Prednisone and weight gain

Hi guys, quick question.

I've had sudden impairment of my hearing since I woke up this morning. It has gotten better since then, which is good, and while my doctor didn't suspect it to be autoimmune in origin, I did some research. It seems that there are some cases where those with UC had issues with hearing loss, but it is a really really rare symptom. I also read a statistic that around 1% of cases of sudden hearing loss are found to be autoimmune in origin so I probably shouldn't jump to the worst conclusion first...

I digress... In the event that an ENT doc wants to put me on steroids to treat this problem, what is the weight gain like?

My GI doc didn't want me on steroids at all. I'm sorta heavy now, and he said steroids will make me gain 30-50 pounds, which is definitely not what I want.

But how long must one be on corticosteroids to see that sort of weight gain? What dosage? Does the weight taper down once steroid therapy stops or does it just stick to you and you need to really work at it to get rid of it?

Currently, I'm on asacol HD for my UC and it's working great at keeping my UC under control, and my GI doc and I both are pretty resistant to going on steroids atm.

I agree with soy. I think your doctor is right. I gained about 30 from steroids and the worst part is that I have been unable to get back to my old weight. I feel like my metabolism has changed. I am lucky that i was extremely small before so people are like "you're normal" but it still bugs the crap out of me. I used to be very small and now I need to lose 15. I don't want to scare you, if you need it, you need it, but if you don't, stay away if you can. Not everyone has the situation i had so i wouldn't go crazy thinking that's going tobe your outcome. some people get on and off without horrible longterm side effects. I will avoid pred like the plague.

I am a noncompliant patients' mother, and I second the concern about steroid use. If there is really no other bridge option, then you must. Really know that it must be a bridge, and not be your saviour. This med can hurt more than help. We are there right now....side effects seem worse( ok, tie for first) than the original disease. Not trying to scare you, but do look into and get off ASAP. Weight gain is typical, regulators are compromised. Energy strange, joint pain, muscle involvement, anxiety, sleeplessness, and I am just getting going....do what you must, but keep in mind this drugs' limitations.

What meds are you on? Some of them may actually be responsible for your hearing problem. It may not be autoimmune at all. If that is true, then the steroids might not help anyway. Everyone responds to steroids differently. Some don't gain weight but that is rare. It definitely isn't worth the gamble. The last time I was on pred I didn't gain any weight at all when I was on it but after tapering completely off I gained 5 - 10 pounds which I can't seem to get rid of. I was only on a short one month course.

gary: I'm on Asacol HD, but I asked my doc about it and she said that isn't a common or even rare side effect reported with the drug. Also, i'm pretty sure it mostly acts locally in the colon, and isn't a systemic drug, though correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks for sharing your advice!

elzb: Sounds pretty crazy! Haha. Thanks for sharing your experience. What was your dosage and how long were you on them?

Asacol is supposedly non-systemic but then it can cause headaches, hair loss, and pancreatitis, among other things. So, I guess it isn't entirely non-systemic.

gary: that is true. I did ask my doctor if the hearing issue was related to asacol and she said that it wasn't even listed as a rare side effect, so I don't think so my hearing issue is related to it. My hearing has more or less returned to normal, fortunately, and i'm still on the asacol.

pink1: I'm not sure how long the round of steroids would be for this type of situation, but thank you for your input.