Is it possible to lose weight while t... - Lung Conditions C...
Is it possible to lose weight while taking 20mg of prednisolone (steroids) daily?
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That regular comment springs to mind - we are all different. Some people do put weight on when using prednisolone, it does not seem to affect everyone though so it is hard to try and give you an answer to suit you personally.
There are some silly answers though:
1) yes, you'll lose weight if you don't eat anything
2) 20mg a day isn't a lot of weight to put on
Have to agree with the above, have been on larger doses than that,till the Doc. pulled the plug on it, as he decided it did not help me anymore.Anyway no weight issues there.They do say because it makes you hungry,thats where the weight problem comes.But I am no expert,& others may totally disagree!!
Keep well, Wendells xxx
steroids were the miracle drug for me. After 4 months of extreme breathlessness and on permanant high dose oxygen in hospital the consultant put me on 30mg of prednisolone. The very next day I was up and walking around the ward without oxygen,I just could'nt believe the change. I have an inflammatory lung condition so steroids suit me. They tell me steroids are the best anti inflammatory drug around,they dont cure the original disease but ease the symptoms. My problem is now with increasing weight my damaged lungs have to work harder to carry me along hence making me less efficient with my energy. Whats to do, find a balance I guess.
Steroids don't make you put on weight, they stimulate your appetite part of your brain and they make you feel pretty ravenous at times. So it's all about trying to control your food.
It's very difficult but you can avoid putting on weight if you eat sensibly. I didn't 
It redistributes your fat too - so I'm afraid that you may get a moon face if you are on them long enough - which makes you look like you've put on weight anyway.
Marie x
Ive got the moon face alright and a belly to match. Ive gone from 12.5 stones too 14 stones in the last 20 months and what worries me most is I'm exercising quite hard and the weight slowly keeps pilling on. Where's it going to end?
I totally feel you on this one, I've been on steroids now for the past 5 years anything from 80mg a day to 30mg, my eating hasn't increased in fact I eat a lot less but I've piled the weight on, before I got ill I was very active as in going to the gym 4-5 times a week, martial arts, running basicly anything I could do to get me out, but then I got ill really ill and the hospital put me on prednisone about 30mg I think to begin with and they seemed happy to send me home with my meds , that night I had to call the ambulance because of the pain turns out the dose of prednisone they gave me was to small so they doubled it and kept me in for a few days and I've been in and out of hospital ever since, yes I have a moon face now and my stomach is massive well I think it is
Before all this I was about 13-14 stone now I'm 17 stone and on over 60 tablets a day and can't walk without aid
Just wish I could shift this weight but I know that I will never shift it while I am still taking it but apparently once you come off it and your body is free from it The weight should just come off according to several doctors that I've talked to
I've lost 6 and a half stone while on prednisolone so it is possible
I must say tho I'm not on that dosage down to 10mg now x
I'm on steroids for polimyalga rhumatica but I've lost 6.7 stone while taking them so it's possible to lose
I use nutracheck app
And my fit bit
That's not how it's working for me. I've been on steroids for almost a year (anywhere from 15 to 40mg) and my appetite has stayed the same. However, I've gained about 40 pounds. Also, now I'm pretty unrecognizable when it comes to my face.
My doctor said that everyone does not get the moon face. I do. It takes as long as you were on prednisone to get rid of the moon face and other bloating. I do get hungrier. Best to stay busy and away from the fridge etc. Eat high protein, make sure you have enough potassium in your body---lab work for that, and healthy carbs. NO more than 2000 mg salt a day from all sources. I stay below 1500. I also juiced the last time I had to do this. Get a good juicer and make a lot of juices--- predominately vege to fruit. 80%-20%. This cleanses your body and gives you better health. That is all I know that might help.
I know this is an older post but I must say how much I agree with you. I have been on prednisone for 11 years recently dr increased the dose because I am too sensitive to the side effects of other drugs. I have very small appetite, struggle to eat 1 - 1200 calories per day and since this increase I have gained 12 pounds in 7 weeks on too of what I had already gained. Also my fit bit says I take 9000 steps a day and burn approx 2300 calories. I know fit bit is an estimate but it can't be too far off. Sorry for the rant. I despise this drug!! Yes it helps with inflammation but gaining 1 lb daily not acceptable 😳
I get very hungry when on steroids which is good because I need to put on weight. when I'm on steroids I wake in the night and would give my soul for a greasy bacon sarnie.
Lib x
Surely the key thing here is the amount of steroids being used,like dall05 they have made a huge difference to me ,I am on a maintainence dose and now have it down to 3 milligrams a day,no weight gain for me at a low rate ,but higher doses could well lead to weight problems ,as for 20 milligrams not sure ,much will depend on the individual ,try to reduce dose (I find 1 milligram tablets really useful for this) and monitor weight .
best wishes
Woody
Hi Dall05
There is a bit of a misconception about steroids and weight gain -they don't put weight on you but thet do increase your appetitie, it can be really hard when you feel hungry to eat nice healthy foods.
Losing weight can be hard at the best of times but if you're taking something that makes you want to eat more this can just make things more difficult.
I don't wish to teach you to suck eggs but, have plently of fresh fruit in and veggies like carrot sticks to munch on when you feel peckish.
Steroids though (as you've said) do cause bloating - this gives a false reading of your weight and isn't representative of your real weight. Bloating can also make your clothes feel tight and uncomfortable which makes you think your putting on weight.
I understand though - chocolate is my downfall too!!
