How long did it take you to lose steroid-induced weight gain?

Posted , 3 users are following.

Hello. Hopefully this isn't too confusing.

A few weeks ago I had a second flare due to forgetting to take medication, I caught it early and I look to be in remission again. Said this before but for my first flare, to achieve remission I used clipper steroid combined with asacol, later imuran also but by then I was already in remission.

I lost a stone during the whole flare. In the six-ish months since I got into remission, I gained some weight back, not the entire stone but some of it. I came off clipper after about six weeks. It's a steroid, but not prednisolone/prednisone. It has less side effects due to being broken down later or something.

The recent one, it was the same again. The first time I used clipper, I had no side effects that I noticed. No weight gain. Now I've used it the second time, I've had an odd developement in the past couple of weeks. Despite not gaining the entire stone back, I noticed my shirts becoming tigher. One shirt I wore a month ago fit me fine. Now it's quite a bit tigher. I've gained noticeable weight, I'd say between five to ten pounds spread on my stomach, torso and hips area, but seemingly none on the rest of my body. I've not overeaten that much, I count my calories carefully.

Before I first got UC, my shirt size was 38. I assumed I went down to 37 in the flare. I measured myself the other day and I'm now a size 39! I'm a bigger shirt size than before my flare despite weighing less! As I said I count calories carefully and didn't overeat that much, definitely not to have gone up two shirt sizes.

The only connection I can think of gaining weight within the past couple of weeks is the Clipper. I've heard quite a bit of steroid weight is water weight causing puffiness of certain body areas. The entire point of this post is to ask how long did it take you to lose the weight gain from steroids?

Thanks for taking the time to read, it was a long post.

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi Sawyer

    I never tried Clipper but had the joys of prednislone (not!) for 6 months then off for 2 months which the weight came off for me but then was in hospital again having prednislone for 1 week through the iv drip which again I bloated up again face / stomach / legs ankles but after surgery I lost it all ..remember steroids are water weight so I can appreciate your frustration when you watch what you are eating I think within 3 months u should drop the weight but everyone is different.

    • Posted

      Hi there before surgery I was working out but didn't feel much difference until I was off them for a while after surgery the weight came off how are u feeling are u still on steroids ?
    • Posted

      I came off them a few days ago, just now I noticed blood in my stool again! I've had cramping all day, just when it's calmed down it's come back again seemingly. I really have to avoid steroids now. I've heard of enemas and suppositories, hopefully I can get on one of them.
    • Posted

      I do sympathise with u having been there if the steroids work for u then it's a good thing just the side affects are not nice still u say not as bad as prednislone !! u have to remember it won't be forever but if u can avoid and try the enemas or suppositories it's worth a go ... Good luck and let me know how u get on.

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