Ack. I was on prednisone for a mega eczema outbreak once. It is awful stuff. It made me eat like a fiend, heightened my aggression, and caused me to sleepwalk. Sleepwalking wasn't even on the list of side effects!
The only thing I can think of that would help with weight loss on prednisone is: ask your doctor for a lower dosage. Sorry. That's all I've got.
I have chronic idiopathic urticaria and have been on prednisone for about 6 months now. My question is why would they give a teenage girl steroids knowing the side effects?! I am 15 years old and have a severe moon face and have gained 27 pounds. I was on 15mg twice daily and tapered off 5mg a week until 5mg, now I am on 2mg daily. I barely fit into half of my clothes and I cannot stand looking like this. I don't feel comfortable with myself and people have definitely noticed how much weight I've gained. I feel so disgusted in how i look and it's all this stupid prednisone's fault. I just started my low sodium diet 2 days ago and I have been running 3 miles a day 5 days a week also doing a 15 minute cardio workout following my run (started a week ago) hoping that I would at least not gain anymore weight, I soon found out that I was wrong! I gained 2 more pounds. Before I got the prescription of Prednisone I weighed 127 and I was okay with that. I weigh 154 now and not happy AT ALL. I hate prednisone so much.
I've taken prednisone but only in a week or two week dose at a time i've never taken it continuously. I get it when my asthma is especially bad and its notmally 30gs a day. I've never noticed any weight gain on it at all but I expect I've never taken it long enough to notice.
What sort of calorie level are you on at the moment? COuld your doc suggest anything else to take instead which wouldn't make you gain?
I was diagnosed with Auto Immune Hepatitis about 10 years ago. Had to go on predinisone for about a year and half. I was on 50 mg a day. That was the worst year of my life. I gained so much weight. My face swelled up like a balloon. My Knees and ankles were so swollen I had a hard time walking. I was depressed. Had a huge appetite. Anyway, eventually I was getting better and was tapered down. During that time I was also on Immuran. 10 Years later (march 2015) I was completely off all meds. Felt GREAT. About a month or so later, my liver enzymes were high again and had to go back on Prednisone. Know my face is again swollen. I don't sleep at night. Always hungry. I dont even want to go to work or see anyone. Everyone is telling me I have gained weight. It's too much. I started on 50mg again and is being tapered down by 5mg every 2 weeks. Lets see how things go
I recently had to take prednisone. I was careful with my eating but still packed on 5 lbs in a week. However as soon as I was able to start tapering down on the dosage, the 5 lbs came right off. It does seem to make you more carb sensitive so I'm guessing it's mostly water weight. Regardless I'm very glad to get off of it. No one warned me it could make me so weepy sobby!
I'm so glad to have found this thread! I have been off and on prednisone (mostly on haha) for as long as I can remember for an undiagnosed lung condition. (Not asthma, but not CF. Something weird enough to make me a case study at pulmonology confrences, but not normal enough for a diagnoisis.)
My dosages ranged from 120mg to 60mg daily, with a few tapers mixed. This stuff destroyed my body, but it was the only thing that kept me breathing and out of the hospital, so I guess that was a positive. I now have brittle bones and a completely screwed up adrenal gland, but I'm alive so that's what counts.
