Massive weight gain on steroids - Help

Holy schnieky, that's a long time to be on 40mg! Are you not on any other oral meds? You might need to do that in order to get off the pred. Until you get off the pred, there might not be much you can do about your weight gain, unfortunately.

I know how you feel girl. I was contemplating starting a similar post when I logged on today. I first took prednisone right after my son was born in 1996. I was almost 21 years old and in college. I was so excited that I only had gain 1 clothing size during my pregnancy. No one told be what was about to happen. The steriods made me gain 100 lbs in 4 months. I was floored. I spent the rest of my college years in seclusion. Plus I didn't feel like getting out and doing things with my toddler.

After I started work I was able to lose some of the weight. I am not the size I want to be but I am getting there.

I have been battling a flare up for the last 3 and 1/2 months and have been on different doses of pred for the past 3 months. I have been on 40 mg of pred for the last 7 weeks and my face is so swollen, I am having blurred vision and I feel bloated all the time. I am 33 but I feel 60.

All I can say is hang in there. Ask your doctor if you can start tapering off. I'm about to. I have never been on steroids for such a long period of time.

Try to eat well too. That is one of my problems. I am addicted to food. Food is my comfort. My two best friends at work and I started a get fit stay fit challenge to encourage each other to eat right and exercise. Maybe you can find someone to help you with that also. We go to the gym together and scold each other when we eat fattening foods. I know it is almost impossible to lose weight on steroids but eating right and exercise will make you feel better. Getting started at it and sticking to it is the hard part.

We have also started something at work where a different person brings lunch for the office everyday. We are supposed to bring something healthy that will keep us from running out to Mcdonalds when we are swamped or on deadline.It works well. Just remember proportions and don't keep going back for more. That's my problem.

Do treat yourself. A good facial will get rid of some of the impurities. Get your hair done and make sure it frames your face well. I got talked into getting my hair cut short and I hate it. My hair use to frame my chin and neck but now it just sticks out above my chin. It's a good cut and everyone tells me how good it looks but I am so self-conscience about my fat face that I hate it. Before I could hide my fat chin behind my hair. Now I can't

Get you some clothes that are stylish and fit your body type well. Good clothes always make a girl feel better. Have you ever watched What Not to Wear? I prefer the British version because I think they dress people better that Clinton and Stacey do. You can get good tips from those shows. If you copy a style from them make sure they have the same body type and are about the same age as you are.

When you taper off the steroids you will lose the swelling. You will get back to normal. Don't let yourself get depressed. It won't be forever. But you can look good the way you are now.

I was on 40mg for 3 and a half months... gained TONS... and avoided social situations too.. some days i'd just cry and cry. My coworkers would make comments like wow your face looks so swollen.. wow you can really tell in the face... are you gaining weight? you look pregnant...are you pregnant?

so i feel ya. Unfortunately doesn't seem like there's much you can do on such high doses for so long...

it was even worse cuz i had to go to a wedding looking like that.

I have the same prob. My face is really round and my stomach is big too. Being in highschool its kinda hard to live with. My mom says that it will go down when im totally off the pred. My signature is wrong right now on my dosage of pred. Im on half a pill right now. So hopefully i will be off soon.

I understand your situation. Must be difficult too.
For the moment your health is priority and I would say look at it long term.
In the meanwhile when I feel a bit full from the tummy... I put a dress on! Women don wear as much dresses anymore but remember the nice ladies in the 50's... even the bigger ones how they looked nice! And the secret is... under a dress you can put some slimming undies (nobody needs to know) and a nice pair of tights... You can put a nice cardi or pashimna too.. romantic and feminine and covers your arms well. Maybe if you had a nice long pair or earrings maybe it will help elongate your facial feature?
And there is always a way in the make up to create shadows at the chubbiest places :p
But adding a nice smile to your lovely face will make everything look smaller! And brighter.
And next time they are asking if you are pregnant tell then you are waiting for octuplets! Just to see thier faces.
cheers.