Moon Face Be GONE

I have been on the evil prednisone for about 3 months and have been a slow taper. I am going to be completely off of it in a few days (yay!). Apart from losing my hair, not sleeping, weight gain, acne, and mood swings, it also made my face puff out. Highschool is hard enough, but the moon face has really made it tough.

 

I was wondering how long it will take for my face to return to its normal state?!

Once your off the pred, your moon face should subside fairly quickly. It helps too if you go on a low sodium diet. I can understand the moon face and how it can be a blow to your self esteem. But to pile on being young and high school...I just shudder for you. I know being a teen is rough as it is and anything that makes you stand out is even worse. Hang in there and hopefully soon the puffiness will go away soon.

The good news is that once you are off the prednisone you will feel so much better!  I was also diagnosed with UC this year, started Remicade in August and tapered off of prednisone in October.  The big round face will go away fast... maybe a couple of weeks max.  I still have some acne, but I find tea tree oil helps.  You are beautiful, you are not defined by the UC..... it's just something you have.  Treat yourself to a new hair-do or color....  I was tired of my long brown hair falling out so I went short and blonde-- refreshing.  I try to exercise... it lifts my mood and helps chip away at the weight.  Now that you are well, enjoy highschool... it goes so fast.  Be yourself, be who you want to be, moonface is not who you are....

I've got a bit of the puffy face going on too. At work, I've tried to make light of the whole thing by just telling a bunch of my friends why I look different. Not sure if this tactic will work in high school but I figure saying something to people before they wonder what the heck is going on is the easiest thing for me. (I've even though of giving myself a rapper nickname like Puff Mommy. Make the joke before they do, I guess.)

Anyway, the reports seem to vary about when it goes away but with a short-term course, it sounds like for some it could be soon after getting down to a low dose or getting off it completely. I like to expect the best possible outcome.

I've been on pred before in the past -- for much longer-- and never got the puffy face, so perhaps sensitivities to it change over time.

The trick, I guess, is to follow the doctor's instructions and not taper too quickly just because of this ridiculously annoying side effect. I hate to make medical decisions based on the size of my cheeks! :)

Hang in. You are not alone.