Best of luck and do call if we can help you further or if you want to chat.
Jo
Jo Thanks for putting that up very interesting
Thanks Jo for that. Seems simple enough,throw out all the chocolate and get some carrots in. I wonder what thier like in a chocolate dip! oops just joking. I guess there's little to be done about the bloating then but buy some larger jeans.
I take a low maintenance dose (5mg).per day,I have not put on weight,just the opposite,Ive gone down to 6.10.am now taking nutrient drinks,(yuk).what I would give to put a stone on.!!! Cant win,can we.never mind-still got a pulse and am breathing.
Hi dall05
Apparently eating lesser and option may help with the bloating!
It's worth a go!
Jo
I wish I had known all this when first put on steroids, bloated to excess and now struggling to remove it. I am not sure and this may sound daft, but since being on steroids, (i have not had any in a year) I found that when losing a bit of weight, and then something like christmas comes along and I seem to stack back on quite quickly
Actually, you can gain weight taking prednisone. The weight gain is caused by how it plays with your potassium and sugar levels. This means you can store more fat and fluid which will not come off easily or at all while taking more than 10 mg daily. The higher the dose and the longer you take it, the more likely you will notice extra fluid and fat accumulation in odd areas. You can awaken each morning and look different on a daily basis. The fat re-distribution makes it feel and look like more weight gain than what may actually be occurring. It is a difficult drug to take with such exaggerated physical changes and off-putting social interactions. But, you are worth it! Hang in there and eat well. Prednisone also re-distributes fat that was there prior to taking the drug, so dieting won't stop that process. Consider seeing a dietician to help with a plan tailored just for you. If nothing else, you get some constant encouragement and good advice. Good luck.
Every time I have taken it for a few months I have gained weight because it DOES make you brain tell you that you feel hungry, actually ravenous at times. This does not happen to everyone. And like someone else said, it redistributes your FAT. Mine goes to my face and I get what I call mylar balloon head. It does go away, and it takes as long for it to go away as it took for it to come. Mine came after about two weeks, so I suppose it will go away two weeks after I get off. My doctor told me that a serious thing about taking prednisone at high doses for too long is that women can get cracks in the pelvis. Also, it affects other bones. Next time we are using Neurotin (spelling) which I know little about. However, prednisone has been the ONLY thing that could fix my condition. I hope I have never to take any of it again, but it is possible I might. In addition, I cannot take any NSAIDs or any codeine meds.
Sorry this is late add on, However I want to tell you while prednisone is our life saver it is also a drug with severe side effects. I have had to take it for about 14 years now as I have severe lung disease. It lets me breath so it is not a option, I also a CNA2. I work around it daily. Weight is a huge issue with it, It makes you want to eat, It makes you hold water retention and it creates things like weight in face behind neck shoulder area and also abdomen. But many times this is the thing that lets us still be able to do things we need too ie:work. I currently am on Dulera (wonderful results but has steroids in it)and only need to take a tab (20mg) of predisonone if I have a severe Allergy attack or fluid in my lungs such as a cold or flu. Here is a list that i have been following to help lose weight and I eat very little normally so I needed to find something. This does work at least for me. Good luck and talk to your Doctor, there are medicines now such as Spiriva that treat Lung issues and have no prednisone, ucsfhealth.org/education/il...
I have been on meds for a year and due to my condition I have been on 180mg of steroid. I am
Now reduced down to 20mg which has been the lowest I have ever been.
I have increased my weight by 8 stone. I used to be 17.3 stone when I played rugby and enjoyed training every week and playing a match every week.
I was increased to a maximum of 25.7 stone due to my very very rear and life threating condition.
I am extremely luck to survive and now that things are turning out good I was trying to take on my excerise and loss weight.
To be honest I lost nothing, so I looked strictly at my cal intake and this has helped.
I am currently on a intake of 1200cals a day and to be honest it is working well.
I started off by I taking a max of 2000 cals and every 2 weeks dropped by 200. Since I hit 1200 I have continued this and I am have now lost 1.7 stone and still feel great.
I am very very lucky
I have been taking anywhere from 10-30mg of prednisone a day for the past 5 yrs. Just this last yr I have gained 40lbs, have gotten the moon face, swollen belly and neck. I weigh more now than when I had my baby in November. My Dr says there really isn't much I can do to loose weight aside until I cut down to less than 10mg a day. She saus i do need to change my dier but i wont loose what im ecpecting to. I don't even look like the same person I did 5 yrs ago. Even my hair! It used to be my best feature and now most of it fell out and came back curly. It's extremely depressing.
Am 57 male and been taking prednisone on and off for a year - 10mg/day. Have had various shoulder and hip pains....and now sacrum nerve pain - probably sciatica. Right now am taking 60mg/day for 3 days...and then tapering. Am a ballet dancer, 5 ft 8....145lbs. This drug definitely gives me more energy and increase my athletic performance as well as getting rid of most of the joint pains. It increases blood glucose levels so probably makes my muscles feel stronger and more energetic. It was easier to lose weight because I was in better spirits, exercised more and felt compelled to eat less - as opposed to when you feel crappy and need some sort of treat constantly. When I went off the drug, I had some bouts of low blood sugar...and bad acne on back, shoulder and trunk. And of course the sacrum pain returned and I could barely walk. But right now I feel great on 60/mg day. God knows what I'll do when I go off them. I have read about all the known side effects and really....can't they make an NSAID/steroid that has NO side effects by now????
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