Just started 40mg Prednisone (2 wks) followed by 20mg forever. I don’t want to gain weight! HELP!!

Hi Peggy

Sorry you are having such a scary time, having rare lung conditions where you can't get enough oxygen is so scary, I also gave pretty bad oxygen exchange. Quite understand your concerns, sounds like you do need the high dose to start with, I did, hopefully you will not need to stay on high doses and can wean down to a lesser dose after a while, it could be that you can be on a lower dose as I am (10mgs) and only go higher during infections etc. I do not have significant weight gain, can't lose weight though, nor do I have a moon face been on prednisone since 2018 May and on oxygen May this year.

Sue

Ooops forgot to say, high doses of prednisone will make you want to eat all the neighbourhoods scabby dogs.Keep healthy nibbles, carrot sticks and the like in the fridge, it really does take a LOT of self control not to binge.

Sue

I have been on steroids for four years. When I started someone said if you give up gluten and simple carbs it will stop you getting a moon face. Amazingly enough it did. Could just be luck. I have lost 23 kilos since starting steroids for no reason. They say a low carb diet is a good way of not gaining weight with steroids. Some people lose weight with steroids.

Hi Peggy,

I'm so sorry you are going through all of this. I understand the fears of PREDNISONE. Keep in mind the moonface does not always happen- but if it does I do not know if there is anything to be done. (I personally had moonface when I was 16 on 60mg for a few months, but recently was back on 60mg tapered for 6 weeks and did not get moonface)

Asfar as weight gain I would recommend to eat very clean and healthy. Food cravings were extreme for me the first time around- and I gave in to them. However this time around I was very consious of what and when I ate and I did not gain weight at all.

Everybody and every case is different but I hope this gives you some hope and a sence of strength. The main hope is that the Prednisone will do its job amd get you feeling bettet

Good Luck!

Cut your carbs drastically - especially sugar and simple carbs. I have been on pred for over 10 years and recently had to go back to 15mg for about 9 months and while I am overweight, have been most of my life, by cutting carbs I lost 35lbs of weight I had gained with pred in the early days before I knew what was what. As ptolemy says - a lot of people we know who cut the carbs from the start never developed the moonface or it was minimal. Even my doctors say you can't tell I'm on pred by looking at me.

You don't need any fancy diets or language about food: just cut carbohydrate as much as you need to maintain weight. If you do it in steps it is probably easier, one lady worked out what she was eating, cut 25% the first month, halved it the next and then another step down the next. I and many others find the diet doctor site really good for simple to understand information - pictures that make it easy to see that potatoes have a lot of carbs (and so do sweet potatoes despite what many people will try to tell you!) and green veg far fewer. Lots of sugar hides in most fruit - healthier maybe but still sugar.

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb

Careful with artificial sweeteners too - the body thinks it is about to get a sugar rush to the blood and makes insulin in readiness. This makes your BS level plunge and you crave carbs to get it back up. The excess insulin together with the pred is what makes your body deposit any sugar around as fat in certain places: around your middle, on the back of your neck and around your face. It doesn't have to happen - good luck.

As others have said: cut down your carbs, also eat more protein and more fruit and veg.

Given steroids mess one's metabolism I suspect by adopting the above you will not lose

weight, but you should not gain much.

I learned of the above after I stopped years on hydrocortisone, which in my experience puts on less weight than prednisone.

I am sorry for what your dealing with. Prednisone is not fun at all. I took Prednisone from Tuesday October 8, 2019 to Monday October 14, 2019. I was taking 20 mg per day. After my prescribed duration, I experienced withdrawal symptoms such as fatigue, irregular heartbeat feeling (pounding and rapid), trouble sleeping, dry mouth and eyes, indigestion feeling, gastritis (gnawling feeling), rage (rushing to cook food and eat), increased appetite, hyperness, mood swings, severe anxiety and depression.

It is currently December, I am still experiencing symptoms such as dry mouth, puffy eyes, indigestion feeling but have slow bowel movements, gastritis, rapid heartbeat, trouble sleeping, depression and anxiety. I recently started experiencing upper abdominal discomfort feeling in chest and back. Hopefully, this is just gas.

If I had a do over, I regret taking this medication. This drug disrupts my excitement of life in many ways. I pray that others and I feel better soon. I researched online that Predisone withdrawal can last from several weeks to 12 months. This period depends on how long you was taking the drug and the dosage. Prayer helps me.