Why do steroids make you gain weight?

[suzieh]

Do you gain because you feel more hungry? Or do the steroids themselves make you store fat or stop you burning it off? I have been quite careful not to eat more but can still see the scales moving upwards.....

[Hidden]

Hello Suzieh,

As I understand it, steroids increase your appetite making you hungry.

Also, they can cause fluid retention around the stomach area ,

I usually fill up with plenty of fresh fruit in between meals, and I follow Slimming World diet plan.

Karen x

[suzieh in reply to Hidden]

thanks for reply and tips

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi Suzie

I was ravenous on my high starting dose of 40mgs and I tried to eat little and often, avoiding too many carbs such as bread, white potatoes (sweet potatoes are better) and parsnips as these food can lead to an increase in any steroid-induced weight gain. They also turn to sugar in our bodies so can add to the risk of steroid-induced diabetes. As Karen has said, steroids can also cause fluid retention, so lots of known diuretic foods such as asparagus, garlic, fennel and melon can help.

[suzieh in reply to Celtic]

I don't think I have felt any more hunger so have been lucky in that respect! Will try and eat more diuretic foods though to see if that helps. Don't feel I look that much different at present - just heavier!

[2watsons]

As you know three types of steroid,s the systenic ones we take can course weight gain an do in most cases,and cause us to retain water .So we need to increase water intake [which of cause gives us another problem /// We do have fun do we not .So good luck keep smiling .

[suzieh in reply to 2watsons]

I am not very good at drinking plain water! Will try leaving out a filled litre bottle in the kitchen and try to finish it each day................

[Hidden in reply to suzieh]

Hi suzieh,

I do not drink tap water - it tastes ghastly where I live. I always drink bottled water - fizzy. It simply has more taste. Your idea is good and I'm sure you'll get used to drinking more water quite soon. I've been doing it for at least 20 years, so it's normal for me. By the way, if you fancy fizzy water, Lidl sell it and it tastes very nice. Also it's not expensive.

Pats

[Hidden]

Hi suzieh,

If you stick to the diet you were probably on pre steroids, you will gain weight. Why? Pred is an artifitial form of adrenalin and is not as soffisticated as the one that nature has taken millions of years to perfect - the one your adrenals produced before prednisolone put them to sleep. That took approx 3 to 4 weeks.

After this rather short period of time you are left with pred - brilliant at knocking out inflammation and pain, but rather lacking when it has to deal with parts of our normal diet like salt and sugar.

What can you do to put on as little weight as possible - DON'T add salt to your diet and cut out all pre-prepared foods that contain it. Next - STOP adding sugar to your food and don't consume any junk foods that contain sugar.

All that I can do is tell you what diet I have followed whilst on pred. I have only gained half a stone in weight and I have taken pred at varying doses for over 2 years.

1st - cook all your food from raw.

Eat 2 to 3 main meals a week that contain fish. Or sea food in general.

Eat as many veges as your body will take. Potatoes are fine, but leave the skin on.

Eat meat (your body needs the minerals it gives) but not large portions and cut off the fat.

Eat wholemeal bread (white bread is PAP and should be banned). It's as bad as eating sugar. I eat wholemeal toast for breakfast to buffer the pred.

Substitute herbs instead of salt to add flavour. There are many herbs that have anti-inflammitory properties and many lower blood pressure too. Just go on line and you will find long lists that are very helpful.

I make a big curry every week containing very lean beef and masses of veges and 5 anti inflammitory herbs + curry powder. I make about 2 litres. It makes 2 main meals with rice plus provides gravy for any extra meat dishes we might have----------------yummy, yummy. All good stuff. I always feel better the next day, and it's great for days when the weather is miserable.

Drink, drink, drink --- water. I have 3 to 4 pints a day. Why? Because you need it to flush out the baddies that your body is holding on to. All raw foods contain salt and sugar to some extent, therefore, you have to get rid of them and only fluids will do the business, so DRINK. By the way, it will do wonders for your skin.

Tea is fine, but don't overdo it, but I would avoid coffee - too much caffeine.

Fruit is OK in moderation, but it has sugar, so not too much and as for soft drinks - don't even go there.

I enjoy a couple or three of red wine at the weekends - It never seems to put any weight on me and acts as a great 'pick me up' - my treat.

Pats.

[suzieh in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for spending time to explain so clearly what to do - all so positive and great reminders about healthy eating. I do need to step up my water intake and the intake of diuretic foods. I haven't added salt or sugar for years and never drink fizzy or soft drinks - so doing quite well. Will follow tips on using more anti - inflammatory herbs/spices etc Will make a list today from the internet ( & your previous notes) and will pin up in the kitchen as reminders!

