weight gain and prednisone

YES!!!!

I have a friend where as SOON as he is on it he says he can FEEL the weight gain happening. I know immediately it is water retention and bloat, but it also doesn't seem to come off either. Unfortuately for him, he has respiratory problems pretty often (and yet will not move from Detroit)

The doctor put me on it at the beginning of the year (6 days). I had a nasty upper respiratory infection that I couldn't kick. The only thing that happened to me was appetite suppresion and the urge to move fast, fast, fast, and not stop. I didn't sleep well either while on it and I had a mild case of the shakes. Of course I am very sensitive to meds.

I don't think you really bulk up per se, but really watch what you eat even when you come off them until you think you have 'returned to normal'.

Hang in there.

Weight gain is a nasty side effect.  My daughter has asthma and spent much of one winter on prednisone due to the asthma.  At the time she was about 7.  Recently we were looking at an old swim team photo and she commented about how skinny she was in that photo - it hit me that the photo had been taken right before she had gone on the prednisone - she gained weight and went from a thin kid to slightly chunky and has stayed that way - even 3 years later.  (Granted, we all run chunky in our family - the chances were good that she would end up struggling with her weight at some point, but the prednisone certainlty triggered the weight gain).

 On a side note, our dog has a nasal tumor and is on prednisone - the vet has said that we should notice that the dog has a healthy appetite - I guess that prednisone causes hunger (and thirst) even in dogs.

Hmmm prednisone, works wonders but also has very bad side effects.  I would say if you are only on it for a few weeks the main reason for the weight gain will be water retention.  I have been on and off prednisone for the last 3 - 4 years, at one stage I was on it for about 2 years straight, would slowly reduce the dosage, and then my condition would flare up again.

I put on about 12 -15kg when I was on it - it made me have a huuuuuge appetite and I had a lots of water retention my ankles were really swollen.   My doctor pretty much forbid me from getting on the scales when I was on it, I would gain about 2kg overnight, - the first week I gained a kilo a day Talk about depressing.

Thankfully I am not on that drug at the moment, although it will only be a matter of time before I'm back on it again, making the most of the good times at the moment!

Mood wise I had real mood swings, sometimes I'd be deliriously happy and laughing so much I was crying for no reason, then sometimes would be so upset about nothing at all and couldn't go to work.

Anyway, enough about that!  Just be thankful you're only on it for 10 days - the extra water weight will just fall off in a week or so after, just make sure you don't go crazy on the food.

Most people don't see much from short courses as prescribed for bronchitis and the like.  Even if they do, it's short lived and goes away when the steroids are stopped.  It's long term use that's a real issue. 

Aah that drug. Ive just got off it after over 6 months taking pred. Was on very high doses (the highest theyd give orally) for a long time and the side effects I got was: weight gain, mood swings (happiness and grumpiness/depression), trouble sleeping, aches in the hip (while coming off it), fatigue (could also be my condition), acne, nausea....

But it is the only thing that makes me healthier so it was a neccesary evil. The bad news is that its not the one that gives you increased muscle mass either.

As far as the weight gain here is what to be aware of:

Prednisone will make you retain water, this can be very uncomfortable and cause a lot of the initial wegiht gain. It also increases your apetite dramatically so you need to stick with your eating plan and not just trust how you feel. The drug also causes a redistribution of fat and weight gain mainly in the mid section and also around the shoulders and neck/face (face is fluid retention) so dont be too surprised if your shape changes a bit,

However Im finally off it and healthy so wouldnt not take Pred, and when I get sick again I will be following my own words of advice as last time I didnt know what to expect and but on 20+kg. Which Im now trying to work off!

If you have any major concerns talk to your doc. Otherwise eat healthy and know you on the drug to get you healthy and a little bit of weight gain is worth being healthy.

Any questions feel free to PM me.

I hope you get health soon

Cat

 5lbs, dude that is nothing.  You will pass that within a week of being off it.

Yes! I didn't gain a lot, but it definately felt like I was retaining water - to the point of being painful.  My Dr. prescribed it because I am highly allergic to poison oak and nothing else works.  Let just say that after two rounds of prednazone due to poison oak, I found other outdoor activities to participate in besides hiking.  That stuff is evil.