Ugh. I started by losing weight on the prednisone now I'm getting huge. So depressing. I need to get serious about eating the right stuff. I was doing great but something kicked in and now the carb cravings are OVERWHELMING. I don't recognize myself and I've had to buy new clothes just to be comfortable. I seriously look 4 months pregnant. I too have the moon face, and fat on my back and shoulders. And I was doing so well... :-(

Does anyone know why prednisone does this? I have the same problems.

I just picked up a week's worth of prednisone 10 mg but I'm really hesitant to take it - my doc prescribed it for me in combination to zithromax to really get rid of this chest infection I have. I am reading the long term side effects, but does anyone know if a 5 day course of 10 mg prednisone will cause serious weight-related side effects? I told my doctor I would prefer not to take it and he said ultimately it's my choice but honestly, if a 5 day course will cause real damage, I'm going to avoid it...can anyone help discuss this dosage?

Thanks.

I grew up on prednisone due to bad asthma. Even tho docs say prednisone doesn't cause a lot of weight gain (my amount of weight), here I am. None of my sibblings have asthma and have never been on prednisone in their lives so they don't have the weight issues I do. I'll never let my kids take prednisone and even now I don't let anyone I know take it. We research alternative medicines. Prednisone is the worst drug ever and I can't believe how casually and frequently its prescribed. I know my post doesn't help the OP at all (sorry), but I hope anyone thinking of prednisone will look for alternate natural medicines. There's nothing good about it.

From what I've read, short courses of the prednisone have less effect than long-term--and some people do have to take it long-term. In my experience, the short term doe I took as a teen did cause some weight gain, but I don't remember how much. I started taking 50mg/day for two weeks yesterday, so I will update later. I am hoping that because I know what to expect, I can avoid overeating while craving.

LM3898, for me the decision would be based on my perception of medical need. I am not a Dr.! but, having suffered through a week of deep congestion on top of asthma exacerbation, I know the prednisone will be effective and it is worth it to me to risk what I can't imagine will be significant weight gain in order to get healthy. Being in a condition that requires prednisone is no more healthy than gaining a few pounds, should I retain water or give in to cravings or whatever. my two cents--be aware but not afraid of it.

Thanks Loofa - I started it last night - it's only 10mg/day for 5 days so I doubt the side effects will be large but I already feel so much better on it - I can finally breathe again which is AWESOME...and b/c I can breathe, I can workout so that's a plus anyway. I'm just going to watch my food intake for the rest of the week and do some light exercising and hope for the best. Thanks for the advice!

Hello everyone, I'm new and very happy to find this thread. I have been on preddie for about 19 years, yes you heard right. I have pulinary fibrosis which it makes it difficult to exercise to burn calories. It just sucks. I have just gain 23 pounds after already loosing some of my prior weight gain which took me about 1 1/2 years. But this isn't budging. I'm just happy being a comfortable size 12, not a squeezed in 14/16 or 1x. I'm ony 5'4. The fat back is the worst. I'm really at my worst of body image and yes I'm very happy I'm alive, but I want to look and feel pretty again. I'm on 15mg daily, constantly ask my dr's to lower it, but he's not budging. Any suggestions??

Hi thanks for helpful thread.
I am on prednisone 10 mg daily + plaquenie + Sulfasulazan for my RA.
prednisone will tend to retain sodium and water in our body. I was never crossed 110 lbs in my life till these drugs , I have gained 40 lbs in 6 months. Now started losing weight with very difficulty. I am on raw diet for 3 months lost 15 pounds .
All the best for you guys. and have wonderful health

Hey everyone, you all sound like me and I'm so glad we have this forum to help answer some questions for each other. As far as prednisone goes, I hate it so much but I have to admit it has saved my life so I have to be at least somewhat grateful.... I do have a question for you though. I have systemic JRA/Still's disease and I recently flared so I was put on 60mg of prednisone. Over the past couple of months I've been on and off prednisone, I would get a big dose in the hospital then I would go home and not have any just to come back in the hospital the next week or two and get another couple large doses and then finally I got a new rheumy that put me on 60mg until I could get on kineret. I got myself off of the drug within about a month and a half, through a pretty drastic taper(don't recommend unless you do A LOT of homework and have enough experience with prednisone and how it reacts with your body), although my rheumy still thinks I'm on 60mg:/ I just couldn't deal with the symptoms this time. I'm finally on my kineret and feeling pretty good. I've been off prednisone for about a week but was on only 10-2.5 mg for the last couple weeks. I've been on prednisone many times before but for some reason the symptoms aren't going away and in fact I've had a bit more fluid retention and moonface effects after the prednisone. Has anyone else had this happen and if so how long did those effects hang around. I thought I'd be seeing more progress by now and it's sort of bumming me out. So if you guys have any input that'd be wonderful. I hope you are all healthy and staying away from that prednisone!!

my suggestion on scaling: weight every day, exactly at the same time each morning/night, do not breakfast before and pay attention to your supper . oh and use the same scale :!: Im saying this because for me it never fluctuated. I paid attention and kept goind south

Hi everyone!

I've been working hard to lose weight for the past few months, but I recently lost my sight in my left eye and was diagnosed with optic neuritis. I was put on a 3-day course of IV corticosteroids and then a 7-day course of prednisone. I'm starting at 60mg and tapering down by 10mg/day.

I'm really worried about gaining weight while on the prednisone. I've been on the SBD for the past 3 weeks - I extended P1 because I cheated twice in the second week. Should I stick with P1 while I deal with this drug? The low carb/low salt diet should help reduce any weight gain, right?

Does anyone have any experience with such a short course? How log does it take to start gaining weight? How long does it take to start losing weight once we're off the drug?

I know that this was hardly my fault, but I'd really like to lose another 5 pounds by mid-July.

Hi everyone!

I found this web site after searching for hydrocortisone and weight loss. I have to take daily cortisone due to pituitary tumor hemorrhage - supposedly for life. The cortisone I take has similar effects to prednisone. Difficult to lose weight. I lost 37 lbs. when I was so sick right after to hemorrage before they realised the full scope of what had happened. I was throwing up everything I would try to eat for almost 3 months. I don't recommend losing weight that way. Once they put me on cortisone, I began to heal, but also immediately gained back about 17 lbs. I had lost. The good news is that I have managed to keep off about 20 lbs., but I seem to be stuck lately. I exercise a lot (daily) and am working on being stricker with my moderately low carb diet. I am thankful to find this web site and this thread to know I am not alone dealing with this. Thank you for being there.

Hi all, so glad to have found you all, although i do wish i had found you sooner. I was on prenisolone for over a year and half. Last year i dieted like mad and exercised myself silly and not a pound did i loose. When i say exercise i mean lots, 5-6 days a week, mostly over 2hours a day. This included outdoor bootcamps etc.
Anyway, i have now been steroid free for 5 weeks but nothing is happening.....anyone know when i will start to have my body back, I really feel like i am hitting my head off a brick wall. All the specialist/gp say is that i am lucky i didn't put on weight. I'd like to see how they felt if they had put in the work i did. Anyway.....any wisdom would be super fantastic.
thanks peeps
J

I could cry, I worked soooo hard last week, exercising 6 days, very good diet. I really n3ed some advice or support. Surely someone has been through this and can offer some advice....no sugar, very little carbs mostly just my porridge. Help please.

My aunt gained a ton of weight on prednisone, she slowly decreased her dosage and now, a couple years later, she has lost about 30 lbs and still has a ways to go. The prednisone really did a number on her! She was unrecognizeable.