GLA and anything else that seemed good for me and I saw a massive improvement after 10 days. I am now basically PMR free though I know it could re occur if I get very stressed on lack in sleep for too long. I am now able to do excersise but that began with chi gong which is gentle and slow and involves breathing and stretching. I feel better than I have for several years. Please DONT encourage these terrible drugs which are a life sentence until your friend has tried the natural way. By the way blood tests now show no inflamation
Thankyou
I respect Sandie's opinion but you need to be aware that there seem to be several forms of PMR, which has no known cause nor cure. There may be different causes which respond differently to treatments. There are people who have tried what Sandie did, but who were unable to heal themselves. It would be a shame to raise hopes which were dashed. By all means try the natural method and if it works that is great. But if it doesn't, then there is no blame, it's simply another more intransigent form of the disease. And prednisone is no more dangerous than many medications people use without a second thought. It needs to be treated with respect, that's all!
You need to be aware that PMR, if left untreated can sometimes lead to GCA. You need to be aware of the symptoms of GCA, before you decide not to use prednisolone. GCA if not treated very fast can and does lead to loss of vision and once that happens it is gone forever.
So before you encourage your friend to try Sandie's method, read up the British Society of Rheumatologists Guidelines on the Diagnosis and Treatment of GCA. They can be found on this website, use the search box or direct from the BSR.
Your sight is precious and you need facts (not fake news) before any decision regarding treatment is made.
It is no-one else's decision but the patients to make.
No tim44068, I have had no side effects.
Very interesting sandie60651, I stopped eating all process foods, shakes in the morning, salad for lunch, all organic fruits, veggies, meats and wild caught fish. I love to have more information about your supplements. Would dearly love to get off Predinisone. Thanks!🙂
Umm did you really mean to reply to me?
Please be aware that PMR can be followed by GCA where, if not treated VERY quickly can cause blindness. By all means try a natural way but be very alert about checking CRP and ESR results regularly. Headaches would be an alarm signal.
Sorry Anhaga I must have hit the wrong reply section, it was menat for tim
I will re post it but cannot delete this reply.
Getting older by the day.
You need to be aware that PMR, if left untreated can sometimes lead to GCA. You need to be aware of the symptoms of GCA, before you decide not to use prednisolone. GCA if not treated very fast can and does lead to loss of vision and once that happens it is gone forever.
So before you encourage your friend to try Sandie's method, read up the British Society of Rheumatologists Guidelines on the Diagnosis and Treatment of GCA. They can be found on this website, use the search box or direct from the BSR.
Your sight is precious and you need facts (not fake news) before any decision regarding treatment is made.
It is no-one else's decision but the patients to make.
If you report a post you want to delete to the Moderator - he will delete it for you.