[Grawnya in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for this practical help. Any chance you could send your recipe for your curry? Sounds like it provides many things needed to help with this problem.

[Hoogli]

Thanks Pats,

Yours is the best practical advice I have seen in ages,and exactly what is needed. If you follow your advice, you can then adapt it to your own taste, remembering key points to help with the weight problem. I will certainly try your method, and feel confident it will be sucssessful. Many thanks.

[Whittlesey in reply to Hoogli]

Agreed, Hoogli and Suzieh, very sensible, reality based advice from Pats

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Pats

Like you, Pats, I also put on just half a stone, and my diet almost mirrors you'rs with a couple of exceptions/inclusions:

Although I drink plenty of water during the day (2 pints), I would not drink as much as 3 or 4 pints, believing that could lead to overload when you take into account the extra liquid from soups, vegetables and cups of tea etc (I drink decaffeinated). And glasses of water shouldn't be gulped down in one go as that can risk flushing out the necessary minerals too quickly before your body has chance to make use of them.

I stuck to 3 portions of oily fish a week (sardines (with bones - good for our bones!), mackerel and salmon. I always felt more pain-free after the oily fish and noticed a difference if I missed it out!

I ate loads of known anti-inflammatory foods such as beetroot, avocado, garlic and turmeric.

I made sure the bulk of my potato intake was from sweet potatoes.

I included plenty of asparagus, garlic, fennel and melon to assist with getting rid of unwanted fluid build-up.

Coffee, sugar and alcohol are not recommended, particularly when you get to the lower steroid doses as they place stress on the adrenal glands and those glands will be desperately trying to get back to their pre-steroid production of cortisol (natural steroid).

I also eat mostly organic foods to avoid the blitz of pesticides in non-organic foods.

I know having to watch our diets can sound depressing when we are struggling with our pain but in the early days of my life-changing PMR and GCA, I felt at least this was one way of getting some control back over my life.

Good luck everyone.

[Shardic2824 in reply to Celtic]

I have put on 6 Kilos in 6 weeks ! Not impressed !!

[Pipistrelle]

For what it is worth, I actually had the opposite affect (which can also happen on steroids and with PMR) -- I lost weight initially and eventually stabilised. Even though I needed to lose weight it was a bit scary when it was happening at first. I actually started to put on weight only as my PMR has faded away and my steroid levels dropped to almost nothing. That said I also really watched what I was eating because I was afraid of the steroid weight gain (and also focused on anti-inflammatory foods which are nice and healthy) so perhaps the weight loss was in part an overall improvement in eating habits too.

[55grove in reply to Pipistrelle]

Hello, yes, I also have lost weight so good to know this can happen and not something else lurking... Thanks. That said I watch what I eat and always cook from fresh. Love fish anyway. I did have some red meat when eating out and boom back to square one with stiffness and pain. Lesson learned!

[suzieh]

Interesting! I have managed to stabilise this week so am feeling a bit better about it. Maybe it is too much to expect for me to be able to drop a few pounds more whilst on steroids...

[Tambo7]

Such valuable advice from everyone! I thought it was just the increased hunger with steroid that causes weight gain! How depressing that it is the drugs themselves!!! I am desperately trying to eat organically and well: low fat salt etc. disappointed little weight loss... Now I know! And yes, I feel so much better! Just wish here was n alternative to pred!

[cashpuppy]

Thanks Pats and Celtic, your advice is excellent. Thank you for taking the time to give such detail. I am back on predn. again after another bout and I will use the valuable information you both provided. Peace Cashpuppy

[Momed]

Sticking To A Vegetarian Diet Plan. And Doing Mild Exercises Made Me Lose 6 KGs In A 5 Months Period, Following A Dose Of 20 MG Of Steroid. Before That I Gained 17 KGs. So I Started Drinking Mainly Water And Fruit Juice With No Added Sugar. Along With That, I Followed A Vegetarian Diet. When Ever I Feel Like Eating Meat, I Eat Fish And Mushroom. I Ate No Oily Food And No Sugary Foods. Not Even Salty. I Did Not Face Any Medical Problems. Still Following The Same Plan Hoping To Achieve My Weight Loss (Maintaining) Goal..... Hope This Helps.... ( May Not Work With Higher Dose Of Steroids)

[airele26]

Does steriods cause you to gain weight?

[Pieater67]

I would say the weight gain is due to increase in appetite.