Steroids and weight gain

[messajarjar]

Has anyone experienced weight gain from being on corticosteroids like Prednisone for extended periods of time? Even though I've finally been off for over a year (they found a way for me to BREATHE without them!), I'm still suffering several after affects...such as bone loss and weight that just won't budge no matter what I do. And it's not so much extra pounds, it's the way it all distributed that make my old clothes really hard to get into. Help!!!!:confused:

[Ginger123]

Wish I could help hun, but I have no idea?? Have you talked to your doctor about it or have you researched it online?:) Hope everything works out for you.

[messajarjar]

Well, I knew while I was on it that I would probably have long term effects. I was just wondering if anyone else had similar issues and if they had any success in solving them. :o

[imalittletoenail]

hidy...prednisone and other steroids of this type cause fluid retention and increased appetite...an awful combination...and it's also known to cause redistribution of fat...:mad: once you quit taking it though, these side effects that you've had from it hang around...the best thing to do is to watch your sodium intake to help with the fluid retention and then gets lots of exercise to tone your body back down...i lost a bunch of weight some years ago...the best thing you can do is work out with weights...yep, weight lifting...i have a ton of info on getting started with this if you are interested...you'll slim down and have se xy arms and toned legs...

[lakeminer]

Has anyone experienced weight gain from being on corticosteroids like Prednisone for extended periods of time? Even though I've finally been off for over a year (they found a way for me to BREATHE without them!), I'm still suffering several after affects...such as bone loss and weight that just won't budge no matter what I do. And it's not so much extra pounds, it's the way it all distributed that make my old clothes really hard to get into. Help!!!!:confused:

I have been on prednisone for over a year, its awful my legs and ankles really hold the water its hard to be salt free,what did they do for you to help you breath without it???????????Im scared of the bone loss thing i can hear my knees popping sometimes, i have a moon face and a buffalo hump that sounds so funny but when i look at that person in the mirror i just want to cry!!!!!!

[messajarjar]

Sorry...have been working so much I don't get the luxury of getting on the internet just for myself anymore. :(

Anyway, the doc gave me Veramist, which is a nasal spray with a steroid in it. It calms the allergies and shrinks back the polyps in my sinuses enough so that I can breathe. That combined with Advair HFA has been a godsend. My exhaustion went away because I'm actually getting air in there while I sleep! Yay!!! :D

Unfortunately, I've come to the conclusion that the damage the prednisone did while I was on it to the rest of me is probably here to stay. It redistributed my weight around the middle and upper arms. And my knees pop all the time. But, all in all, I can breathe freely and not worry about the possibility of being interbated, so I'm trying to count my blessings so the other stuff doesn't bother me so much.

[lakeminer]

Thanks,Im glad your feeling better, i just started taking 10mg of prednisone,i was on 20mg .i also take the advair im feeling better not taking so much prednisone,but the weight around the middle is here and the knees pop but i too am trying to count my blessings.

[Dukefan2]

I've been on prednisone several times and it caused me to get hyper but also really hungry and it can cause you to gain weight rapidly. i just had to tell myself im full til i got down to where i wanted to be weighed in at. hope this helps

[messajarjar]

I've been on prednisone several times and it caused me to get hyper but also really hungry and it can cause you to gain weight rapidly. i just had to tell myself im full til i got down to where i wanted to be weighed in at. hope this helps


Congrats! I'm glad you found something that worked for you! Unfortunately, in my case, it has nothing to do with eating. Because I have so many sinus polyps, I have no sense of smell and almost no sense of taste. So, I don't CRAVE anything because I can't enjoy it anyway. Plus, I eat a lot of whole foods to keep my weight down. The result is that I haven't gained weight in about a year, but I can't get rid of the trouble spots the prednisone migrated all my fat too! :eek:

[messajarjar]

A little update on the steroid wight battle. In August I started eating very low carb foods again. It's now four months later and it has been a VERY slow process, but I have managed to lose 19 pounds. I think I've hit a plateau though since I've been at this weight for a while now.

Since starting a new job that is very hectic, I try to eat the bulk of the carbs at lunch and then when I finally get home, if I eat at all, it's usually something carbless. A lot of times it's so late or I'm just too tired so I make a cup of tea and crawl into bed. I'm still getting what I need daily foodwise plus I take a women's multivitamin and that helps alot-especially with iron!

[caryn]

I totally understand where you are coming from. I have a triple chin from being on steroids for so long. My knees cause me a bunch of trouble. I am taking allergy shots and Singulair and Advair and haven't been on prednisone in almost 6 months. I refuse to take the nose steroids because they make me sneeze and I figure I am wasting my money because they just come back out.

I was ALWAYS hungry on prednisone and most of the time sleepless. I would sleep maybe 2 to 4 hours a night. I hated it! But...we have to do what we have to do to breathe!

I haven't been able to get my weight off in 5 years, no matter what I try.