How do you handle Prednisone weight g... - Advanced Prostate...

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How do you handle Prednisone weight gain?

FinalBossMatt profile image
37 Replies

The weight gain and the increase in appetite being on Prednisone and when I was taking Presnislone is irritating the hell out of me. I was wondering what some of you guys do. Or do you do anything?

I'm not worried about the salt. I spoke to my doc about it back in Thailand and after telling her my doc I get at least a Gallon (4L) of water a day, the worry about my sodium intake vanished.

I was super athletic back in the day and I know my stuff with nutrition, so here's my thoughts.

Biggest meal will be in the morning. I admit, I love to put peanut butter and butter on toast, so that's the one time of day I'm doing it Oh yeah I'll have eggs too. All that Choline too. What could go wrong huh? Am I right guys? haha

The rest of the day I'll graze. I have peanuts and sardines in Olive Oil are disturbingly delicious too. I do have Chlorella to mix in water for my veggie nutrition.

One thing that's MURDERED ME was how it just rained at random times, and mainly at the end of the day when I wouldn't be roasted alive. Thank Goodness the raininess seems to be gone because the best time for me to walk is around sunset and that's when it would happen. It looks like I can go back out walking on a regular basis doing 3 miles a day and going to 5 miles a day. Even when I wasn't over 300lbs I sweat like an OX so that would be another reason why I wouldn't worry about sodium intake. With the simple walking I'll be burning at least 1000 calories a day so that will help as well.

That's about it, so what do you guys do? :)

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FinalBossMatt
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37 Replies
Tall_Allen profile image
Tall_Allen

Why do you take prednisone? Are you doing chemo?

FinalBossMatt profile image
FinalBossMatt in reply to Tall_Allen

I take it with abiraterone. I just looked it up to make sure I have the spelling right since it's not in front of me and I guess it's a "chemo in a pill" type of thing. I'm not taking Zytiga. It's just a generic I got over in Thailand before coming back home.

And from the prices I see for the generics, unless my insurance doesn't cover it, I'll be doing the generic route too.

Tall_Allen profile image
Tall_Allen in reply to FinalBossMatt

The amount you take with abiraterone is only a replacement dose. The Zytiga prevents your adrenals from producing cortisol, and so it has to be replaced. It should have no effect on weight gain.

FinalBossMatt profile image
FinalBossMatt in reply to Tall_Allen

Allen, you're killing me bro! I don't want to take responsibility. I want to be a victim here. You're a chem geek, give me a geeky excuse. ;-P

Seriously though I did start taking these back in October, holy hell it was rough. I wanted to eat virtually anything that wasn't nailed down or moved slower than me.

Despite my size, my blood sugar is normal from the high fat intake in my usual diet.

Anyway, the rain stopped at night, the time when I usually walk, and I walked 3 miles so that's a start. Same thing tomorrow. :)

Tall_Allen profile image
Tall_Allen in reply to FinalBossMatt

You can still blame it on drugs, just the other drugs. The Lupron and Zytiga take away any trace of testosterone that might otherwise speed up your metabolism. It's hard not to gain weight when you're taking them. You just have to lower your calorie intake drastically and increase your exercise regimen.

FinalBossMatt profile image
FinalBossMatt in reply to Tall_Allen

Got it man, thanks! :)

depotdoug profile image
depotdoug in reply to Tall_Allen

lower calories ints drastically, well saId. T A!

LearnAll profile image
LearnAll

Golden rule of weight loss: Eat less calories + Burn more calories.

Kaliber profile image
Kaliber

I handle my adt weight gain with “ both hands “ .... suspenders a bonus too

Just say’in 😂😂😂

onajourney profile image
onajourney

I take 1000 grams abiraterone once daily on an empty stomach and 5 milligrams prednisone twice daily with food.

nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/n...

I gained a lot of weight during the first few years of PCa treatment. I am back to pre-treatment weight by doing 16 hour intermittent fasting.

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

Best wishes

depotdoug profile image
depotdoug in reply to onajourney

16 HR intermittent fasting? explain please.

MateoBeach profile image
MateoBeach in reply to depotdoug

Just skip breakfast altogether. Nothing caloric before noon or later. Or extend it to dinner around 5 or 6 PM, called OMAD, one meal a day and eat as much as you want. Works wonders.

depotdoug profile image
depotdoug in reply to MateoBeach

ok but im supposed to take my BP Meds and ABIRATERONE W/ Food

MateoBeach profile image
MateoBeach in reply to depotdoug

Well that is important for the Abiraterone but a cup of yogurt is sufficient for that. I’d go for either low fat or full fat unsweetened plain Greek will support Abiraterone absorption without breaking the intermittent fast significantly because carbs will be quite low. ( Yes it’s sour but conspiracy medicine. ) I lost 40+ pounds effortlessly with IMF keto eating program. Turns you into a hunter physiologically. No hunger no craving steady energy from burning my fat. Takes about a week to transition into.

