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Weight gain and pred

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Posted 5/1/2017 10:02 PM (GMT 0)
I've gained 20 lbs over the past two months and I feel so horrible. I'm bursting out of my clothes!

My UC is really good, so that's great! But I'm down to 5mg of prednisone with two more weeks to taper 2.5 mg each week.

I can't wait for this to be done. I feel like a bottomless pit. I ate 5 packages of peanut butter Ritz crackers today- where does it go?

When does this appetite stop? I'm only on 5mg and I figured it would be over by now. I didn't have this last time I was on pred long term like this. I'm also getting married in the fall, so at this rate I'll never fit into my wedding dress.

When I feel this huge, I almost say what would be worse- flaring or pred?
Posted 5/1/2017 10:07 PM (GMT 0)
Flaring would DEFINITELY be worse. I have one word for you: tenesmus ;)

If it helps, I am losing the weight as I taper down. I was at 40mg for three weeks, tapered a bit, then got stuck at 25mg for weeks while we sorted out medications. Once I dropped past 15mg the weight started coming off, and the acne/moon face are both improving. I think it will improve soon!
Posted 5/2/2017 3:02 AM (GMT 0)
Pred weight and appetite is the worst. I gained 16 pounds easy on a 6 month dance with the devil's tic tacs (pred). It does come off in time, just be patient. My last pred dose was end of january 2017 and I'm now lost 10 pounds of that pred weight. You can too with responsible eating and mild excercise (I'm no fitness nut and am very weak willed to the occasional sweet). The pred appetite didn't go away until i was almost off of pred.
Posted 5/2/2017 2:02 PM (GMT 0)
I got to the point where I thought pred was worse than a flare up - that's ultimately why I had surgery. Weight gain was the worst side effect for me. I had acne, hot flashes, high blood pressure, moonface, I was mean, arthritic, irritable, depressed... and with all that, the extra pounds were by far the worst because I hated the way I looked. I probably looked "average", but to me, I didn't look like myself and it made me feel bad. I had to buy a 2nd set of clothes to wear when I was on prednisone. I remember a lot of people would say "don't get new clothes, the goal is to get back into your old clothes" but ultimately, I couldn't fit into any of my jeans so I bought baggier ones. I ended up dressing like someone else, like I stopped caring about how I looked - which probably doesn't matter to some, but i just wanted my old body back and each day that passed, it seemed less likely. I started walking a ton, literally 5 miles a day up hill in the mountains. I ended up getting rid of a lot of the weight that way, I watched what I ate, and my appetite dropped once I was off the pred, and that helped. It wasn't easy though, and it didn't happen naturally, it took a lot of effort, and I never got back to my original body. I was consistently wearing a larger size then my normal. Luckily, after surgery my body shrunk down without any effort at all. It was so strange & appreciated. I think the best thing you can do is get on a very strict diet and exercise. It should be easier once you're off pred, but if you can make small steps now, it will be beneficial.
Posted 5/2/2017 10:30 PM (GMT 0)
I am in exactly the same boat, with the same weight gain. To be honest, I don't like it but I have got used to it, and it's kinda nice having boobs for the first time lol! Seriously, I am on 5mg and tomorrow I will start to reduce to 2.5g, but I am going to stay on that for 4 weeks as I have been on Pred since last June and feel like I need to give my body plenty of time to come off of it. Like yourself, I am looking forward to it and quite honestly I hope I never have to go on Prednisone again. The worse part for me is not the chipmunk cheeks, although thats bad, it's the marks that this drug has left on my face, red blotches, broken red veins that kind of thing, and so I will need some kind of laser treatment to get myself looking nice again.

With regard to eating, I was ravenous at a higher dose than 5mg but have found my appetite is almost back to normal now, I guess we are all different on that score.
Posted 5/2/2017 11:36 PM (GMT 0)
Fun fact, i almost got thrown out of an all-you-eat-buffet on prednisone smile
Posted 5/3/2017 2:00 PM (GMT 0)
I am eating cookies while reading this and have only sympathy... (well, weight gain too). I almost want to go back on mesalamines so I will feel sick again and lose some weight!
Posted 5/4/2017 1:25 AM (GMT 0)
My Dr had the gall to tell me: "Oh, you look so cute. I like the chipmunk cheeks on you".... grrrr

If you are feeling well, TREASURE THAT!! They'll be plenty of time to safely loose the weight!

