anyone taking prednisone?

soulynyc
soulynyc Posts: 302 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have plantar facisitis and my doctor is treating it with 15mg a day of this med.. i hear it will make me gain weight and have other side effects. i was hesitant in taking it because of everything i read about it.. but if i don't i'm afraid it will only get worse and i have suffeerd with this pain for many years and it has gotten worse so much so i can 't even walk around my house and since i started doing more exercise it has gotten worse. Anyway would like to hear your experience with it and knwo if anyone has been successful in using it? i need to lose weight not gain ... :( any advise is welcome.

Replies

  • JoLo27
    JoLo27 Posts: 54 Member
    Hi there

    I have taken prednisone off and on for asthma since I was a teenager (i.e. 30+ years!) A dose of 15mg a day is not that high. You do tend to see people whose weight balloons if they are on heavy doses. I'm sometimes on 40mg a day for short periods i.e. a week for acute episodes but I have never experienced weight increase as a direct result of taking the medication. What prednisone does do is increase your appetite. Sometimes, when I'm on it, I'm ravenous all the time, which obviously can cause you to put on weight!

    I'm obviously not a doctor and some people do gain weight with this drug but I suspect it's those people who are on higher doses than you for prolonged periods of time. The prednisone reduces inflammation, so hopefully your plantar facisitis will clear up quickly and you won't have to take the meds for too long.

    I hope this helps

    Jo
  • karavanderkooy
    karavanderkooy Posts: 31 Member
    I have not taken it but my close friend was diagnosed with a disease called sarcoidosis and was prescribed prednisone and many other meds. Unfortunately the side affects from this medication are not pleasant. Sarcoidosis is a fatal disease and the prednisone did save him. I also know that it took about 6 months for my friend to start gaining his strength back after being weened off of. My suggestion to you is to keep yourself strong. There is a ton of info in the internet regarding prednisone. I suggest that you find out all that you can about this medication so that there are no surprises while you are on it. Best of luck with the meds, they saved my friends life.
  • mrs_kurz
    mrs_kurz Posts: 185 Member
    I took this for a short while last year, I think I was on 20mg a day for about a month. I know this is a relatively low dose but for me, i piled on weight. Partly due to bad eating habits and lack of exercise too, can't ENTIRELY put it down to do steroids, but I definitely noticed a difficulty to lose weight, i'd be reluctant to go on these again. If ou are on them and its necessary i'd say just try and be extra strict with your diet and exercise. Hope you get better soon! They aren't pleasant medication
  • Jenjaz1910
    Jenjaz1910 Posts: 433 Member
    I have plantar facisitis and my doctor is treating it with 15mg a day of this med.. i hear it will make me gain weight and have other side effects. i was hesitant in taking it because of everything i read about it.. but if i don't i'm afraid it will only get worse and i have suffeerd with this pain for many years and it has gotten worse so much so i can 't even walk around my house and since i started doing more exercise it has gotten worse. Anyway would like to hear your experience with it and knwo if anyone has been successful in using it? i need to lose weight not gain ... :( any advise is welcome.

    I'm not on it anymore but have had to use it in the past. 40mg a day gradually reduced down to 5mg over a 6 month period, unfortunately I did gain weight with it! and mood swings were horrendous!!! BUT They made me better and not poorly any more :) x
  • ctalimenti
    ctalimenti Posts: 865 Member
    I have been off and on Prednisone for the last 15 yrs. Highest dose being 40mg for as long as 6 weeks, then tapering by 5mg/wk to 0. Prednisone made me eat more. It's mainly behavioral as I wasn't even hungry when I ate. I think you can resist food if you really put your mind to it. I gained about 10-12 lbs and my face became full.
  • mnems177
    mnems177 Posts: 3
    I was on prednisone for about 6 months with dosage of 40mg. I gained 25lbs on it. I also broke out with acne, I had the moon face, I had hair grow on my face, back and chest and I also had muscle weakness on my legs. I will be honest watching myself those 6 months was horrible. I saw my face transform and I hated seeing my face and my body just get bigger. I got better and Im alive to me thats all that matters. Watch your carbs. I really craved carbs while on prednisone. My doctor actually suggested I go on South Beach. The proteins will make me full longer and can help with some cravings. Good luck.
  • mphlab
    mphlab Posts: 187 Member
    I took this for a short while last year, I think I was on 20mg a day for about a month. I know this is a relatively low dose but for me, i piled on weight. Partly due to bad eating habits and lack of exercise too, can't ENTIRELY put it down to do steroids, but I definitely noticed a difficulty to lose weight, i'd be reluctant to go on these again. If ou are on them and its necessary i'd say just try and be extra strict with your diet and exercise. Hope you get better soon! They aren't pleasant medication
    I agree - I was on it and between feeling sick & prednisone I gained about 80 pounds over about a year and a half.. But
    I think if I went into taking it with the right mindset either I would not have gained or gained so much. Iagree - if you are aware of it, I thyink you can head it off at the pass - I think I used that as an excuse to eat! And now it will take me as long to finally lose the weight!
  • pduckworth
    pduckworth Posts: 133
    I was on prednisone when I was younger (can't remember the dosage... I was a kid). I gained so much weight. You can see the difference in my school pictures. I was able to lose the weight when I stopped taking it thankfully :)
  • soulynyc
    soulynyc Posts: 302 Member
    thanks for all your answers. yeah i've been thinking that i need to reduce my calorie intake a bit . i would have to suffer from any muscle pain or leg weakenss and my issues are with my feet. adding to that would seem catastrophic to me. i sure hope i don't get all hairy and moonfaced. did anyone suffere from any high bloodpressure or glacoma?
  • soulynyc
    soulynyc Posts: 302 Member
    i am only on this regimen for 30 days. after that I dont' think i would do anymore. someone just told me to use apple cider vineger to dissolve the spurs that cause me so much trouble. i'm hoping ot do that as soon s this month is up. i don't want to combine the two. i think i'm going to go on a low carb diet. boy do i need help with that!
  • mnems177
    mnems177 Posts: 3
    i dont think you'll get the muscle weakness and hairy anything, acne or moon face unless you are on a high dose for a really long time. it took 2 months for all those things to develope for me. i was also on the dose more often than usual. if you are only on it for 30 days then you should be okay.
  • peace_pigeon
    peace_pigeon Posts: 120 Member
    I've been on it for ages. I am down to 10 a day but have been on as high as 80. It is a miracle drug- I couldn't be mobile without it right now. The side effects can be scary for a lot of folks, and like anything, you have to look at that compared to the benefits. The drug kept my father-in-law alive for years but ultimately it was prednisone that took his life rather than the severe asthma that he was suffering from. :brokenheart: I have personally had great luck with it- even on higher doses I have not gained weight (the opposite, actually) or had any issues at all. That does not change the fact that I would love to get off of it, but until a better alternative is approved for my situation, I am stuck with it. Good luck- it really can be an amazing thing to take a tiny pill and be completely pain free. I hope that it works for you.
  • crudd123
    crudd123 Posts: 244 Member
    My father-in-law took it and so did my father. They gained weight on it.
  • Revenga1980
    Revenga1980 Posts: 63
    I am often placed on prednisone for my asthma and everytime I gain lots of weight. The last time I was put on it I gained 20lbs that I can't seem to lose
  • soulynyc
    soulynyc Posts: 302 Member
    Today i finished my third day. i havent' felt any difference except the feet feel better. although when i wen tout to the market i had to go back into the car after like 15 minutes cause my feet /achiles were aching

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