Prescription Steroids and weight gain

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nilleah
nilleah Posts: 177
in Health and Weight Loss
I have pneumonia, infected sinuses, an infection in my throat and fluid in my ears that is about to rupture my eardrums. My doctor prescribed me antibiotics, cough syrup and prednisone.


Prednisone is a steroid pack that lasts 7 days. I've had pneumonia 6 times since February and each time he prescribes me this steroid pack I gain 10-12 pounds. I have tried everything I can think of to counter the weight gain from the steroids but it just never works.


Now I have another steroid dose pack and was wondering if anyone out there had any suggestions for me on what I might be able to do to counter the weight gain. I have worked very hard to lose almost 50 pounds and I'd really hate to just turn around now and gain 10-12 pounds back because I have pneumonia.


Any help would be really, REALLY appreciated.


Thanks!

Replies

  • firefoxxie
    firefoxxie Posts: 381 Member
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    Oh gosh, prednisone is a real pain in the rear. I have to take it for my lupus flairs and it gives me moon face after a certain amount of use. I asked my specialist about the weight gain and she said there was nothing I could do about it and it was inevitable. Though, after reading a ton about the drug, I found a way to minimize the weight gain.

    1. Drink a lot of water. Keep up your 8 cups a day.
    2. Keep count of your calories! Don't let the hunger prednisone causes get to you.

    Edit: doing this has worked for me personally. The most I have gained after taking those two precautions is about 2lbs. Once I was off the prednisone, those 2 lbs went away.
  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
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    Blimey you poor thing... Shouldn't you be in hospital, with pneumonia?

    I don't have any weight advice - but I had chronic sinusitis all my life until this summer. I used to have migraines, fevers, time off work... awful... then - I took a Piriton for an insect bite in July and noticed my head cleared for the first time in forever. Must have been allergies. Piriton works like a dream for me anyway so.... tip passed on!
  • FP4HSharon
    FP4HSharon Posts: 664 Member
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    The good news is that prednisone doesn't MAKE you gain weight, BUT it does increase your appetite & increase bloating, which can result in weight gain. I'd check out the suggestions in this article from LiveStrong...

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/517234-diet-when-taking-prednisone/
  • nilleah
    nilleah Posts: 177
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    I was in the hospital for the first 2 days but they let me go home when my O2 went up a bit.
  • nilleah
    nilleah Posts: 177
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    I fear I'm going back though because now in coughing up a little blood.

    I called my doc about the blood but he said it's only tinged so no worries yet
  • nilleah
    nilleah Posts: 177
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    And thank you all. I haven't really noticed any changes in hunger though. That's the thing. I'm never hungry. I have to force myself to eat anything. It's like I retain water or something on it.
  • nilleah
    nilleah Posts: 177
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    Oh gosh, prednisone is a real pain in the rear. I have to take it for my lupus flairs and it gives me moon face after a certain amount of use. I asked my specialist about the weight gain and she said there was nothing I could do about it and it was inevitable. Though, after reading a ton about the drug, I found a way to minimize the weight gain.

    1. Drink a lot of water. Keep up your 8 cups a day.
    2. Keep count of your calories! Don't let the hunger prednisone causes get to you.

    Edit: doing this has worked for me personally. The most I have gained after taking those two precautions is about 2lbs. Once I was off the prednisone, those 2 lbs went away.

    What do you mean by moon face?
  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
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    omg... you're coughing up blood and you have pneumonia. Get someone to take you to Accident & Emergency now! My son had double pneumonia as a child... I don't want to scaremonger... but... it wasn't good... he was in danger for a while. Please go to the hospital.
  • FP4HSharon
    FP4HSharon Posts: 664 Member
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    She did check w/her doc about coughing up blood & he said it was ok for now because it was only tinged w/blood. When you have anything where you're coughing a lot, it can break little blood vessels in your throat & cause that. I don't think she's talking zombie movie levels here. ;-)
  • lcfairbairn74
    lcfairbairn74 Posts: 412 Member
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    Prednisone puts on weight for 2 reasons. Firstly, it causes you to become so hungry you could chew your own arm off. And then someone else's. :laugh: Secondly, it causes water retention. If I had been tracking with MFP all those years I was on large doses of prednisone, I don't think I would have had as many issues with my weight (although this part doesn't sound like it's too much of an issue for you at the moment). The water weight will come off once you stop taking them, so don't worry about that part. I hope you feel better soon. Take it easy and please go back into hospital if you feel you need to. I had a few bouts of pneumonia last year and if we had a decent hospital here, would much rather have been there than at home to be monitored more closely :flowerforyou:
  • nilleah
    nilleah Posts: 177
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    Thank you everyone. I'm going to assume that is water retention and see what happens when I go off them. I think you are all right. If I recall correctly, everytime I go off them the weight did drop rather quickly.

    As far as the coughing blood goes, I'm still coughing it up but it is only a very little bit (tinged in the mucus). Sorry for the TMI. It's not in any measurable amount at all. It's just like a little tiny bit mixed in with the phlegm. Called the doc again and he said it's just my throat being irritated from all the coughing and probably broken blood vessels or capillaries. If it became teaspoon fuels or something like that the I would need to go to the ER.

    I appreciate all of your help so much. Thank you. <3
  • Crohns2013
    Crohns2013 Posts: 57 Member
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    Lots of water and watch what you eat, but sometimes there's just no avoiding the weight gain. But really, it's only 7 days. What dose are you on?

    I do feel your pain, I'm on pred until Christmas at least.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    I have pneumonia, infected sinuses, an infection in my throat and fluid in my ears that is about to rupture my eardrums. My doctor prescribed me antibiotics, cough syrup and prednisone.

    Is pneumonia not a hospitalizable condition where you live? "Six times since February" is a chronic condition, suggesting it has never been dealt with properly.
    I fear I'm going back though because now in coughing up a little blood.

    I called my doc about the blood but he said it's only tinged so no worries yet

    Good god...if it were me, I'd be changing doctors, immediately.
  • nilleah
    nilleah Posts: 177
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    I have pneumonia, infected sinuses, an infection in my throat and fluid in my ears that is about to rupture my eardrums. My doctor prescribed me antibiotics, cough syrup and prednisone.

    Is pneumonia not a hospitalizable condition where you live? "Six times since February" is a chronic condition, suggesting it has never been dealt with properly.
    I fear I'm going back though because now in coughing up a little blood.

    I called my doc about the blood but he said it's only tinged so no worries yet

    Good god...if it were me, I'd be changing doctors, immediately.

    I was in the hospital for 2 days. My O2 sat was low and when it was back to normal and I got a bit better I was sent home with medication and bed rest.

    As far as the blood, it's only very, VERY little. I mean tinged in with the mucus. It's not like I'm coughing up gobs of blood.
  • nilleah
    nilleah Posts: 177
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    Also, a little background.. I am immunocompromised. I have 3 illnesses that are immune disorders. Fibromyalgia, Rheumatoid Arthritis and chronic Lyme Disease. All 3 are immune disorders. If I even think about a germ I get sick.

    I have a 4 year old. Kids are walking germ factories. My daughter gets a cold and I end up with pneumonia. It's how my body works. I have NO immune system. I cannot fight off illnesses at all.

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