And I totally get it, in the same boat: my gut is gigantic. I only wear loose clothes and hope no one will ask me when i'm due, lol!!
Posted 6/27/2017 2:08 AM (GMT 0)
Why would the doc say that? Argh! So sensitive they are sometime Guate-girl, right? I'm glad u didn't let it bother u too much.

I'm a little on the nervous side about the exercise and restricting my diet bc the last time I was really sick I lost a ton and started restricting (and eventually over exercising) until I was diagnosed with an eating disorder. I feel horrible about myself and idk how I'll ever get back in track.

I have a wedding dress that's a size too small at this point and with the first fitting in August, idk if I'll be able to even keep it at this point. I look disgusting and feel gross. I just don't know what to do bc I know I'm doing it to myself. I can't eat a ton of veggies or typically healthy food. It's kind of a no-win situation. I don't want to blame it all on the pred but man. I could use a break! Between the weight gain and the bathroom runs.
Posted 6/27/2017 3:20 AM (GMT 0)
for me it really was the pred. When I got off though, i wasn't able to get rid of the weight. it was so weird. I got really fit, hike up hill many miles daily, and I still didn't get my "normal" figure back. When I had surgery, the weight pretty much fell off, and now I have a body I am comfortable with. I don't know why it was so difficult to get it back. it must have been something more than the pred, maybe another drug I was on... I do not know, i just know I am thankful everyday to feel like myself again.
Posted 6/27/2017 4:08 AM (GMT 0)
The same thing happened to me on Budesonide.

I gained 21 pounds.

I felt disgusting.

First, I cut out any treats at all. Nothing happened.

Then, I cut calories and turned up my workouts to insane levels. Nothing happened.

Then, I cut back to one meal a day. And, nothing happened.

I must have been living on 1,500 calories of fewer at 6'2" and 212 pounds and the scale would not budge.

I was also developing gum disease because my immune system wouldn't fight the bacteria at my gum line. My dentist warned me that if it continjed, I would risk irreversible gum disease. Once bone is lost, it doesn't come back.

I was losing hair.

I finally stopped taking it.

For a few weeks, I had the same reaction as Notsosicklygirl. The scale wouldn't move. I wondered if I had done something permanent to my metabolism.

Finally, two weeks ago the scale began to move. I'm down 12 pounds.

My gums are healthy.

My hair is back.
Posted 6/27/2017 12:49 PM (GMT 0)
from my experience, it will take a few weeks, depending on how much you were on and for how long. good that it's working for you.
Posted 6/27/2017 3:26 PM (GMT 0)
I'm on 20 mg now but I've been on (up to 60mg) since feb. think that'll matter?
Posted 6/27/2017 4:16 PM (GMT 0)
I've been on pred 4 times in the last 3 years. I had the same experience as you (except for the last time), with the added bonus of hair loss on my head, and hair growth on my face. Being female, you can imagine this is not good! Fortunately, in every case the weight gradually came off and the hair grew back. The 3rd time took the longest, and I was so discouraged! My naturopath recommended Ribes Nigrum to support my adrenals during that time, so I took it faithfully every day. I can't really say if it helped, but I don't think it hurt either. Might be worth a shot. Good luck!!
Posted 6/27/2017 4:31 PM (GMT 0)
My experience is pred-water retention, swelling, bloating, and moon face begin to disappear about 2 weeks after ceasing prednisone. In the meantime, I'd recommend limiting your salt intake as that only worsens those problems.
Posted 6/28/2017 12:53 AM (GMT 0)
So you went from a 5 mg taper up to 20 mg again? What other medications are you on? You need to find something that works asap.

I agree with iPoop. The weight gain is mostly water retention.

iPoop said...
Fun fact, i almost got thrown out of an all-you-eat-buffet on prednisone smile


I would like to hear this story :D
Posted 6/28/2017 1:04 AM (GMT 0)
Oh me too actually.
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