Moon face

[Advidkc]

Hi everyone, i ve diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, i took Retoxmab and now i am on pred and mycophnolate mofetil , so now there the dr is tapering pred to 15 mg but still i ve moon face big check , is if pred is tapred to 10 mg will remove big checks 💔?

[SnazzyD]

Mine went gradually and mostly unnoticeably but it wasn’t until under 10mg it really improved and even down to zero there was still change.

[Advidkc in reply to SnazzyD]

That’s mean on 10mg still have chubby face ?

[SnazzyD in reply to Advidkc]

Yes, but I can’t say how chubby and we all have different ideas about what chubby means and how bad it has to be, to be unacceptable. I had also started on 60mg and been on steroids for over a year. I just changed my hair style and avoided mirrors and kept telling myself it was improving and was temporary. One thing that did help was cutting down salt to be almost non existent but under about 7mg you need to make sure you have some. I also ate an ultra low carb diet so that I didn’t put on extra weight because what fat one does have on Pred ends up round the middle and the cheeks/neck.

[bussell in reply to Advidkc]

This week I reduced from 10mg to 9mg. My daughter just called in and after a minute or two said "Mum, your face is thinner". And indeed it is. Not quite such a hamster. Joy! Have lost a couple of pounds too. So - hopefully light at the end of the tunnel?

[GenJe in reply to bussell]

There definitely is. Last week thought might have to go back on pred. and sure I'm not going to have to now - thank goodness. I was on an 80mg taper - I looked ridiculous😅 without mentioning all of the other yuk side effects. BUT - they all go away, and you do look like yourself again- yay!

[bussell in reply to GenJe]

Comforting thought!

[GenJe in reply to bussell]

Sorry😔

[GenJe in reply to Advidkc]

It will go away, it really doesn't last forever. I know it's rubbish at the time, but hang in there - things definitely get better as you go below 10mg

[GenJe in reply to SnazzyD]

Me too!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

There is no answer - one lady I know lost no weight at all until she got off pred altogether when it just faded away over time without her even trying - there was plenty to go, she'd gain 6st with the very high doses required for GCA>. I, on the other hand, lost 35lbs while still at above 10mg.

Some of the moonface can be due to just any weight gain on pred - and that can be helped by cutting carbs drastically - which was how I lost my weight.

[Advidkc in reply to PMRpro]

I am slim but have fat on back and moon face , I reduced some weight but i feel that weight reduction was from my leg because my leg is thinner,

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Advidkc]

Legs getting thinner is a common effect of pred - it makes muscles waste.

[Advidkc in reply to PMRpro]

What can i do to avoid muscle waste ?!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Advidkc]

Gentle exercise and targeted exercises from a physio should help. And reducing the pred dose over time. I had problems with one type of steroid but once I was off it and was able to walk the muscle came back.