weight gain

I was just wondering if lupus can cause weight gain?  Not meds just the lupus itself.  I know that it seems that over the past 4 yrs now since I've been feeling relly bad I've gained alot of weight.  I know it could be due to less activity, I was just wondering.  I read that you tend to lose weight with flares.

I agree with Carol. I don't think lupus itself causes weight gain, but the symptoms and the meds often lead to weight gain. I also started gaining weight when I got sick, even before I was put on meds. For me I think it was the decrease in activity and my sense of taste and stomach did some weird things where the healthy things I used to eat no longer sounded good to me, so I ended up eating a lot of carbohydrates. Now after several years on prednisone and limited activity I have put on almost 100 extra pounds which I am trying very hard to lose. I know the extra weight is hard on my joints and my heart.

I think if anything, lupus will cause you to lose weight in the pre-diagnosis stages.  Mostly because so many people are chronically anemic.  Lupus will attack the red blood cells.  This doesn't happen with everybody, but a lot of people have this happen.

In the 3-4 years it took for SOMEONE to finally listen to me and diagnose lupus, I did gain weight. One of the earlier doctors insisted it was depression and started me on an anti-depressant. I forget the name of it, now, but it did cause a weight gain (listed as a side effect). But, honestly, I got so sick that I didn't do anything and that, too, led to a weight gain. Before I got sick, I ran an at-home daycare. I ran after 8 babies/preschoolers for 10 hours a day! SO, my weight stayed down. Then, I got sick. Within a year I had trouble walking! So, yeah, I started putting on the weight. I know everyone will say that you lose weight with lupus, but, for me anyway, the opposite was true!

Hope you feel better.

Thanks for all the info.