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Weight Loss

Posted , 14 users are following.

fran2498
fran2498

Has anyone else experienced weight loss whilst taking Prednisolone?  Within 2 weeks of starting just over 6 weeks ago I lost half a stone then put 4lbs back on quite quickly however, when I weighed myself last week I was back to square one, having lost the 4lbs again.  I am eating normally and haven't changed my eating habits so I'm a bit baffled as I thought the indication was to gain weight on Prednisolone not  to lose it - not that I want to put on weight I might add!  Any comments gratefully received.

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  • JanSP
    JanSP fran2498

    Posted

    It's hard for me to believe some of you have weight loss from the pred. I think I win the award for putting on weight. My first few GCA and PMR flares weren't too bad but during the last GCA flare with 60mg of pred I put on 40lbs. The first 30 lbs of weight came off fairly easily as the pred came down but then I had another flare and needed 80mg to control it. I am now almost 60 lbs up and can hardly breathe and walk. I was 5'4" at my tallest but my spine is the length of a 5'7" person (scoliosis). Now I've shrunk to 5'1 1/2" and the pulmonologist says nothing is wrong with my lungs there just isn't room for my lungs to expand and oxygen wouldn't help. I'm at 15mg of pred with MTX and Actemra and hope this all turns around soon. I have lots of back and leg pain which is not surprising. How do I exercise and breath to lose this weight as well as cutting back on what I'm eating? Next month is my  7 year GCA anniversery.  Whopee! Some days I'm feeling more positive. Not today.
  • Sylvia2016
    Sylvia2016 fran2498

    Posted

    I weighed 154lbs. a year ago and now weigh 127lbs. Totally unintentional. I am not clear why my weight is going down. Dx with Lyme about a year ago and treated. I just don't understand the drop...what is going on inside of me. I am on 35mg of prednisone...down to 30mg tomorrow. Temple pain, head pain increasing with decrease. To see Rheumatoligist on Monday. Had temporal artery biopsy...negative results.

    • EileenH
      EileenH Sylvia2016

      Posted

      Some people lose considerable amounts of weight with pred though it is unusual. As long as they have ruled out the usual causes of unintentional weight loss.
    • EileenH
      EileenH

      Posted

      Ooops - forgot to say: a negative TAB does not mean you don't have GCA. It only means they didn't find what they were looking for, the giant cells or other signs of inflammation. There are several reasons for that including what are called skip lesions - they are not spread evenly through the tissue and the bit they took may not have had any. Or it may not be in the temporal artery - it isn't always.

       

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