I've been on prednisolone daily since July 2023, I'm now down to 4mg a day!! Tapering is going well - thank you methotrexate!
Between July -Dec 2023 I gained 4kg and another 4kg since.
Other than pregnancy I've always had trouble gaining weight (I know) so this came as a bit of a shock!
I think most of it is water retention, especially round my tummy, back of my neck/shoulders and classic moon face (not a fan of this development!).
Does it go?
How long does it take?
It may go as the pred dose falls but not always - sometimes you have to give it a helping hand by cutting carbs a lot. And I hate to tell you - but while I didn't really gain weight with pred, the fat deposits just rearranged themselves, when I started MTX I gained a kg in the 4 weeks I was on it!! I'd never had the hunger with pred most people experience - until I tried MTX. It potentiates pred effects - and that includes the hunger and weight gain.
That’s interesting I’ve not felt hungrier either, the moon face only arrived once I started mtx 5 months ago. I’m starting to be able to exercise more so hoping that helps.
Exercise doesn't really help weight - proven to be a myth I fear. Your body seeks calories to make up and you do eat more! Cutting carbs is the pred success story. It also helps with the moonface because that is fat depositis and the carb cutting makes the body use up fat for energy. Lots of us over on the PMRGCAuk site have done it - it isn't pie in the sky.
I've given up carbs before - or carb light diet, it does make sense. Just harder in the winter!! What did you replace carbs with, protein?
Salads and above ground veg. Never have been that enthusiastic about rice, pasta and spuds so didn't really miss them. I don't go to the lengths of no carbs - and have been very remiss since last summer when I stayed with my vegan daughter. Her cooking seems to be carbs with a side of carbs!!
I have been on and off steroids for a few years. I haven't eaten UPF for years but still bought Tim Spectors cookbook. Personally, I love it, lots of really tasty dishes (virtually no carbs, sweet and savory) and although I am eating more (mostly from his cookbook as I explore it) my weight has dropped. Recipes are full of seeds, nuts, beans etc. Since my weight is 60 kls, it was an outcome I wasn't expecting or necessarily looking for at present. Just thought this might interest you in your carb light diet.
For me - it didn't go on its own, I'm afraid. I think that somehow 6 years of steroids changed my metabolism - and it has taken years and some serious dieting to lose (most of) the three stone (plus) I gained in those years. Sorry! I realise this is not the news you might have been hoping for.
it’s helpful for me to be prepared to put in some effort! Well done for getting off the steroids & losing weight!! X
I was on a high dose for 10 months, I had the moon face, I hated it, it changes you whole face, I didn’t even recognise me. The minute I started tapering I started noticing the water retention under my chin going but it was a few months to get back to normal. I also didn’t put weight on, only my face and back of neck, it does make you crave food but I had lost so much I needed to put a little on but it didn’t happen. The only thing now is I have wrinkles Under my chin which won’t go away, I must have had the swelling for too long, I massage cream into it every morning, think I need an under chin tuck if that’s a thing, but it’s great getting off those steriods. Best wishes xx
I was sort of ok with the weight gain at first because I’ve always been slim sometimes underweight, but the moon face and neck fat I really don’t like!
I hadn’t really noticed till I saw a photo and like you didn’t recognise myself 
Tapering hasn’t made any difference, so expect I’m going to have to wait till I stop.
Sorry about the chin wrinkles, hope the moisturising works!
I came off them around Oct 24 and it’s 4 months now n and the moon face has gone!
Heya I started high dose of prednisolone in july 2023 too! (For 17 months) And as I slowly tapered off on steroids, my face became less round too. For me the moon face was gone soon after stopping steroids (dec 2024). I stopped eating gluten which I find also makes my face less bloated even after stopping the prednisolone. I worked with a nutritionist and changed my diet a lot (no gluten, no refined sugar, no dairy, less processed foods), and I lost a few kg because of it. I think how you eat is really important too, because doing exercise when you're in pain was at the last thing of my mind.
I had always refused steroids. However, a torn rotator cuff, degenerative disc disease and hip bursitis had me agreeing to injections. Going through unmanageable glaucoma I discovered that the injections had been the cause along with the 15 to 20 lb weight gain. I went off all steroids had a full reverse shoulder replacement and lost the weight, but it took a year. I now take meloxicam am and gabapentin pm and hydrocodone as needed. I have only needed it 6 times in 2 months. The pain is currently managed by the 2 daily oral medications.
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