MateoBeach profile image
MateoBeach in reply to MateoBeach

“ consider it medicine” not conspiracy!

depotdoug profile image
depotdoug in reply to MateoBeach

IMF keto eating healthy diet? Can you tell me where to look for that info?

Will 16 hr fasting interfere with my daily usually twice a day exercising routine? That's more than one question. Appreciate direction. I do not want to go back on the "Opti-Fast" 3-5 month closely monitored by my Hospital Weight Management center doctors and dietitians and foo counselors.

MateoBeach profile image
MateoBeach in reply to depotdoug

Good questions. A web site with very good info and teaching videos for free and a stupid name is DietDoctor.com

Keto is healthy I’m my opinion if you make it so. I eat big on my OMAD with generous portions of meat, chicken, fish or any other proteins and I have two or three vegetables and or salad. No worries about fat, neither trying to cut it out nor forcing more. Peanuts and butter and other nuts are fine. Just have to cut the carbs to low levels. So I mostly have no potatoes rice pasta or bread, nor sweet deserts. But there are acceptable keto alternatives for these.

Keto physiology is how our forebears fueled themselves burning fat stores while going on long multi day hunts and migrations. It is all natural and just a different fuel system. (We are hybrid vehicles it seems!)

I can hike all day with backpack in the mountains on just a coffee and abundant water. Just did the John Muir Trail to verify this! And I can do my heavy weight workouts with my trainer and feel good while getting stronger. I now weigh what I did in high school and I’m the Marines.

However, ketones and fat burning is completely aerobic. So I don’t have the ability to sustain anaerobic super high intensity. But I do not compete in that zone anymore anyway. ( competitive masters bike racing and XC ski racing) though I can go all day at moderate endurance intensities.

You should learn about it and give it a try to see how it agrees with you. Boundless energy reserves and the fat weight just melts away. Really!

depotdoug profile image
depotdoug in reply to MateoBeach

Wow that sounds like juat what i need.

I a 68.5 years old and very energized active. ADT LUPRON ABIRATERONE ad prednsone is taking its toll big time.

treedown profile image
treedown

I read it takes 3200 calorie loss for a normal person to lose a pound and 4500 when on ADT. I am very active 73 mile ride Sat, 45 mile bike ride Mon, rested today working on gutters up and down ladder 20 times. Lupron shot tomorrow and hope to get 20 or more miles in on bike despite forecast for rain and 18 mph wind. Run the next day and another 70+ mile ride Sat. Rinse and repeat next week. I don't have much of a weight issue even on ADT but you can see what it takes. I am younger then many here at 57 but I have increased my activity since dx. I am also taking aberiterone and prednisone.

Irun profile image
Irun

As many have said it’s less calories and more exercise BUT if you are a snack fan eat something less calorific, replace peanuts with a small handful of bran flakes (they are surprisingly tasty) , if you really cant help eating increase exercise even more (as long as you are fit to do ).

I was eating a 2500 diet but was burning 3500 calories a day just to stay as I was (about 1500 calorie burn was from running ). Sadly walking is really efficient for our bodies and whilst it’s good exercise it ain’t no calorie burner unless you go at a rate where your heart really has to work for a prolonged period of time . It’s a tough fight my friend but as I always say , if you want it enough you will find a way .

Patrick-Turner profile image
Patrick-Turner

Just eat less and less until your weight goes down.

Counting calories often does not work. There are so many ppl here over 45 who are much too fat, and they just have no self control over their mouth.

But I cycle 200km a week, which helps keep my BMI at 22.5, waist 89cm, resting HR 48, and I am fit and healthy despite being stage 4 with Pca. I'm 73, I've nearly survived 11 years after Dx. I began using electronic scales in 2006, accurate to +/- 100 grams, and just ate more salads and less carbs when I got heavy. I feel real good after a 100km cycle ride.

I had 10mg Prednisolone daily when I was on Zytiga for 8 months while it worked. Zytiga stops natural steroid being made by adrenal gland and Pred pills merely replace what body is not making. I don't see any reason you could blame Pred for weight gain. You can only blame you. All this treatment with ADT and many other things has done nothing to fatten me. Its all because I control my mouth.

Patrick Turner.

London441 profile image
London441

Peanut butter and butter sandwiches? You’re answering your own question, especially since you ‘know your stuff about nutrition’ as you put it.

