.
 

.

hey samick :hug:
I have heard that pregnisone does cause weight gain and appetite increase in people, hopefully another 3FCer can give you more info on that. The weight is probably partly due to water retention, and partly due to the increase in appetite. What do you eat more of when you have an increased appetite? When i am having one of those days where i want to eat everything including the furniture i try just steaming a ton of veggies and eating those. You can get steam bags that you just put in the microwave and have steamed veggies in 2 mins, very good for preventing binges. How much longer are you expected to take your prescriptions for? Is it normal for poison ivy to take this long to clear up? maybe you should talk to your doctor about any alternatives that you might be able to have

As for exercise, you could try doing little things like getting off the bus a stop earlier, or taking the stairs not the lift, or walking to class the long way around. I know a lot of chicks here also like work out DVDs that you can do at home. The thing is though that eventually you will have to make time to do exercise. I know how absolutely frustrating it is to try and do that, i am in a very competitive programme for uni this year, and i also find it hard. But you CAN do it.

:hug: im sorry about the terrible luck you seem to have had

I've had to take prednisone for poison oak. I am horribly allergic to it and whenever we take the dogs out they get into it and if I am not careful I catch it. I don't remember an increase in appetite but it did make me very puffy. Added to the puffiness of the allergic reaction, I was quite a site. It also made me extremely moody. I felt angry and irritated all of the time. Those were the only differences I noticed. I hope you feel better soon. Hang in there...

ABSOLUTELY prednisone causes a greatly increased appetite and weight gain. Unfortunately, it's not water weight, as far as I know, but you CAN lose the weight after you get off the drug. Good luck!

Hey, I just want to send you some :hug:. I'm so sorry you're having such a hard time. It seems that when it rains, it really does pour. I'm sure you and your doctor will figure out how to get rid of your terrible rash. Luckily, your problem is temporary and even though it's going on for longer than typical, our bodies are complex and some take longer than others. I have a bunch of injuries, so I'm familiar with obstacles! I also have chronic migraines that make me very depressed if I let them. The key is not to let things get you down...which isn't easy! I have times when I break down and cry, but I then ask myself what kind of life that is! Even when I nauseated and don't see an end in sight (my migraines can last for weeks at a time), I try to act like nothing is bothering me. I"m not saying to be fake, but sometimes, if you smile, your better mood might follow. Also, I don't mean to make this about me, but I just want to illustrate that toughing it out isn't something I take lightly.

Ok, as far as working out...you gotta make time...like an appointment to shower. Even if you do ten minutes, 3 times in a day, you will see benefits. You could also incorporate exercise into your studies. Do pushups, crunches, lunges, etc. while studying...maybe as you try to memorize something. Increasing your muscle mass will make your metablism higher so you can burn calories even at rest (as if you have time to rest!). Also, the more you walk, the more you burn. Wearing a backpack while you walk that is full of books will increase the calories burned too (just be sure not to carry to much, to avoid injury).

For snacking, the veggies are a great idea. I also suggest having lots of gum in the home!! I'm chewing like crazy right now. I also like frozen grapes. One cup is only 65 calories and it takes a long time to eat and tastes so good that I almost feel guilty!

Yes, you gained some weight, but a lot of that probalby is water and as soon as you can stop the Prednisone, you'll lose it. Just have faith and do the best you can under these cricumstances. Also, I suggest going to a health food store (if there's time) and ask them if they have anything you can use for your symptoms. Sometimes, there are herbal remedies that can help a lot. Just a thought.

Good luck to you and a speedy recovery!!! :hug:

Oh good grief. You poor thing! :)

If you search on some of my posts from about 4 months ago I think every other sentence was "that damn prednisone!" I had walking pneumonia and the dr gave me pred as part of the pile of pills I had to take every day. I BLEW UP. Some of it was eating, but some if it WAS water weight from "that damn prednisone" ... and my every post was ranting about it. :D

I've since dropped the weight - it took me a couple of weeks for all the pred to get out of my system and for everything to level out again. And a few more weeks to re-lose all of the weight I gained from it.

I nkow that sucks, but hang in there - you CAN do it.

As far as adding in exercise, I sometimes throw in some resistance stuff at my desk during the day if I know i'm not going to be able to get to the gym for whatever reason. Pushups (angled off of my desk), tricep dips from my chair, squat jumps (like 1/2 a burpee!), that kind of thing. It's not a full workout and doesn't really help with cardio, but at least it's building strength and getting some things moving!

