Loved Ones who support someone with MS Community Group
This group is meant for those who help someone with MS. This would include family, good friends, spouses and caregivers. It is a place to exchange good ideas that may help us in caring for those we love that have this disease.
The whole purpose of steroids being prescribed by those with MS is to decrease the inflammation. Thus the reason for this post. The ISSUE is that LONG-term steroid use leads to damage to eyesight, liver, skin, & bone density loss, etc. This is because artificial steroids are 4x (predinizone) and 20x (sodumedrol) more potent than natural cortisol produced in the morning in your body to wake you up and make you hungry. So if you have to take steroids try to take them early in the morning or at lunch when you are higher on them. They will make you more hungry (this usually leads to weigh gain while you are on them) and inability to sleep.
Some of the negative side effects are due to the reduction in the ability to absorb Calcium (Ca) and leeching potassium (K). So speak to your doc about taking more of these vitamins with Vitamin D (tells your gut to absorb calcium), fish oil/ flax oil / GLA fats and magnesium to try and reduce the side effects (bone density loss that happens with not enough calcium).
Then if you try to reduce your inflammation day-to-day with ideas like the one above that you have discusses with your doctor maybe you can reduce the frequency and dosage of steroids and thus decrease the negative long-term side effects
+ Vitamin D3
+ fish oil & prime-rose oil (if you are low)
+ B vitamins
+ Ellagic acid
+ Probiotics
+ R shaped Alpha Lipotic Acid (R-ALA) S shaped is not very absorbable if the vitamin does not specifically say R then it is half "S" and half "R"
+ Diet higher in fiber filled veggies
+ Turmeric
+Rosemary, onions, garlic all reduce inflammation and are very healthy
- Diet low in sugar and carbs
http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Multiple_Sclerosis_MS/forum/10148134-inflammation
Best wishes,
EP
Some of the negative side effects are due to the reduction in the ability to absorb Calcium (Ca) and leeching potassium (K). So speak to your doc about taking more of these vitamins with Vitamin D (tells your gut to absorb calcium), fish oil/ flax oil / GLA fats and magnesium to try and reduce the side effects (bone density loss that happens with not enough calcium).
Then if you try to reduce your inflammation day-to-day with ideas like the one above that you have discusses with your doctor maybe you can reduce the frequency and dosage of steroids and thus decrease the negative long-term side effects
+ Vitamin D3
+ fish oil & prime-rose oil (if you are low)
+ B vitamins
+ Ellagic acid
+ Probiotics
+ R shaped Alpha Lipotic Acid (R-ALA) S shaped is not very absorbable if the vitamin does not specifically say R then it is half "S" and half "R"
+ Diet higher in fiber filled veggies
+ Turmeric
+Rosemary, onions, garlic all reduce inflammation and are very healthy
- Diet low in sugar and carbs
http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Multiple_Sclerosis_MS/forum/10148134-inflammation
Best wishes,
EP
http://www.drugs.com/sfx/prednisone-side-effects.html
Effects of steroids:
Other- "hiccups, insomnia" etc
Gastrointestinal - "elevation in serum liver enzyme levels (usually reversible upon discontinuation), gastric irritation, hepatomegaly, increased appetite and weight gain,"
hepatomegaly= enlargement of the liver
Endocrine- states increase risk of diabetes, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, etc
Fluid and Electrolyte Disturbances (from steroids)
"fluid retention, hypokalemia, hypokalemic alkalosis, metabolic alkalosis, hypotension or shock-like reaction, potassium loss, sodium retention with resulting edema."
hypokalemia = low potassium
hypotension= low blood pressure
** sodium retention with resulting edema =increase in sodium(Na)leads to swelling
Nordin BEC, Need AG, Morris HA, Horowitz M. The nature and significance of the relationship between urinary sodium and urinary calcium in women. J Nutr 1993;123:1615-22.
** "Sodium (salt) in the foods you eat can greatly increase calcium loss through the kidneys."
Summation steroids increase sodium retention and reduce calcium in the body.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/19215924/Have-Healthy-Bones-Avoid-Osteoporosis
Article-Protecting Your Bones: Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
"Steroid medications, such as prednisone, are a common cause of bone loss and fractures."
This article also goes over getting enough Vitamin D so you can absorb calcium "
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-Consumer/
NIH says D is
"Vitamin D is a nutrient found in some foods that is needed for health and to maintain strong bones. It does so by helping the body absorb calcium (one of bone's main building blocks) from food "
"Prednisone and other corticosteroid medicines to reduce inflammation impairs how the body handles vitamin D, which leads to lower calcium absorption and loss of bone over time."
http://healthletter.mayoclinic.com/editorial/editorial.cfm/i/163/t/Buzzed%20on%20inflammation/
Reducing inflammation naturally from Mayo ie more fish
+ Reason for taking Vitamin D3 after steroids is listed above at NIH fact sheet URL
+ alpha-lipoic acid supplementation research R-ALA
Li L, Smith A, Hagen TM, Frei B. (2010) Vascular oxidative stress and inflammation increase with age: ameliorating effects of alpha-lipoic acid supplementation. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1203:151-159.
+ Probiotics
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17258729
"These findings suggest that probiotic bacterial components may be useful for preventing cytokine-mediated gastrointestinal diseases. "
me- here they are talking about pro-inflammatory cytokines which they say may be prevented with probiotics.
+ Turmeric (active ingredient Curcumin) reduces inflammation vs sugar which increases inflammation.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20655188
"These results indicate that curcumin decreases HG-induced cytokine production " "curcumin supplementation by reducing vascular inflammation may prevent diabetic complications."
So curcumin(active component in turmeric) reduced high glucose-induced proinflammatory cytokine production.
me- Therefore the high sugar created inflammation that turmeric reduced.
+ low carbs reduce inflammation
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19892353
"Low-carbohydrate diets reduce lipid accumulation and arterial inflammation in animals"
+ Olive oil, alpha-linolenic acid (me-flaxseed oil) & Vitamin E reduce inflammation
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16484595
"certain dietary factors; oleic acid (me-olive oil), alpha-linolenic acid (me-flaxseed oil), and antioxidants RRR-alpha-alpha tocopherol (me-vitamin E), reduce biomarkers of inflammation"
Tart cherry anthocyanins suppress inflammation-induced pain by John Hopkins
"The suppression of thermal hyperalgesia was dose-dependent and the efficacy of highest dose (400 mg/kg) was similar to indomethacin (5 mg/kg). The highest dose anthocyanin (400 mg/kg) had no effects on motor function. These data suggest that tart cherry anthocyanins may have a beneficial role in the treatment of inflammatory pain. The anti-hyperalgesic (reduced pain) effects may be related to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of anthocyanins."
Basically tart cherry extract anthocyanins at 400 mg/kg reduced inflammation and its associated pain as much as the drug indomethacin only without any side effects.
Pretty much veggies, berries, seeds and nuts are good for you. Take a look at the URL below for more info.
http://www.disaboom.com/nutrition/top-50-anti-inflammatory-foods
Metametrix Triad 400 test ordered by your doctor may be of help in finding out what may be contributing to your health issues.