Prednisone and weight gain

52baltimoreravens52
52baltimoreravens52 Posts: 83 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I recently finished 10 days of prednisone for a severe poison ivy reaction. I gained 5 pounds. I've never taken prednisone before so I wasn't sure if it was the cause of my weight gain.
Also, how long does it take to for your body to get rid of the prednisone and side effects?

Replies

  • CoachJen71
    CoachJen71 Posts: 1,200 Member
    A lot of it may be water. It's been a very long time since I took that stuff (miracle drug but makes one so hungry!) but since I was on it a couple of years it took me a while to even back out. I am sure it won't take you long at all. Hope you are feeling better!
  • 52baltimoreravens52
    52baltimoreravens52 Posts: 83 Member
    Thank you :)
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    Short term use of prednisone may cause you to retain some water, temporarily, but usually longer term use causes real weight gain, causes you to over eat. Long term use requires tapering.

    If you over ate by 3500 calorie over maintenance at any time in this 10 days, then it is possoble you did gain real weight. Give it few days.
  • joans1976
    joans1976 Posts: 2,201 Member
    ARE YOU MY DOPPELGÄNGER?!?!
    I am severely, severely allergic to poison ivy. I work with animals and they get the oil on their fur, which gets on me. I have already dealt with one round of it on May 31st this year (arms) and was treated with Pred orally and injection. I just got another case of it last Friday (palms, wrists and feet) and got prescribed the same thing.
    This is my experience but it might be different for you:

    If they gave you the "pred dose pack" where you take 7 pills the first day, 6 the next, 5 the next, etc, you can maybe expect nervousness, shortness of breath, serious thirst and hunger, a quick temper. I find the first 2 days are full of nerves and insomnia. Then the next couple days are thirst and nerves. When I get hit with the hunger the most is the last 3 days. The side effects are bad but the tapering off is hard too! I started my weight loss journey in April and I've been on the d$&n pred twice, doesn't make it easy. I actually didn't gain weight but it makes me feel "puffy." I am 100% sure the weight will come back off for you, unless you are going to be on the Pred long term.
    The side effects are completely gone for me by the 9th day after starting the 7 day pred dose pack.

    I feel for you! Good luck with all of it and I hope the ivy is clearing up!
  • 52baltimoreravens52
    52baltimoreravens52 Posts: 83 Member
    Thanks everyone :)
  • joans1976
    joans1976 Posts: 2,201 Member
    @czsymanski5: how's it going? Did the weight come off? How is the ivy?
  • 52baltimoreravens52
    52baltimoreravens52 Posts: 83 Member
    Glad I finished the medicine (I had considered stopping due to feeling jittery), it's gone! I've lost 2 pounds so I'm off to a good start! Thanks for asking :)
  • Whitezombiegirl
    Whitezombiegirl Posts: 1,042 Member
    Exact same here. 5lbs gain. It took about a weekish to go after i finished the course.
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    I, too, am horribly allergic to poison ivy and when we lived in the woods I was on prednisone for months at a time during the summer--I 'blame' prednisone for the weight gain that brought me to mfp in the first place. Increased appetite is a well-known effect of prednisone, but if you recognize that and watch your CICO you can mitigate the weight gain. Fluid retention is also a side effect, and since you were on it for a fairly short period it probably is just water weight (assuming you didn't have some MAJOR binges during those 10 days).
  • joans1976
    joans1976 Posts: 2,201 Member
    I hate the ivy. 3rd time I've had it since May 31st. Considering switching jobs because I keep getting it from the animals. And this round of pred, I have gained weight. I'm VERY frustrated.

    @cszymanski5 I'm glad it cleared up for you though!

    @mitch16 oh how horrible to LIVE in the woods!
  • NikkiMichelleS
    NikkiMichelleS Posts: 897 Member
    I took a high dosage for roughly 10 days in early June, due to my first sciatica pain -- it was crazy intense and hurt so bad!! The prednisone definitely made me puffy, swollen, cramped up my muscles badly, etc...
    And took me nearly 2 weeks to really shed the 5 pounds I gained. But it did come off and within a week the side effects were also diminished. The whole experience was not fun at all.
    Glad to hear you are already doing better!
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    joans1976 wrote: »

    @mitch16 oh how horrible to LIVE in the woods!

    Well, we lived in a house, but it was in the woods... I'll take suburbia any day (although we have a teeny bit in our yard here but I am able to control it with spray).
  • joans1976
    joans1976 Posts: 2,201 Member
    @mitch16 of course you lived in a house but it's no good to not be able to enjoy it! I love the woods and hikes but it doesn't love me! I was saying horrible because you wouldn't be able to go outside much.
  • jeannemarie333
    jeannemarie333 Posts: 214 Member
    Prednisone makes me gain weight. I have had to take it for asthma and usually gain weight. It's real weight. It takes me just as much time to lose it like any other weight. It's very frustrating.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    Wish I could give you all whatever was in me that makes me not react to poison ivy. That being said, I've been on prednisone before and it increases my appetite hugely. Though its unlikely you consumed 17,500 calories over maintenance in 10 days to gain 5 pounds of fat. It's probably water due to any number of things, including the medication.
  • piperdown44
    piperdown44 Posts: 958 Member
    Classic symptom of prednisone is water retention giving people that puffy look. It also increases appetite quite a bit but in the short term shouldn't cause too many issues with overeating.
    I've taken it on and off for over 40 years (starting when I was very young). The old regimen is a lot different than the new. Back in yon olden days you'd be on it for 30 days.

    Other than water weight and increased appetite I've always loved being on prednisone. Aches and pains go away, recovery from lifting is incredible and I feel awesome when on it (of course after it kicks in for treating my asthma).
  • HippySkoppy
    HippySkoppy Posts: 725 Member
    The water weight sucks....

    I've been on constant a moderate dose with increases for flares, am actually in one at the moment and had to taper from 50 mg. Yeah, I looked like a puffer fish but the Doc. ordered fluid tablets and that has helped, I have been lucky with not having the appetite increases that everyone warns about and have been maintaining fine with it on board for the last 2 + years.

    I feel for those who are on/off the up and down of the meds. with the side effects must be very disturbing.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    mitch16 wrote: »
    joans1976 wrote: »

    @mitch16 oh how horrible to LIVE in the woods!

    Well, we lived in a house, but it was in the woods... I'll take suburbia any day (although we have a teeny bit in our yard here but I am able to control it with spray).

    God this cracked me up :laugh:

    As for the prednisone, i had a hard time keeping weight on my dog over the years, a fussy shihtzu. The vet used to prescribe it a few times a year to fatten her up, she ate like a little machine while she was on it.

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