Weight loss and prednisone?

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Uhmanduh
Uhmanduh Posts: 85 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My doc is putting me on prednisone for a month and I was wondering how this drug has affected others... Has anyone done this before? How'd it go? any advice? My doc told me I'd feel like i was pmsing all month... if so, this may be a very long month of cravings! Seriously anything will help!!!

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  • CalorieArson
    CalorieArson Posts: 32 Member
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    Well I've been on Pred for my headaches, and I noticed that I was able to recover from longs really quickly. I felt like I could run forever. Then I came off and had to push really hard. Its probly cause Pred is a great antiinflammatory and kept my muscles loose. Either way, it wont be all bad! Good luck!
  • chuckles217
    chuckles217 Posts: 123 Member
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    Prednisone mimicks cortisol, your stress hormone. It will cause you to retain water and may enhance/decrease your appetite depending on how you handle it. Just remind yourself if you're gaining weight throughout the day yet only eating say 1200 calories, you're retaining water. It usually takes a week or two to drop water weight from prednisone if you're adamant about it.
  • applebobbrush
    applebobbrush Posts: 235 Member
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    I was on it for several months. I loved it the first week or so, felt like I could rule the world and go go go like the energizer bunny. Then the insomnia hit along with the overwhelming hunger and retaining water and horrible joint aches. However the great news is as soon as I got off it, the effects wore off really quick and these symptoms are not guaranteed for everyone.
  • itsablondething
    itsablondething Posts: 28 Member
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    I've managed to lose weight while on predinsone, though fighting hunger was more of an issue.
  • AmyEm3
    AmyEm3 Posts: 784 Member
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    I was on it last fall but I only took it for 5 days so I didn't really notice a lot of symptoms except water retention. I lost the water weight a few days after stopping the pred.
  • newmommynewfitme
    newmommynewfitme Posts: 89
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    Hi there! I've been on prednisone since I was 20 , ranging from 3 mg (just weaned down that low finally after being on 5-10 mg for 3 years with bursts of increases when flaring) to 80 mg . You can gain weight from the prednisone , my doctor warned me he has seen patients gain a lot of weight on it . Being on it long term is way worse than short term as the short term side effects go away pretty quickly and are typically minimal. In a short period if you gain weight , it is usually water and after your off it the weight will come off . D
  • dietstokes
    dietstokes Posts: 216 Member
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    Last time I was on prednisone, I gained more than 10 pounds, and I was only on it for a week. And I was watching my cals, so it should not have been fat, however, I am still 5 pounds higher than I was when I started. And I know a lot was water, b/c my fingers and ankles were so swollen, I could not bend them. And I had an acid rotting taste in my mouth and I was hallucinating. All normal according to my doc, but she also told me that the next time, my reaction will be even worse. So just be on the look out, and ask your doc about any preventative measures you can take. I would make sure to drink more than your 8 cups of water, and have gum for the taste in your mouth and the dry mouth feeling.
  • imaheal
    imaheal Posts: 63 Member
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    I was on Prednisone in the past for a few months and it never made me gain. I was also on a diet then. I watched carefully. I was afraid it might make me gain, but it didn't.
  • hush7hush
    hush7hush Posts: 2,273 Member
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    I was on it for about two weeks. I realized that while it made me crave stuff, as long as I didn't give it, I still lost just fine.
  • dietstokes
    dietstokes Posts: 216 Member
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    Oh yeah, I was on 60 mg a day for the first 4 days, and then a short taper for the next three days.
  • shellyhef1
    shellyhef1 Posts: 33
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    I have never taken prednisone, but have taken Decadron, which is a lot like prednisone. My doctor warned me about potential weight gain, but I did well for about a week. About two weeks later, I had gained 8 obser. I was on it during radiation treatments for brain cancer. I gained about 20 obser over the next two months. It is mostly water retention, and I had unbelievable swelling in myself face. Drinking lots of water will help a lot!! Good luck!
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Prednisone is pretty hard core-- it makes me feel like a hormonal teenager. Never had any trouble with weight gain, although others I know have, but I can't take it because of the mood swings. Good luck, just try to remember it's short term. :)
  • FireRox21
    FireRox21 Posts: 424 Member
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    I've been on prednisone for 16 years for RA. I have fluctuated dosages from as high as 25mg/day down to 2.5mg/day. I am currently on 10mg/day. I did gain weight in my early 20's when the dosages were higher to control RA flares, but the weight gain was not substantial. There was some bloating, but I found that if I drank water and watched my food it was okay.

    Lately what has packed on the pounds immensely for me is an increase in my Seroquel and Wellbutrin dosages. I am currently on 800mg/day of Seroquel and while it helps me sooo much for Bi-Polar disorder, it is HELL for weight loss. I am finding out though, that if I drink water, get in some extra cardio work and be very strict with my diet, the weight is coming off.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,669 Member
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    My doc is putting me on prednisone for a month and I was wondering how this drug has affected others... Has anyone done this before? How'd it go? any advice? My doc told me I'd feel like i was pmsing all month... if so, this may be a very long month of cravings! Seriously anything will help!!!
    Well it's a corticosteroid, so weight gain isn't uncommon and weight loss is much harder to do.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
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    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • mattkellett
    mattkellett Posts: 82
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    When I was on heavy doese for an eye condition, the dr's told me not to workout too hard, because I would have big gains, and that I would want to eat everything in site.now whether or not it was because of the high doses or the drug itself, I can't say with 100% accuracy .

    Hope that helps, good luck
  • lins1971
    lins1971 Posts: 1
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    I was only on it for six weeks with calcium tablets, at first I didn't gain, but then out of the blue I just swelled, I've lost the water retention it's now nearly two years in October but the weight I gained was astronomical. I had put on a stone before from giving up ciggies so that didn't help either. Finding it so hard to lose weight, not lost anything and I jog, press ups sit ups and squats since January. Wtf am I doing wrong!
  • gearthatfitz
    gearthatfitz Posts: 1 Member
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    Me too, I have been off prednisone for a year now and still struggling with weight loss, would love to lose 5kgs by this October.
    Any hints to get the ball rolling please
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
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    I was on a tapering dose for about three weeks and my doctor did warn me that many people gain weight due to the drug. When I heard that I just made sure to really watch my calories and what I was eating and exercise daily. I actually lost weight while I was on it, but I was not on it long term. My mother was on it for years and years for Lupus. In the beginning she gained a ton of weight but then she went on weight watchers (the only dieting choice back then), and she lost over 70 lbs. I heard from a couple of sources that the drug will either make you gain or lose, everyone reacts differently. I can't take that med at all... makes me feel swimmy in my head. Good luck, don't stress about it, just manage your calories and exercise, you'll be fine!

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