Moon face

Moonface is a temporary but very annoying side effect of corticosteroids. Swelling due to water retention, such as this, goes away fairly quickly once you're off of corticosteroids. In the meantime, limit your salt intake to reduce swelling/bloating from these corticosteroids.

Yeah, we've all experienced them ourselves, so we can relate. You've got to put your health before vanity, and remember the effects are temporary.

Uc does terrible things to our bodies, we can rapidly loose weight in flares (20 lbs isn't unusual). Prednisone does terrible things to our bodies: moonface, acne, increased hair on face, moonface, bloating, rapid weight gain due to an insatiable appetite, and can make us have wild mood swings, angry, and emotional, etc.

This happened to me too, a few years ago on Pred, and I have a feeling it will happen again soon (although I lost so much weight with this flare it seems to be taking longer!).

It's really difficult, I know. Even though you know you need the Pred to get out of the flare, the ups and downs of what UC and Pred do to your body are hard to watch. I know I've looked in the mirror and barely recognized myself.

It's going to take time to look and feel like yourself again. I don't have any better answer, sorry. But try to focus on how you are feeling better. Do some easy meditations, pick up a hobby, do things that you enjoy. Just try to focus on doing things, the feeling of achievements (no achievement is too small!) to keep your mind off side effects that you can't control.

It is temporary and while it stinks, it will go away. My moon face peaked at 15 mg and then diminished as I tapered. Hopefully the steroids are helping your flare, which in my opinion, is worse than the swelling. I was also very emotional on steroids. Try to take some extra time to do something that makes you happy each day. It really helps.

Nadica, last time I was pred I found sticking to a very low carb diet helped keep the swelling down. Carbohydrates seem to make some people retain water and combined with the fact that pred does the same, cutting out carbs worked to keep my bloatedness to a minimum. Not my idea of a long term diet, but vanity demanded it.