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Are Prednisone And Fosimax The Right Medicines For Giant Cell Arteritis?
Posted on
Mon, 26 Jan 2015
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Mon, 26 Jan 2015
Answered on
Thu, 12 Feb 2015
Last reviewed on
Question : I have recently been diagnosed with giant cell arteritis. Will anti-inflamatory diet help with this? I have started on 60mg of prednisone for the next 4 weeks, then tapering off gradually in 2 week increments until I get down to 15mg. I am also now taking fosimax once a week and being followed with CRP and sugars tests and bone density scan re: side effects of prednisone. I have read through Dr. Weil's diet plan and started following that the last few days. Given all this should I continue with it? Any additional suggestions for actions I can take?
Brief Answer:
Recommendations
Detailed Answer:
Good day,
Noted your concern. Steroids are essential in reducing the inflammation in arteritis. You are on correct treatment regimen with Fosamax along with it. There is no evidence for any anti inflammatory diet. However a diet with sufficient calcium and vitamin D is required to protect your bones while on steroids. Calcium intake should be 1000 to 1200 mg a day which is very difficult to acheive by diet alone. Diet + a calcium tablet is required to meet this requirement.
There is hardly any vitamin-D in any food except in oily fish. Hence you may also require vitamin D supplementation with 2000 units Vitamin D a day.
A diet rich in antioxidants is helpful. There are lot of harmful chemicals like interleukins produced in the body during the inflammation of arteritis.
Antioxidants in diet are helpful in neutralizing them. Deep coloured fruits and vegetables are useful. Deep coloured fresh fruits are also helpful.
Regards
Binu
Recommendations
Detailed Answer:
Good day,
Noted your concern. Steroids are essential in reducing the inflammation in arteritis. You are on correct treatment regimen with Fosamax along with it. There is no evidence for any anti inflammatory diet. However a diet with sufficient calcium and vitamin D is required to protect your bones while on steroids. Calcium intake should be 1000 to 1200 mg a day which is very difficult to acheive by diet alone. Diet + a calcium tablet is required to meet this requirement.
There is hardly any vitamin-D in any food except in oily fish. Hence you may also require vitamin D supplementation with 2000 units Vitamin D a day.
A diet rich in antioxidants is helpful. There are lot of harmful chemicals like interleukins produced in the body during the inflammation of arteritis.
Antioxidants in diet are helpful in neutralizing them. Deep coloured fruits and vegetables are useful. Deep coloured fresh fruits are also helpful.
Regards
Binu
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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