I'm currently off and have been for 3 months (YAY!!!) but it is so good to see people who struggle with the same thing. For years, my doctor denied that my weight problems were related to my steroid intake but are now starting to accept that it "may" have something to do with my weight. (Insert overly dramatic eye roll here)
I am happy to find support here. Here is my story. A little over 4 yrs ago (4 yrs and 4 months) I went to a Doctor because I gained 40 pounds without knowing why. After 2 visits- She told me that it was my eating habits, lifestyle and she convinced me of that. I felt useless and her visits told me that over and over again. My husband was struggling with my unusual weight gain. I lost sex drive, I lost intimacy of a hug and a kiss- I was too big and got bigger. He tried so hard to hold it together. He left me. 4 days later he returned, stayed with a female work friend and apparently got advice that he took to heart. I kept myself up -dressed nice and makeup. Getting hair done was difficult-the chair didn't fit me. I was 50 yrs old. She told me that it was my hormones and IBS. She put me on steroids and hormones and sedative- ever increasing doses of prednisone from 10mg to 20mg after a month then 40mg then quickly at 80mg a day. I was on a 120mg/day dose for 1 week, then back to 80mg. I was at this 80mg dose for a long time. I developed a huge belly, breast and upper arms were load full of stretch marks and a ballooned face, edema and everything getting worse. The excuse she gave me was the progression of my illness (then admitting I had an illness)and trying to get ahead of it. I gained more and more weight -rapidly- until I reached 480 pounds. My husband felt that Doctor was experimenting on me/didn't know what she was doing/ and-or wanting me to gain weight for her book/ research as I was the subject. My husband began looking for another Doctor who would take me along a hard road- at the time,everyone was refusing. I found that they didn't want an obese patient. I was too heavy for them. Then Husband searched in other areas. That Search lasted over 4 months. At that time, I was gaining about 5 pounds a week -another 66 pounds (546) I was miserable and even more if I didn't take my meds right. I was desperate and miserable at not being able to move. Former work friends quit calling and visiting. Mostly alone except family. My sister came by regularly to care for me and was aghast at my continued weight gain and my desperation to find out why I was gaining. Finally, 2 counties away a foreign trained Doctor took me in. He really listened to me. He said I was beautiful woman and smiled at me when he said he had an idea right off what was wrong with me. After extensive testing- 2 months of testing, He said that it was NOT my eating habits, as was in my records from the first Doctor, as I was convinced by my previous Doctor. I had multiple problems, lipedema, steatopygia, IBS, RA, auto immune disease, an iotrogenic illness, gelotophobia, and medicines that I did not need ie: that were making me gain weight and shouldn't have been taken at the same time. He also found out that I had allergy to 2 colors of tattoo ink-I had 3 small tattoos.(which were later removed) That allergy resulted in him testing further- found out that I had 6 times the amount of BPA( Bis-phenol A) in my body than other people. BPA is a horrible poison and the likely source was from the coated cash register paper that I handled in my work and after shopping. The BPA is being removed from plastics but not the thermal register papers and lottery tickets. The BPA is induced into my body in seconds after touching the papers. BPA is among other things -a hormone disruptor wrecks havoc with my hormones . My highest weight then, was about 680-700 lbs on a 5'8" frame. Actually my weight made me 5'6". I was so huge and immobile with a grim outcome-my new Doctor sent me a visiting nurse 4 days a week (MT and TF). No more logistical problems in traveling to the Doctor or having my dignity abused. With the nurse present he did his visits by "SKYPE" . It was wonderful not being out in public where I was victim of people mocking me, calling names and taking pictures of me. They kept taking pictures even when we told them to stop. Guess who those dignity thieves were. They were mostly-almost all- OTHER WOMEN. Men once in while, teen boys loved taking pictures of me laughing at me but not as bad as the other women. TEEN GIRLS would use their verbal abuse on me. and the Gelotophobia. This really caused me self image and security issues. It was wonderful that I didn't have to try squeezing into a van ( I mean squeeze into it, filling up the back- the seats were removed to accomodate a bed.)-even medical transport- and uncomfortable 95 minute ride -one way, plus time getting in and out. Now, with change in meds and a better diet. I now weigh 571lbs. [lost 129 pounds without surgery- I will need surgery to remove excess skin from my weight loss. It already shows]. I was on a strict Doctor guided 800 calorie daily diet for about 5 weeks. When I was gaining so very quickly, I had problem with clothing. It was impossible to find bigger sizes-My last know size was 8X after that a seamstress made me caftans and underwear. All of that was expensive -underwear $80, caftans $150-$200 Bra $350. I am losing quickly and by summer I should maybe lose another 130 - 150 pounds. I seem not to need any weight loss surgery except excess skin from my loss -so far. My Doctor is not a fan of ANY weight loss procedure/surgery. He believes in his Egyptian training and natural remedies, & Ayurvedic medicines. My goal to be 430 by end of August(doc says that's realistic) But I want to be back to 180lbs. Doc says that's not realistic- he hopes that I would just get to 300 lbs.He would be happy and consider it a success. I agree. I can handle being 300 lbs.and be happy with it. Has anyone else had problems with the public abuse of your size? UPDATE DEC 26 2015: Nurse visit today shows I now weight 565. !!! UPDATE: DEC 30. I just weighed = 567! Ooopps. Why. I see that my legs have swelled up more. They feel heavier. Did I say that I still take steroids at 7mg a day. Worried. OOPPS: 568 Oh My.
Last edited by janie2; 12-31-2015 at 03:04 PM.
Reason: to clarify
I'm so glad to have found this thread! I have been off and on prednisone (mostly on haha) for as long as I can remember for an undiagnosed lung condition. (Not asthma, but not CF. Something weird enough to make me a case study at pulmonology confrences, but not normal enough for a diagnosis.)
