Prednisolone and weight gain?

[Lunar246]

Hello, since being on my meds for RA I've gained 2 and a half stone, but I haven't exactly been eating very healthy or able to exercise a lot due to my knee, but since being on my meds my weight seems to have shot up, I ate a lot of crap before I was on my meds and even during my pregnancy but I never gained that much weight has anyone noticed a gain in weight?

[Hidden]

Hi lunar no doubt you get a lot of conflicting replies on this subject. I can only tell you mine . I have always been a fit freak , many classes / walking never sat still. I’m pretty Clued up on healthy eating and portion control . When I started MTX I immediately started to gain weight even though I continued to exercise about a stone and a half in the first 4-6 months. My RA was stable good 12 months then things spiralled out of control and exercise went out the window. When I started entanercept I gained another stone and a half . I watched what I ate and was only taking 800 calories maybe a 1000 some days. My nurse knows me well and said it was the medication. I have been on and off steroids and I do gain on them but I do loose the steroid weight. Currently on. New medication no weight gain but no loss either.

[Lunar246 in reply to Hidden]

I'm worried because I went from 24st to 13st and managed to keep it off but now I'm gaining again and I really don't want to be going back in that direction, for my health as well and my confidence i might have to speak to my doctor about it, currently I'm just trying to watch what i eat and exercise where I can

[Lolabridge]

Oh yes definitely and I blame it on having to take Prednisolone for a long time whilst trying different meds to find something to control the RA. Also struggling, like you, with pain, fatigue and mobility issues. Some other people have managed to lose the weight they gained through very careful monitoring of what they eat and I’m trying to do the same. I’m now down to 5mg daily Prednisolone and going to try even harder this year to get my weight down.

I think exercise helps to boost the metabolism but restricted food intake is more important for weight loss.

Good luck!!

[Lunar246 in reply to Lolabridge]

I'm only on a 5 weeks course of prednisolone second time round since they helped a lot with my mobility, I'm currently just trying to watch what I eat and exercise where I can, I'll have to bring it up when I speak to the doctor next.

[Niao]

Unfortunately yes, me too, and I've only been on prednisolone and Methotrexate a short time. However I am very inactive and sedentary due to my conditions. Is your RA under control or still quite active? I ask because in the few years before being diagnosed and getting started on the meds, I put on huge amounts of weight and initially when I started the steroid I lost quite a few pounds, so I'm sure it was all the fluid build up and inflammation. Mine's still very active so a hoping when things calm down, I'll be able to get more weight off. X

[medway-lady]

It will depend on how long you've been on the Pred. I put on weight with it and wasn't eating rubbish and never overweight before so as it was for a renal problem I asked the Renal Nutritionalist he said it does alter the way the body metabolises food so what you eat will contribute to the problem but the moon face etc is down purely to the Pred. It does resolve itself when you stop the medication but it takes time. Pred also increases the appetite so don't beat yourself up about something which is down to the medication not greed. Be patient and try to eat as healthily as you can but don't look for a huge loss all the while your on the medication. It took me a year to loose the weight I put on from 3 months very high dose Pred then tapering off.

[Neonkittie17]

There are a few factors here which are contributory to weight gain and could well be the meds too and if you are on Prednisilone for any length of time it makes you have much more of an appetite and weight tends to dump on your midriff. I started Rituximab, Pred and had the meno as the same time early 2015 (oh joy ... not!!) so not sure which was the worst culprit!! i gained two storms and struggled to get the midriff off for a long time .. still not as I want but .....

I think the IV steroid I have before each Rituximab could be causing a bit of weight gain but basically during the last year for me ... I always think of Miranda Hart and her diet chapter in her book. “Eat less, move more.”!! I’ve just done 20 mins exercise non stop this afternoon to the radio, lifting small weights too. I will find it hard to increase my fitness but I’m determined to. Build it up. I’ve a little ankle cycle too. Can you start to do something similar re stretching and movement .. you can sit on an upright chair .. and there are some good “chair-oebic” exercises on YT where they demo a lot of things seated or standing for short periods of time. Of course take care with any new exercises routines you start if you’ve not done anything for some time. I do a lot of gentle stretching too or my muscles seize up very easily. Start easy and slowly and build up any exercise. Just a few ideas for thought. (Think it was Amy Lee on here 💗 who brought the seated exercise to my attention.)

I was doing two hydro/aqua weekly hourly aerobics sessions pre pandemic and now I’m doing weights at home and exercises ... much prefer the pool but .... it’s not open. Maybe when safe to go back to these things you could try join a hydro group.

Try to start to make adjustments for yourself but don’t put huge unrealistic pressure on yourself. You’ve had a baby (recently?) too. I would speak to your doc re your weight loss plans and maybe they can advise re diet. Oh and I eat healthily and also not so too at times .. I am no saint, but I’m ready to leave the majority sugar alone shortly, now that Christmas is over. I tend to treat myself to a lower cal hot chocolate if I crave something sweet. x

[Hidden]

Hi, yes same for me. Started Baracitinb 17months ago and noticed weight going up each week, I've also been on low dose steroids for a year which didn't help.

Just something we have to live with if the meds give us a better quality of life 🤗xx

[Lunar246]

Thank you to everyone for there replies, It honestly is just getting a little overwhelming now all these medication's and there crappy side effect's it like you take one thing to get rid of your problem and it gives you all these other little problems instead like weight gain, for someone like me it tends to be an issue because I once was 24st and I managed to get down to 13st in under a year, and I never want to be that big again for my health and my mental health and for my children not to mention my confidence having RA at 25 is already embarrassing enough for me, on top of always having to walk around with a crutch because nobody bother to investigate my knee properly yes some of my knee issues are RA but the cracking and clicking and the not being able to get up off the floor of lean or bend on my knee's I cant even do a squat, for now I'm just going to have to watch my eating and try to exercise more without putting myself through to much strain, unfortunately I only started medication of any type in October so I'm far from being able to stop them yet

[PaintItRed in reply to Lunar246]

Oh, DearGirl...having RA or health issues shouldn't be embarassing. We all have our issues, some just being more visible than others. Give yourself some Love. You have a lot to deal with at such a young age.

Take care.

[Ninaseven]

Hi and I too gain weight on the steroids. I gained a lot on methotrexate. Now that I’m on Humira I don’t see as much. The steroids blow you up. I had to do a course in Dec and off now and I can see weight coming off. I felt when on methotrexate no matter what I did I couldn’t shift the weight. Good luck.

[LeaRa]

Hi. I am also gaining weight with MTX and feeling bloated all the time. My stomach is getting big 😣.Have a good day friends !

[Pulfs]

Can relate to what’s been said gained 2st which starting with retuximab infusion along side the methotrexate nothing seems to shift it 😟 I eats healthy diet but mobility a bit restricted x