Dieting and prednisone

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haleylovessoccer
haleylovessoccer Posts: 10
in Health and Weight Loss
I got very sick earlier in the summer and started to take prednisone the last week in July. My dosage started at 120mg and then I was slowly weened off and finished yesterday. Prednisone is the devils drug. I was plagued with moodswings, insomnia, and every thought I had was about food. So far I've gained 9lbs total. My face is fat and for the first time in my life I have a spare tire! I've weighed 20lbs heavier than this before but I never had as bad of a gut as I have now due to prednisone weight gain! Has anyone ever taken prednisone and had these same side effects? If so how long did it take for you to go back to normal? the doctor keeps telling me its fluid retention but I think its more than that.

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  • mom2schnauzers
    mom2schnauzers Posts: 8
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    I was on "the medicine from hell" in early August for severe body rash. Not as high dosage as you but high enough (50 mg for 3 days, 40mg for 3, etc). Had the insomnia, moodswings, leg cramps, jitters as if drank gallons of red bull. I gained 8# total (5 that I just lost plus the extra) even though tried to watch how much ate & drank loads of water each day.
    Yes, have the dang spare tire that won't go away despite working out and watching diet.
    Everyone keeps saying is cause this medicine takes forever to leave your body.
    Have yearly dr appt next week, going to mention this (on top of my list) and see what he says can be done.
  • iluvprettyshoes
    iluvprettyshoes Posts: 605 Member
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    Yes been there just recently with an injury. Made me want to eat everything in sight & that feeling hung on for awhile after I finished taking it!
    Hang in there!! It will get better!!
    Good luck to you!
  • allison0820
    allison0820 Posts: 325 Member
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    I am taking it right now... and when my doctor suggested it I all but freaked out... Mine is a "taper" type dosage... 6 pills on day 1, 5 on day 2 and so on for 6 days.. He told me of the water retention as it's day 3 and not too bad.. I haven't expeirenced the mood swings or insomnia as he told me to take all the pills 1st thing in the morning instead of spreading them out during the day as the pill pack suggests... Finger crossed that I will continue to have good luck with the pill other than I don't think it's done much to help my real problem.. which is neck strain from a car accident... I've still been working out, drinking lots of water and watching what I eat.
  • lacreek7
    lacreek7 Posts: 10
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    My doctor prescribed it several years ago for a horrible case of poison ivy. I loved the drug because it made me feel happy but when doc told me it could cause weight gain and the happy would not last, I quickly weaned myself off them before the prescription finished. It also killed all muscle aches and was a miracle drug for me so I guess I reacted a little differently. No weight gain or food cravings but I may not have taken long enough either.
  • tkcasta
    tkcasta Posts: 405 Member
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    Prednizone is terrible isn't it? I used to take it when I had would have really bad allergies in the summer and my asthma would act up. It blew me up like crazy. I would suggest just trying being really diligent about counting your calories and maybe talk to you doc about alternatives. However, once you're off if you had been eating properly - you should drop the weight. As for the cravings and swings, I'm not sure, hopefully you'll power through it. Good luck!
  • MiloBloom83
    MiloBloom83 Posts: 2,724 Member
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    My oldest has asthma, and when he had bad problems, he had to take pred. It made his face round and he'd eat everything in site. Since puberty though, the asthma has been mostly in check, no pred, and he's almost skinny now. It's a steroid, so it does what most steroids do, bulks you up.

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