>

And hey, at least you lost weight before you gained it on prednisone. So even if you have gained some back, you're better off than you would have been if you hadnt lost weight before going on the drug :)

:hugs: Prednisone is the worst. What got me to my HW was three courses of prednisone in less than two months. I packed on nearly fifty pounds. It depressing. Yes, I got better. I had a severe asthma attack and the first course didn't get me better and so I had to on it two more times.

I am so sorry and I know exactly how you feel. I was getting into better health at the time of my attack and it was really discouraging to see weight fly onto my body literally overnight and there was nothing I do to stop it.

I don't have any suggestions. I realize when you're coming from the place you are mostly it's just better to be heard and validated.

Hey! I just wanted to ask--is there any way you can cut back on your course load? I'm assuming that you're taking the classes, not teaching them? If you're signed up for so many classes that you literally cannot take half an hour or so to be at the gym, then maybe you've taken on too much. :hug:

Jay

Stairs are awesome exercisers...and take no "extra time". I started out by taking the stairs a flight or two, then getting on the elevator at work, home and school. Eventually I could do 14 flights. It is aerobic (what do you think those step machines in the gym are?) and free! Best of all, I used to routinely beat folks who were waiting for the elevator, I wasn't faster than the elevator moving, but I was faster than waiting and then waiting for several stops!

The same thing is pretty true for walking places as much as you can. (And movement increases memory retention which will help your schoolwork!)

As you have been told, Prednisone both puts weight on, and greatly increases appetite for most folks.

Good luck...this too shall pass.

I too was on Prednisone for a few months. Breathing problems I have been having since last winter. They recently took me off the prednisone though and I have an appointment with the pulmonary specialist next week. I did not know that some of my weight gain could have been caused by this.
samick hope things get better for you. Try to be positive.

Bless your heart! I've also read/heard that Prednisone increases appetite & puts on some weight...

The GOOD news is that once you're OFF that med, you can lose that weight... you've already proven to yourself that you CAN do it.

As for the boyfriend part? ... I don't know what to say, except that I was the opposite... when my 1st husband & I split up, I lost a bunch of weight. When I'm really sad, I just can't eat. When I'm really happy, I don't THINK about eating & evidentally eat too much! :o Unfortunately for me, with my 2nd husband, I've been pretty happy the past 15 years...oopsy! :dizzy:

Many of us have lost & re-gained, only to have to lose again. Some of us (*ahem!*... such as me....) have lost, regained, re-lost, regained, re-lost, re-gained, etc...... for some of us it takes more than a couple tries to get it right & keep it right. But you just HANG IN THERE!- you CAN do this! :hug:

Ugh Prednisone. I took that last winter when I got really sick. I took it for a week and I was :rollpin: and :hungry:

I was like a psycho walking bottomless pit. Add to that the fact that I just felt sick and terrible and well, good times. :D

Poor dear. Things will improve when you get off the stuff. Hang in there.

Hi, Samick,
Prednisone is known to blow you up like a blowfish! It happens very quickly but fortunately, will go away soon after you're off the medication. If it weren't such a miracle drug, no one would ever go near it for that very reason.

As for the exercise. If you can't find time in your schedule right now to exercise, just look for ways to be more active generally. You know the drill... Given a choice between stairs and the elevator, take the stairs. Park a longer distance away from your destination. Get up to change the television channel instead of using the remote. Look for reasons to walk upstairs in your house. Get up and dance during television commercials. Take your dog for a longer walk, or borrow the neighbor’s dog. Look for reasons to be outside. Sweep the porch, pull weeds, and rake leaves. Each thing that you do counts! Every activity burns more calories than sitting!

I know it can be easier said than done though. If you have to be satisfied right now with doing a few crunches and push ups before going to bed at night or when getting up in the morning, do what you can.

As for clothes...there are tons of cuter, comfortable options out there instead of sweat pants. Try finding some yoga pants that are comfortable and wear them with different tops. You'll have the same comfort effect of sweats, but you'll look a little more fashionable.

Good luck to you--sounds like you deserve it!!

WOW!

Thanks so much everyone! I don't feel like a recluse sitting at home and eating ice cream anymore. ;-) I just stopped taking the drug, and am healing quite nicely! :carrot: :D

And I think that the weight's gonna come off naturally again--eating healthy meals and staying active. I think it's more about liking the way you live and being happy than the number on the scale, eh? :D