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Prednisone & MY FACE!

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Posted 3/22/2010 2:02 AM (GMT 0)
 I, of course, have the unmistakable "moon face" but am excited to have finally begun my taper off the prednisone. By decreasing it by 1/2 pill every week - I should be completely off in 2 months... which, by the way, is the exact time of my 10-year high-school reunion. 

 

So... will my jawls disappear slowly as my meds are decreased? Will it go away all at once? Will it go away AT ALL or will I currently look last longer even when I'm finally all off the steriods?

Any input on your experience is appreciated!

 

Posted 3/22/2010 2:06 AM (GMT 0)
Well, took mine about 2 months after finishing prednisone to be "normal"!!

ElaineNY

Posted 3/22/2010 2:20 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, ElaineNY - so you're saying that you weren't normal until you were off of prednisone completely for 2 months? Agh! Do you mind if I ask how long you were on it before your taper & how long it took you to taper off?

Thanks!
Posted 3/22/2010 2:29 AM (GMT 0)
Well first of all I am obese but I could definitely see the moonface.  As I remember it - yes, I was completely off the prednisone a month at least before I noticed a difference.

I took 40 a week, 30 a week, 20 and back to 30 for four months - then tapered 5 mg. every week until down to 5 and then every other day 5 mg. and done - about 5.5 months altogether.  Wish I had written all this down.

My husband said my face started to go down before I noticed it so maybe yours will too.  I didn't think I would mind it as I have a round fACE BUT was happy when it was gone.

Good luck!

ElaineNY

Posted 3/22/2010 2:39 AM (GMT 0)
Ive had moonface several times any time I get over a dosage of 30mg I get it. I usually dont notice it receding untill I get back down around 20mg between 20mg and 15mg it goes away for me. After further reduction down to around 7.5mg my face gets extremly itchy spots about the size of a pin head. Some areas get sorta flaky on my cheek bones and a little spot between my eyebrows usually. Dont really know why or if anybody else has flaky skin from prednisone, but I've always had pretty good skin and it only happens when I'm tapering.
Posted 3/22/2010 3:12 AM (GMT 0)
I'm finally down to 15 after being on 40mg for 5 months straight and people say my face is a little better....I'm starting to taper again, 2.5 mg every 2 weeks which feels like forever, but I wonder if the face stuff will go away before I'm done or if I'll have to wait.
Posted 3/22/2010 3:19 AM (GMT 0)
Once I got down to 15 mg or so, the moonface would start to go away. And the peachfuzz, too, which I think probably no one could see but me. I don't tell people about my condition, or my meds, and no one ever said anything about my face swelling so it probably wasn't as noticeable as I thought it was.

I found that self-tanning lotion for the face made my face look slimmer. Clinique or Neutrogena are good brands to try, the color change is subtle and not orangy.
Posted 3/22/2010 3:29 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Phyre72 :)

My experience was typical... I gained about 30 lbs on Prednisone and was taking 50mg for almost 6 months, then tapered off, for a total of about 8 months.. UGH.. lol... Once I got down to about 15mg, I finally noticed the moonface going away and my hunchback was gong away also. I have now lost 20 of the 30 lbs. I'd say it took about 4weeks after being completely off it to look fairly better.. I have been completely off it since about mid January, and I'd say right now I almost look normal except for carrying about 10 extra pounds still, which isn't too bad really.. Im just glad my HUGE face and HUGE hunchback are pretty much gone!!! But, I've never had a poochie belly before and know what it's like to have one now.. lol...
Posted 3/22/2010 3:53 AM (GMT 0)
OMG, I am so happy your posted this. I think I have a double chin!! I don't know if i am "Obese" or if I just have an extra chin, I am not sure what's going on. Maybe I am getting old and it is dropping??? Do you think it is temporary? It is the most awful thing possible. You could tell me I was dying and I could accept that before accepting a second superfluous chin. I joke, but seriously...
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