“Shriveling” and losing fat and muscle

[Mstiles]

Hello everyone,

In the last few months I’ve gotten a lot more wrinkly and my extremities are beginning to resemble toothpicks. Especially noticeable in my thighs and rear. I’ve had trouble with healthy eating during this pandemic and with filling up if I don’t eat carbs. I’ve lost a few pounds but my GP is so busy it’s hard to address everything.

I’m in the US, diagnosed in 2018 with GCA and PMR. Now at 11 mg prednisone. I updated my profile recently.

[HeronNS]

A few months ago I felt like I was shrivelling up. I weighed myself and had lost a few more pounds. At that point I started eating a bowl of cereal at bedtime and put on weight at the rate of about a pound a month. I have had to discontinue the snack as it is too effective and my new clothes were not going to fit me any more, but also I already feel I am not shrivelled up any more. It was like a line drawn in my case at 100 lb. Over that I'm thin but not shrivelled, below that my skin begins to hang like a wrinkled sack off my limbs.

[Mstiles in reply to HeronNS]

Glad it worked for you!Bedtime snack might do the trick, would have to find the right food. Currently battling acid reflux and watching carbs

[HeronNS in reply to Mstiles]

I still take calcium near bedtime (about half an hour to an hour before I lie down) and usually take it with a small glass of kefir. Before kefir I used to have just a single very large spoonful of plain yoghurt.

dreams.co.uk/sleep-matters-...

[calicojoy41]

I think it is a combination of old age , I am 80 and PMR with prednisone joining the gang!!!

[Mstiles in reply to calicojoy41]

I’m 78 so perhaps time to accept that!

[Twopies]

Me too! Came on rather suddenly or I should say, quickly. When I first got pmr, I turned into a twig at the higher doses of prednisone and then built back a little. But now I’m twiggy again. Annoying, as I try so hard to eat right and keep moving. Hoping I’ll fatten up soon.

[Mstiles in reply to Twopies]

Me too Twopies. Thighs, butt, and boobs seem to be vanishing.

[2013mayo]

Gosh, I thought I was the only one, I too have lost too much weight, I put on a bit when I first started on high dose pred and had to cut out lot of carbs, but then it went the other way and I lost too much so starting eating normally again. As you say the muscle and fat from under my skin has vanished, now I’m all wrinkly on my arms legs and tummy, I’m not unfit and at 67 I’d have thought I’d be ok, not so.

I can only assume it’s the pred, I’m hoping once I’m off it I’ll regain some muscle and subcutaneous fat? 🤔😟🤞

Xx

[Mstiles in reply to 2013mayo]

Yes I’d like to hear from some who got off prednisone and regained some of the lost muscle and fat.

[ChrisinNam]

Goodness! I wish!