Unexplained weight gain

[Ross]

OMG! Did it at least help what it was supposed to help?

It was to fight my lung disease and hopefully keep the flare ups to minimum. Heck I was hospitalized and intubated 9 times with the deal. After it destroyed my hip, the Pulmonologist I had at the Cleveland Clinic told me he was taking me off of it, that it's now working against me rather then for me. I've been holding on ever since. Haven't as of yet had another flare up and hope I never do.

 

[geebee]

5 years of high dosing. 60mg a day. It cost me a left hip too. It turns your bones to junk.

And I thought 14 months at 20mg/day was excessive. Mood swings and moon face were the biggest issues. I wonder if it is worse the more you take or if your face can only get so big.....

 

[Ross]

I was nearly impossible to live with. I have to say yes that a higher dose makes you even moodier. I don't think it made me any larger weight wise, but look out world, here comes one ticked off out of his mind Ross.

 

[Dina]

When I developed my thyroid problem in 2000, the thyroid meds stopped me from gaining more weight, but tragically they don't help you lose weight. I had to do that all by myself. It was a real drag and I don't want to have to do it again!

I also developed hypothyroidism and the synthroid prevented me from
gaining more ,but did not help me lose what I had gained..as you said.
I'm close to your age,and have been 20 pounds overweight off/on for
a couple years. I took prednisone for about a month for Bell's palsy and
I ate and ate and ate,was hungry all the time. But since you aren't eating
more,I don't know. It's really hard,I recently lost 5 pounds and I feel like
I hardly eat anything,I am hungry all the time. I agree with Gina about
exercise being a major help to getting the metabolism moving,and have
just ordered Karlynn's book 'You on a Diet' thru my bookclub,wish I could
be more helpful.
BTW--funny about when our jeans get tight...we all think..'oh maybe I
left them in the dryer too long' ...so true

 

[Lynlw]

I was nearly impossible to live with. I have to say yes that a higher dose makes you even moodier. I don't think it made me any larger weight wise, but look out world, here comes one ticked off out of his mind Ross.

I didn't even like me when I was on it, let alone anyone else. It was awful I felt so much anger , some times it felt like I could just explode. literally

 

[Lisa in Katy]

I've been on Prednisone twice, and it has a triple whammy where weight is concerned. First, it slows down your metabolism. Second, it makes you retain fluids. Third, it makes you think you're starving. The second time I was on it, I would wake up in the middle of the night and want to get up and eat. I gained 35 pounds in 9 months. That's almost as much as I gained in my two pregnancies put together! Normally I have a very narrow face and neck with well defined cheekbones, but while on Prednisone, I couldn't even figure out where to put my blush! When I was 14 the first time I was on it, I also happened to be at the end of a growth spurt. I had lost 25 pounds before going in the hospital (98 to 73), so the clothes thing wasn't an issue. I got out of the hospital after a month and was surprised that I had to buy size 7 shoes. Guess what? A few months later I had to give away those shoes when my feet shrunk back to their normal size 6!

You will lose a lot in fluid once you get off the medicine, but the rest you will have to work for! If you're already exercising, that should help.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

Ah, the side effects! I don't remember being moody, but I'm always a biatch! How about the sweating? When I was at TCH, my doctor had the staff change my sheets 3 times a day. Don't forget the lovely Dowager's hump on the top of your back. Mine has shrunk, but it's still there. I also had an itchy rash on my stomach, which is kind of funny since Prednisone is often given to help rashes go away.