Prednisone weight gain

I was wondering if anyone here has been on Predisone and how its effected thier weight. I was diaogised with Rhumatoid Arthritis in November and finally got put on Prednisone steriods to help recover, my weight shoot up from 130lbs in February to 144lbs now,the highest ive ever been. I was on 30mg daily then tapered down to 10mg, i decided enough is enough and i cant keep gaining weight at this rate so i finally came off the Prednisone last week, fingers crossed the combination of other drugs keeps the pain manageble.

I wanted to know how people have coped with trying to control their weight whilst on Predinsone/Steriods. Once you stopped taking the tablets did you find that youre weight started to return to normal? I know i need to start exercising again which obviously i havent done since i got ill 9 months ago. But my weight is not dropping and i feel i have no control of my body.

Im trying to really be strict on what im eating but still im not losing anything. Im in Dubai, and its Ramadan so its naturally leading me to eat just one meal a day, though im not fasting on purpose its just that theres a ban on eating or drinking in public before 6.30pm so most days we are out for dinner and eating nothing all day, so my calorie intake is defiantely lower than 1500cals.

Please someone tell me that once they came off the steriods their bodies start to return to normal, im desperate.

It has been many, many years since I was on prednisone, but I remember the weight gain.  I didn't really notice it at the time, but later, when I went back and saw pictures of myself, it was really noticeable.

After stopping prednisone, the body needs time to adjust.  The length of time depends on how much prednisone was taken and for how long.  After taking large doses for a long time, it could take up to a year for your body to adjust, but I don't think this is your case.  I wouldn't consider 30 mg a large dose.

Like I said, it has been years since I took it, but I am healthier now that I have ever been.  Don't go too drastic with your diet in an effort to lose the weight quickly.  It will come off. 

When I came off prednisone, my body did return to normal.  Don't despair!

I suffered from tuberculosis-like symptoms for months before being diagnosed with sarcoidosis. I completely lost my appetite and lost about 40 lbs during this period.

Anyway, my doctor started me off at 40mg of predisone.  Not only did I quickly gain about 15 lbs, I was also paranoid and irritable as heck).  Fortunately for me, after a couple of months, my respiratory problems literally went away overnight, so my doctor quickly weened me off the stuff...and I quickly started losing weight again.

So I think that unless you've gotten into some bad eating habits as a result of an increased appetite, your weight should normalize fairly quickly. Hope this helps.

I'm sorry about your condition. My mother in law uses predisone currently and has gained quite a bit of weight, but she also lost a lot of weight from lupus. Predisone is a really awful drug with terrible side effects, her doctor has been lowering her dosage over the last few months because it can cause blindness. She says the drug greatly increases her appetite, so I think she just really watches the quantity that she eats on a daily basis. Keep digging for answers for your condition, don't just accept that you have to take this drug everytime you have a flare up. We are working with a holistic doctor to treat her auto immune disease more naturally.

There's no way to avoid weight gain while on prednisone/cortisone. It's also an ugly, puffy looking water-retention kind of weight gain.

If you stop the prednisone the weight will come off. Anyone stopping must do it gradually though. No cold turkey with prednisone.

Thanks everyone. I guess ill stick with the dieting as that the only thing i can do. Its just so demotivating to have no control over your body.

Prednisone is a terrible drug, but it is  not prescribed lightly.  It is common treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. I have been on it since 1997, steadily, constantly, for sarcoidosis.  The first few months, on a high dose, I packed on the pounds without realizing it.  If I had been warned about it, I like to think I would have been careful, but the hunger is awful.  I think I would have eaten a cow alive if it was in front of me.  After a couple of years and with a new doctor, I am now on a steady low dose and immurine, which has its own problems. At least I am not in Emerg every second day trying to breathe. It is hard to lose weight on the drug, but I have been told that it falls off gradually once you are off. It is not the sort of drug you go off of without supervision.  I have been told that with my long term use I will have a heart attack in 3 days and be dead in 5. Haven't tried to prove that yet. I did go 2 1/2 days while in the hospital- they did not realize there was two pages of meds- and am still alive.  Staff did move fast when I came to and told them I ws missing it.

I have serious sarcoid arthritis esp. in my feet and hands. My bones snap without warning as they are misshapen.  Just standing up, I have broken bones. So any exercise is difficult to impossible.  I  find that if I am in water even if barely doing anything, I feel better.  I have found I can walk on crusher gravel which is  hard packed, slightly heavier than sand. It is on the local trails and seems to have some  spring to it. Of course I wear very  costly walking shoes.  I am also looking into Nordic walking which uses poles and is supposed to be a full body exercise that is especially good for seniors, the arthritic, etc.

Short term prednisone use may put the weight on, but it will come off. Just eat healthy and watch the portion size. You also, lucky person, have youth on your side.  Good Luck!