My dosages ranged from 120mg to 60mg daily, with a few tapers mixed. This stuff destroyed my body, but it was the only thing that kept me breathing and out of the hospital, so I guess that was a positive. I now have brittle bones and a completely screwed up adrenal gland, but I'm alive so that's what counts.
I'm currently off and have been for 3 months (YAY!!!) but it is so good to see people who struggle with the same thing. For years, my doctor denied that my weight problems were related to my steroid intake but are now starting to accept that it "may" have something to do with my weight. (Insert overly dramatic eye roll here)
Keep up the good work I understand the struggle!
Hi There----My Doctor refused to say that my meds were the cause of my huge weight growth likely of me critical of her expertise. She really had the idea that it was my lifestyle-eating habits & lack of exercise. With me, I fired her-a little too late. My new Doctor- from Egypt was very helpful, did several tests to reveal I had an allergy to some tattoo inks & had very high levels of a hormone disruptor called Bis-phenol A ( commonly known as BPA) -messed with me all over.- likely from the thermal paper as cash register receipts and lottery tickets. Apparently, some of the components of thermal print register receipts are in some tattoo inks. Could you have the same problem. I was 180,concerned because I gained to 220 lbs. Went to a female doctor- Then, with her meds I went to 400 lbs. Later she insisted on 40 mg then 80mg a day of steroids. I grew quickly from 400 to 500 then to 700lbs. After 3yrs of the 1st Doctor I gave up. My husband didn't. He finally found another Doctor that would take me. My1st Doctor made me sicker & sicker & morbid obese. My story is at this forum. You are permitted to see other Doctors-careful to realize that lots of Doctors may refuse to take you as you are too heavy for them or their insurance. Keep your Doctor & fire him/her AFTER the new Doctor sees you for 2-3 visits. My new Doctor says: The steroids will remain in your body for about a year after being off. I hope you continue to amaze people by returning to your old self. Please do your own research on this BPA poison from thermal printed register receipts and what you can do to reduce or eliminate further exposure and into your blood stream. This is not medical advice but an observation and suspicious links to hormone problems from BPA exposure.
Last edited by janie2; 12-27-2015 at 05:14 PM.
Reason: clarity
I just kept on doing what I am suppose to do despite a 4 pound weight gain of a week ago from 565 to 568 to 569 to now I weigh 563 lbs. I just had an adrenal problem which caused retention of fluids in my legs and feet. I absolutely was told to keep on and make no changes by my Doctor. I was afraid that a new problem developed or a return of a former one and that I was going to gain every pound back. My nurse told me that she found in my records that my highest weight was 717.6 pounds. So now, I have lost 154.4 pounds in 6 months... almost 21 inches in my waist alone. I have lost so much that I can get a gastric bypass. But, it looks like it is not necessary because the problem is with my messed up adrenal glands (Iotrogenic illness) and it is normalizing. If I had a gastric bypass it would be possible that my adrenals would fail to continue and I would regain everything again. Then, I'd be having other issues because of the operation and hugely fat and immobile.
I am new to the site and was so glad to stumble upon this thread. Steroids are what lead me to join this site!
Like you all, the steroids were necessary for a serious medical problem, though they made me completely nuts, super puffy, and caused a lot of hair loss (even my eyelashes and eyebrows which - combined with the moon face - was really not very attractive!).
My husband is a physician and warned me that I might gain some serious weight with the steroids. I remember being actually kind of annoyed with him for saying that! But sure enough, one morning after being on the steroids for a few weeks, I got on the scale and nearly fainted! Numbers I have never seen before!
Finally I am off the steroids but I hate to say that I am having a hard time losing the weight. Have any of you found that too? It almost seems that the steroids affected my metabolism.
I am curious to hear about your experiences. Thanks for reading!
I have been on at least 10mg of prednisone for the last 2 years, it's been a special kind of ****. The weight gain, the "fat redistribution", it's all been terrible but it's kept the pain from the RA at bay. I was almost off it completely a few months ago but hit a snag and had to go back on it. I am finally tapering down again, at 7.5 right now and hoping to be off it completely in the next month or so!! Good luck to everyone taking it, it can be a love hate relationship.
I had a gastric bypass Two years ago and lost over 150lbs. I finally reached my goal of 125! Well, while I was a willing counter of calories I was told I Addison
Last edited by Tigerdmw; 04-13-2017 at 05:55 AM.
Reason: Not finished
If you want to stop weight gain from Prednisone, don't eat simple carbs. Follow a lower carb diet and avoid processed foods. I've been on it for years due to a lung condition. I exercise at the Y 5 days a week and my weight remains steady. The weight gain is due to lifestyle issues - what you eat and how much you exercise.
