prednisone & weight gain | Arthritis Information

I know prednisone makes your appetite increase and if you subcumb to it you will gain weight but does it cause weight gain if you don't?

Does it cause your stomach to look distended like a pregnancy?

Sorry Wannab, I wish I could answer that. I am not on Pred. I have a terrible time trying to lose weight any way.
I didn't have to eat more to gain with predisone, My face got round and fat (moon face) my stomach didn't get that big. I gain about 20 lbs, I didn't eat anymore, because I didn't want to gain. I was on a very high dose as I went down on the pred. the weight went down some. But I'm still about 15 lbs over what I use to weight. I did wear a size 7 to 8 now I wear a size 10.
Oh Rusty, If only I was a ten...... LOL     I am 5'1 and a 12 ,I have been on prednisone for 6 months- intially a high dose and now tapered down to 7.
I couldn't stop eating to save my life for awhile but now I have really cut back to how I used to eat which is about 1500-1600 calories a day. I have been doing light exercise 3 x a week for 2 weeks.

I hadn't been on a scale for a long time because I didn't want to know the number but I got on the other day and I was shocked.

I am not seeing any progress with my efforts- hence the question-

My stomach gets more and more bloated as the day wears on. When I get home from work and change into my "play" clothes I try to avoid looking in the mirror at my pregnancy belly.
I've only been on low doses of predizone, lately 15mg, and have
not gained any weight.

My mother who was 4 ft 11in and usually weighed 80lbs and was on

60mg she could not stop eating sweets and gained alot of weight.

As soon as she got the predizone down she went beck to her little size.
Wannab, I really do feel your pain in this situation. There has got to be some reason why your so bloated. Not trying to pry , could this be something to do may be with female issues. Or what if it has nothing to do with the Ped. I wonder if you should be checked by your M.D. When was the last time you had a colonoscopy? Something maybe to think about...... Hugs AnutI have my annual OBGYN appt. scheduled for August. I've never had a colonoscopy-
I'll bring it to my RD's attention- I have an appt. in a couple of weeks and see if he thinks it's something that should be checked out further. He's pretty good about that. He has a whole check list he goes over at every visit. Questions relating to heart, lungs, neurological, mental, etc., etc
Pred. causes fluid to be retained in the fat cells, thus the fatty pad areas of the body will look like you've gained weight. The face will become round, the area on your back between your shoulders will puff out, the fat pads around your thyroid will protrude. My stomach is also protruding and it was part of the Pred. look and part weight gain. Your fingers will swell a little from the retention, the same with your ankles.

I was on 35mg. for almost 5 years and gained well over 30 lbs.  Some of it is due to eating, the rest due to Pred. I'm taking 7.5mg daily at the present. Am trying to lose now but I'm on Lyrica which has made losing weight just about impossible but I'm still trying and am having small triumphs each week. It's a slower process due to Lyrica and Humira but it's not impossible. Lindy
LinB2008-06-05 18:11:48So if it causes fluid to be retained if you consume extra sodium you probably excaberate the problem right?
Like if I eat canned soup for lunch because it's lowfat/cal it's probably loaded with sodium. Also my snack of reduced fat popcorn- almost no calories and fat but again sodium.

Mostly I eat salad for lunch with ff dressing but again- I bet it's salty
Yep, sodium just adds to the fluid retention. I finally put 1/2 salt and 1/2 salt substitute in the salt shakers and try to use less. It only took me about a week to get in the habit of using less. Took my taste buds a lot longer. LindyI use Salt Sense for cooking and don't usually add salt to food afterward but I think I am getting way too much from prepared foods. I'm going to make an honest effort to eliminate. Does diet soda have sodium too? I think I'm doing so good but I'm probably just blowing myself up like a balloon every day!I have been on a low does of Pred ( 10 mgs) for 6 weeks now and have lost weight. Go figure! Maybe that happens but whatever, I LOVE Prednisone and I know its a bad drug but boy considering I couldnt walk 6 weeks ago, I am now better than I have felt in years! And I was only diagnosed 2 months ago. And I have absolutely no pain. Makes me wonder if it has gone away.
I know I shouldnt be fooled and all the new meds are STILL sitting on the kitchen bench.

Waiting.....
And still I hesitate...sigh....

Cheers...... Lyn
Lyn- initially I lost 18 lbs. but the RA was eating me up alive. Once the meds kicked in and got me right- I gained it all back and kept going.....