Particularly if you are carrying that much weight. Walking to burn fat is a fool’s errand for most. There are far better types of exercise for that, but you’ll still need to surrender that kind of treat most of the time. Worth it!

FinalBossMatt profile image
FinalBossMatt in reply to London441

Mind you, that's not the entire 2000 calorie a day diet. THEN it would be a problem. :)

mrscruffy profile image
mrscruffy

I hired a personal trainer familiar with my condition that put together a nutrition/workout plan for me as I was losing muscle at a disturbing rate. She has reversed my muscle loss and prevented me from gaining weight.

FinalBossMatt profile image
FinalBossMatt in reply to mrscruffy

That's good. Strangely I do seemed to have kept my muscle mass in check.

MateoBeach profile image
MateoBeach

Skip breakfast altogether and get after your walk. Go for 5 miles most every day. See reply above about intermittent fasting. Good luck

Concernedwife24 profile image
Concernedwife24

My husband has the same reaction. Feels like he can't eat enough! He has always been fit. Now gaining a little weight. Trying to exercise more.

SPEEDYX profile image
SPEEDYX

Post and Reply instead of eating

FinalBossMatt profile image
FinalBossMatt in reply to SPEEDYX

Give me a few more minutes to finish my KFC and then I'm gunna respond REAL GOOD. :-P

SPEEDYX profile image
SPEEDYX in reply to FinalBossMatt

😂. ...extra crispy Colonel!!!!

TJGuy profile image
TJGuy

To the whole group.

Your question brings to mind a similar question. About how to potentially prevent weight gain or lose weight when taking PC medications.

So being a avid cyclist myself, I have ridden with many a cyclist young and old over the decades that couldn't put on a pound no matter how much or what they eat or drink. They are thin as a rail and it seems nothing is going to change that.

And other cyclists that would constantly fight to lose or maintain weight. If they took a week off from cycling they would gain five pounds in a heartbeat. Then fight for months to lose it.

I think most of us find as we age our metabolism changes and we fall in or closer to the latter group.

I have always been a bit of a scardedy cat about ingesting any pills such as weight loss pills. And in fact never have.

Perhaps I should now consider weight loss pills? To offset the negative effects of ADT.

But I'm wondering if there is any documented evidence that weight loss pills have any effect on PC, your overall health, or know adverse drug interations.

Are there some to avoid outright? Are there others that would be better to take?

FinalBossMatt profile image
FinalBossMatt in reply to TJGuy

Don't even bother any diet pills. The only one that ever worked was back in the 90's and early 2000's before the cut either ephedra or ephedrine (I can't remember which). That's the only thing that ever worked but people took them like tic tacs. I read up on most of the cases and it boiled down to 2 things where people got hurt or died. 1) Like I said they took a pile of them like tic tacs or 2) They had a family history of heart problems.

I would personally just drop carbs. Keep it to a minimum. It's worked for me before, it

can again. :)

jfoesq profile image
jfoesq

When I started Lupron and Prednisone more than 8 years ago, I went from 150lbs to 165 in 6 weeks. My weight gained another 5lbs over time and my regular weight has been 170 now for years. I completely understand why- low T, less exercise and much more eating. But- my question is this: Is the bloating in my face a result if my overall weight gain or is it possibly related to the prednisone. I remember seeing Jerry Lewis when he was being treated for some illnesslater in life- his face ballooned up and made him almost unrecognizable. I was under the impression that change was a result of steroids he was taking.

I appreciate any thoughts on this.

btl258 profile image
btl258

After going on Lupron and Zytiga my weight shot up 30 lbs over 6 months. I spend 1.5 hours in the gym per day (7 days, with 4-5 weight days and 2.3 cardio days) and have been doing so for years. During that time, my daily caloric intake was 2,700 - 3,000. In January, I changed my diet (carbs pretty much only come from beans), added a 5 mile walk per day, and reduced the calories to 2,000 - 2,300 per day (same workout routine). All of this work and I have lost 20 lbs over nearly 9 months.

Bottom line, no testosterone makes it really hard to manage, but it is possible if you are diligent (and able to be extremely active like I am - it does help that I'm under 50).

j-o-h-n profile image
j-o-h-n

Don't swallow.....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Wednesday 09/23/2020 5:50 PM DST

FinalBossMatt profile image
FinalBossMatt in reply to j-o-h-n

That's not what I told HER!

WACKA WACKA WACKA!

j-o-h-n profile image
j-o-h-n in reply to FinalBossMatt

LOL.....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Thursday 09/24/2020 11:44 AM DST

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