Medication fat!

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MinimizingMichelle
MinimizingMichelle Posts: 96 Member
in Motivation and Support
I've been on medication for an autoimmune disorder and they have overall caused me to gain 80 pounds.

(The last people I want to reply to this are the people who say that it's not the medication, you need to hold yourself accountable, blah blah blah. If you're that person, speak to a doctor regarding the affects of steroids on women...)

I'm looking for people who can relate and help keep me extra motivated now that I'm only using it over short-term periods. :)

Replies

  • SharonNehring
    SharonNehring Posts: 535 Member
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    Steroids wreck havoc on your body in so many ways. It's too bad they haven't been able to develop something that accomplishes the same thing with fewer side effects. I have to take them on and off for asthma so yeah, I've been there.

    I know it's going to increase my appetite, so I make sure I have lots of healthier snacks available and get the bag of chips and cookies out of the house entirely. Both are my Achilles heel that I just can't say no to. Basically, I make it easier to make a better choice and harder to eat high calorie, high carb, high salt stuff by not having it close. I'd have to make a trip to the store in order to get it.

    On the good side, pred gives me a huge amount of energy so I get active burning off some of the extra calories. Of course, it also keeps me awake at night but that's another discussion LOL Luckily, I haven't flared in a while and haven't needed to take it recently.
  • CarolinkaCjj
    CarolinkaCjj Posts: 622 Member
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    Steroids are rough - I think they contributed to some of my weight gain as well. Like Sharon said, one thing my dr recommended was to eat lower calorie things - green beans, cucumbers, lettuce. Keep them in the house. Mercifully I have not had to take them for a while but I really do understand (want to eat the whole house, not to mention trying to control the mania - you are not alone in your struggles).
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
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    Steroids are a b&tch and will cause weight gain. Perhaps it might help to consult with a nutritionist and dietitian to help you with creating a weight loss plan that fits your situation.
  • MinimizingMichelle
    MinimizingMichelle Posts: 96 Member
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    I had a dietician and a trainer. Thankfully I didn't gain more with the constant, long-term use.

    Stupid drugs.
  • Maleficent0241
    Maleficent0241 Posts: 386 Member
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    Ugh, I hear ya. I'm on round 2 of losing all the weight the stupid meds caused me (lost around 25 pounds before having to start up again, which caused me to gain everything back). I was never able to lose with them in my system no matter what I did (short of starving myself, which obviously is not feasible). With the meds out of my system, I am finally having success doing the exact same stuff I did while on them and gaining weight.

    One thing I wish I knew looking back was to check other blood levels while on them and see if you are being affected in different ways. For example, one med caused my blood sugars to shoot through the roof, and had I known about it earlier, a diet tailored for diabetics may have given me more success than strict calorie counting. Yes, medications can alter your appetite, but so many people don't realize there can be a cascade effect on your body - screwing with hormones, etc. and subsequently screwing with metabolism.

    TL:DR version - yes, I can relate! Feel free to add me.
  • CarolinkaCjj
    CarolinkaCjj Posts: 622 Member
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    Ugh, I hear ya. I'm on round 2 of losing all the weight the stupid meds caused me (lost around 25 pounds before having to start up again, which caused me to gain everything back). I was never able to lose with them in my system no matter what I did (short of starving myself, which obviously is not feasible). With the meds out of my system, I am finally having success doing the exact same stuff I did while on them and gaining weight.

    One thing I wish I knew looking back was to check other blood levels while on them and see if you are being affected in different ways. For example, one med caused my blood sugars to shoot through the roof, and had I known about it earlier, a diet tailored for diabetics may have given me more success than strict calorie counting. Yes, medications can alter your appetite, but so many people don't realize there can be a cascade effect on your body - screwing with hormones, etc. and subsequently screwing with metabolism.

    TL:DR version - yes, I can relate! Feel free to add me.

    Oh god I forgot about the blood sugar issues (blocked it out). Yes, get your blood checked and see if anything is up.
  • soupandcookies
    soupandcookies Posts: 212 Member
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    Do the steroids just cause weight gain, or is it that they stimulate appetite? I've heard both... My doctor put me on them, when I had a horrible case of strep throat, many years ago, and i was terrified to take them! It was short term, but still... Anyway, I can't relate to this, but just wanted to give you a shout out of support! That sounds so frustrating. Are you still taking them? Good luck, and stay in good health!
  • CarolinkaCjj
    CarolinkaCjj Posts: 622 Member
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    Sometimes it is the only thing that works (I had atypical pneumonia and ridiculously low oxygen saturation and steroids turned things around). I think they can do both - absolutely make you eat more. They do stimulate your appetite but I am not sure if they mess up your metabolism as well (I think so). For me, it was pretty much a life or death proposition so I would not trade living for weight loss. For folks who have autoimmune issues like the OP, they may also be the only thing that can help. It is a tough row to hoe for sure but the alternative sucks too - when I get sick, I try to avoid them but if I need them, I take them.
  • toadg53
    toadg53 Posts: 302 Member
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    between prednisone, coumadin, depression/anxiety and bipolar meds, I gained over 60 pounds. meds can wreak havoc on your body, metabolism and put you out of control. it will seems like you will watch the scale go up day by day and there's nothing you can do about it. I just finally said enuf, did a LOT of research and found meds that I could tell the doctor to substitute and luckily I was able to get off of a couple of them. but it's no fun, no fun at all.
  • MinimizingMichelle
    MinimizingMichelle Posts: 96 Member
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    Do the steroids just cause weight gain, or is it that they stimulate appetite? I've heard both... My doctor put me on them, when I had a horrible case of strep throat, many years ago, and i was terrified to take them! It was short term, but still... Anyway, I can't relate to this, but just wanted to give you a shout out of support! That sounds so frustrating. Are you still taking them? Good luck, and stay in good health!

    Both, unfortunately. It causes a change in your metabolism, which causes weight gain. I've been on and off it (mostly on) for 13 years. I've worked hard not to be a complete blimp!

    Short-term you shouldn't notice a significant difference. It's the long-term use that gets ya!

    Thank you for the support. :)
  • MinimizingMichelle
    MinimizingMichelle Posts: 96 Member
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    I've heard that about a lot of psychotropic medications! I work in mental health and hear all kinds of weight gain stories.
  • XCoolChick180X
    XCoolChick180X Posts: 100 Member
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    I have pretty bad asthma and have had to do the whole prednisone thing on and off for years... what a nightmare.... I'm also on a daily steroid that isn't quite as bad but definitely gives me an appetite and causes me some bloating. It's super frustrating.

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