But I know what you mean about feeling great and feeling like maybe the RA went away or maybe it was never RA at all.....

Prednisone does that to you. That's why I say it's the drug you hate to love. If you have MTX on the bench- don't fear it.
Thanks wanttobe.... I am to be weaned off the pred in 3 months time apparently. The meds I have are Plaquenil (?) and salaza something...that sulphur one...lol

I turned MTX down for now but will have to go there if these dont work. But just HOW will they know they are working if I continue to feel like this?? My R factor wasnt real high at all...there are still some mysteries for me to solve with the help of you all.

Lyn
I'm relatively new myself- only diagnosed 7 months ago. I had a very severe start and had to be on a high dose of prednisone with the MTX before I got relief- it took a little over 2 months. I can tell the MTX is working because I have tapered down 33 mgs of prednisone and I still feel good for the most part. Not that I feel like my pre RA self but I can't tell you the last time I had to take a pain reliever.
You guys are scaring me! LOL!!

I JUST started 4mg/day of Medrol (which I hear is also prednisone) . The dr. said it's a very low dose but he's trying to get rid of the malaise I feel every night. Also increased my Plaquenil. I tell you what though, I am so scared to gain any weight! For over 10 years I was 45 pounds overweight then went on a "divorce diet" which caused me to lose 30 pounds! It's very hard for me to lose weight. Now I hear over and over how Prednisone causes round face and weight gain. I dont really have a choice though, I'd rather feel better and stay as healthy as I can even if it means going on Prednisone!

How Fast does Prednisone work? This is my 3rd day on it now.
Hi Klynn, 4mg. of Pred. is extremely low dose and most likely you won't have any side effects at all. On such a low dose it may take you several days to see any results. It may or may not help with the malaise. Fatigue is part of the disease and it's probably the number 1 complaint and extremely hard to get rid of unless you go into clinical remission. LindyThanks Lindy! He called it malaise, but what I feel is like the flu symptoms. Just feel awful every night the longer I stay up past dinner time. Achy, chills, really soar all over just want to cry. Anyways, we will see if this helps. I am still fairly new to all this and when I see all the meds everyone is taking at such high dosages it still blows me away.kylnn-

Congrats on your weight loss! As long as you are not on high doses for a prolonged period don't even worry about it. If by chance you have to- try not to give in to your appetite. I think had I tried harder in the beginning I would not have stretched out my stomach making room for more. I should have stayed with my old eating habits instead of making a pig of myself. I have to say though I never had such a tough time in all my life to say no to myself. It was like I was just compelled to eat. Sometimes I had to go to bed just to stop eating!
wanttobe: I COMPLETELY understand! i was on high mg of antidepressants and a b/c pill at that time, one of those or both made me feel like i just couldnt' satisfy my hunger... I remember eating all the time....and yes, I also remember making myself go to bed at times to try and stop from eating. Jeeze, the things we go through!You Know guys, I have started remicade.   On the questionare it askes if you are depressed. I keep trying to convince myself that I am not. The fatigue thing is really getting to me. I am on a small amount of cymbalta I can't take to much of it . I don't go all the way off of it because I don't want to deal with the head shocks. I really don't want to deal with any thing getting dressed and going some where is just to much to bare. The proablem is it I am depressed or this Maylaise thing. I have so much to be grateful for. I am going to San Francisco for some what of a vaction(daughter is going for H.P camp) I can't get excited I feel ver over whelmed. Trie to talk to husband he just dosn't get it. He say's he does when I look into his eyes I know he dosn't. Sorry I just had to get this out. Wannab I didn't mean to hy-jack your thread.....peanut- don't you ever worry about hi-jacking my thread. I love to share. I just don't feel that way!

I think of depression (my definition) as being totally unable to cope with every day life to the point where you don't care for your hygeine, can't go to work, take care of your family etc.

I think you have a lot of anxiety which adds to your fatigue and malaise.

OK Dr. Wannabe is done now- sorry

I suffer from these things on occasion too. I start to add things on my plate until I get so busy I can't think about it anymore and it goes away.

I don't recommend this method.
Oh and I forgot- for some reason I do the same thing and turn a positive event into something I stress over. If I am going on vacation I worry something will happen to the kids while I'm away. (No one is under 16) If I take them with me I worry that one of them will throw up on the plane or something. Really stupid things that really don't matter...
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