Prednisone muscle loss
Posted , 9 users are following.
Three weeks ago I was put on Prednisone (40mg/day for 5 days, no taper) and I've experienced significant muscle loss right after. It's very frustrating because I have been doing weight training at least five nights per week for the past couple of years and I feel like all of the progress I was making is gone. I've lost 10lbs and I feel so weak that I can barely walk for more than a few minutes, all of my tendons feel weak. I'm trying to eat more protein and do as much exercise as I can, which isn't much, and I even decided to try physical therapy. Has anyone else experienced anything like this and did you recover or is this permanent? I am having a lot of other hellish symptoms from this steroid at the moment, but this is the worst.
0 likes, 20 replies
Reglois Tay331
Posted
Hi Tay
That is a high dose, did you have a severe infection? and could it be that the infection is still lingering?. Suprised you didn't have to taper off.
I was put on 20mgs for 10 days with a taper off and now only have a maintenance dose of 2 1/2mgs daily, I am not on any other medication. On 18h out of 24 oxygen.
Hope you get back to your norm soon.
Tay331 Reglois
Posted
Thanks. I was put on it for a sinus infection, which wasn't even that severe.
EileenH Reglois
Posted
Under 7-10 days you don't need to taper even at a dose like that.
EileenH Tay331
Posted
It is very unusual to experience such a drastic effect so quickly and with such a short course but when I had steroid-associated muscle wasting once I stopped that particular steroid and switched to another and started walking the muscles all returned to normal. I've been on pred for 10 years and the end isn't in sight but I do fine - but then, I'm not as gym-orientated as you.
Don't try to start at the same level pre-pred - start lower and work up slowly.. But I think such extreme weight loss and effects need reporting to your doctor. Some people do lose weight on pred but that is also unusual.
Tay331 EileenH
Posted
It's so weird because it feels like my whole body (eyes, hair, skin, muscle, stomach, heart, brain) has been affected by the prednisone. My hormones were messed up before even taking it, so maybe I was really sensitive to it? I've tried talking to my doctor about it, but she keeps saying prednisone wouldn't give me side effects after 5 days. It just doesn't make sense because I was completely fine before taking it, other than a sinus infection.
EileenH Tay331
Posted
For goodness sake - it can cause some side effects in 5 hours never mind 5 days. But it is unusual to be that dramatic.
Have you access to another doctor?
rita58152 Tay331
Posted
Hi Ray,
I'm having the same problem. I was on detracolitin (presidone)for 3 days and I was having similar problems to you. It was very scary. I was advised by a different doctor to stop them and told some people should just not take steroids.I'm off it over a month and I'm still not feeling great. I'm feeling really weak and I have pressure in my eyes,ears and burning scalp and headaches. Some of the symptoms have subsided but I never felt like this before. I don't take any other medication so these withdrawal symptoms are new to me.
rita58152
Posted
Sorry I meant Tay
ptolemy Tay331
Posted
Are you saying you still have the side effects three weeks after stopping pred? It does seem strange having only taken them for five days. I would definitely talk to your doctor about your weight loss. 10lbs in such a short time. Any weight loss like that should be checked/
Tay331 ptolemy
Posted
Yeah, it's so weird. I completely lost my appetite immediately after taking the first dose and it didn't come back until after the five days. I was still forcing myself to eat though, so it wasn't like I was starving myself. I saw my doctor and she didn't seem concerned at all and blamed it on anxiety, saying no way the steroid could have caused it. I've had anxiety for years, but it's never caused me to lose 10lbs in less than a week and a half.
ptolemy Tay331
Posted
I come across doctors like that they just shrug, the most recent one said that I was delicate and susceptible. I think they make it up because they don't know the answer.
Tay331 ptolemy
Posted
Exactly. It is so frustrating.
EileenH ptolemy
Posted
You delicate and susceptible? Whatever ...
EileenH Tay331
Posted
I and one of my daughters totally go off food on pred - it is quite unusual. Have you stopped losing weight now?
Have you access to another doctor? One who treats the patient in front of them, not their preconceptions...
Tay331 EileenH
Posted
I think have stopped losing weight and I've been eating a lot more for the past week, but I'm still stuck at 115lbs (I weighed 125 before the pred). I saw another doctor about a week ago and he refused to even do anything because he saw that my primary doctor had down a history of anxiety in my records and blamed it on that. I just feel very hopeless because there is something going on with my body since taking the Prednisone, but all of these doctors just treat me like I'm crazy. The only thing my doctor has done is refer me to therapy/counseling, which honestly couldn't hurt I guess, but I don't even know what I would talk about because I didn't really have any issues in my life (aside from severe pms) before taking the prednisone lol.
ptolemy EileenH
Posted
Oh to be a good con man!
EileenH Tay331
Posted
Lord - and they wonder why patients are anxious!
It'll be fine - just keep eating good food and build the exercise gently