Weight Gain And Prednisone

[penguin]

I had to take a 5 day course of Tequin (butt-kicking antibiotic) and a 7 day course of Prednisone to get rid of a nasty cellulitis infection from allergy testing (talk about your insult to injury...). I ended both a week and a half ago.

Anyway, I've gained about 5-8 lbs in a 2 week time! Freaking me out! I fluctuate a pound or three day to day, but that was a huge jump! If anything, my diet is healthier, so I don't know what the deal is.

I'm also not skinny! I'm overweight, though not *that* much. You can see by my avatar photo, that was taken only 9 mos. ago.

Could the sudden jump be from the course of prednisone? HELP!!!!

[Canadian Karen]

Oh, you bet your bippy it can!!!!

When I went on prednisone just over a year ago, I had NEVER had weight issues before going on it. In fact, the good thing about having diarrhea 20 times a day is that I used to be able to eat junk food coming out of my battoozies and I never gained an ounce. In fact, I had to eat alot of fatting junk food stuff just to maintain weight! Well, went on the prednisone (long dose of it - 6 weeks of strong dosage) and EXPLODED up to 200 lbs.! I am still trying to lose it. Since being on the prednisone, I haven't been able to lose an ounce.

I finally got serious about it last week. I have for the first time in my life gone on a "lose weight" diet. I have cut out ALL junk, and went and got low-calorie condiments, etc. etc. I also got a pedometer/calorie counter/step counter with FM radio and go for long walks every day now. In just over 1 week, I have gone from 206 lbs. to 199 lbs. It's a start, but hey, I am motivated!!!!! I promised myself I would be back to my old self by summer. My "old" self, meaning my regular weight, is 150 lbs. I have one of those builds though that even at 150, I am quite slim (I am very tall and big boned). When I lost way too much weight back in my 20's, I was 125 and looked like I was in a concentration camp, it was awful.

All I can say is that to this day, I curse prednisone every time I look in the mirror!

Hugs.

Karen

[jerseyangel]

Lord, yes! I used to take Prednisone for my "sinus" infections. Within a day, my face would balloon up--I looked like a frying pan. The injections of Decadron, which last 6 weeks are what made me gain the most weight. Over a period of about 4 years, I put on 30 lbs.

[mouse]

When ever I have to use a Medrol pac I never gain weight, but that is a 6 day thingee. But, I remember when I had regular pneumonia about 8 years ago. When I got out of the hospital they had me on plenty of prednizone and a week after I got my pardon we went on a planned trip to Australia - still on the prednizone. After several days I started to ask my husband when we could eat again, even thought we had left a restaurant just an hour before. We were in Australia for two weeks and when we left I was pinning my pants and tugging my t-shirts as far down as I could. I must have gained 15 pounds in those couple of weeks. It took me until I got home to remember the prednizone. And at that time I had a rather large weight problem and it was heck to get back to my normal big weight. It will come off, but it will take some work. Good Luck.

[flagbabyds]

when i went on it las month, i gained 5 pounds, which was fine w/ me. i finally got over 100!, then dropped like 10 when i went off it.

[lonewolf]

Prednisone is NASTY! I was on it for 9-1/2 months (several of those months at a very high dose) and I managed to gain only 26 pounds by trying to starve myself and exercise a lot. I still (over a year and a half later) haven't been able to get rid of the weight. AARRGGHH!

[aaascr]

I refuse to take it anymore.

Along with the derangement of my mental

faculties, the immediate weight gain

was way too frustrating.

[Rusla]

Prednisone is the evilest drug of all. Every time I have a serious asthma attack they try to feed me the stuff, or a serious allergy reaction. I try to fight them tooth and nail because I will gain 5 lbs a day and have a face and a butt the size and same shape as the moon. It also makes me very psychotic.

[penguin]

Yeah, I'm not doing that again! The nurse said that I didn't "metabolize the mold pollen" from the allergy testing and that's why the site got so infected (I was extremely allergic to that one). Although, I read that cellulitis is caused by a staph infection...

Anyhoo, since I've been having the digesting glass pain all this week, the prednisone weight is dropping off nicely

Although I continue to retain a ridiculous amount of water.

[awesomeame]

predisone is not the evil drug it's being made out to be. YES, it can have some side effects, but those are outweighed by the benefits the drug provides.

as for weight, i haven't been on pred in about 10 years, but now i have been on it for the last 5 months, in very high doses. (up to 120mg/day at some points) 10yrs ago i gained about 70lbs, this time around i have not gained ANYTHING, and no "moon face." yes the drug gives you the urge to eat, and that you're "not full," but you can control that too. i eat gluten & dairy free, meals high in protein, and one meal a day is seafood/fish. i don't add salt to anything, the more salt you eat the more water you'll retain. i also use an appitite suppressant available at the healthfood store called "hoodia," so i have that "full stomach"" feeling. (get the 100% hoodia extract, without caffeine) i eat about 2500 calories per day, if i say eat 3000 one day, the next day i'll eat 2000 so it averages out. i count every damn calorie i eat....one has to, or else you'll gain weight like crazy on the pred! the only exercise i get is about 20mins of weight trainng every other day-otherwise my lifestyle is basal. with a little disipline and knowledge you will not gain any weight being on prednisone.

good luck

--matt

[Nancym]

Interesting! I was wonder how the weight gain happens, whether it messes wtih your blood sugar and makes you hungry or whether it actually slows down your metabolism.

I know how many calories I can eat if I'm eating starchy/sugary food. Concentrating on protein really gets my appetite back under control again.

[jennyj]

I was on predinsone for a week and gained about 5 lbs. But when my younger brother came home from a 15 month tour in Iraq he became very sick and ended up on a ventilator. He made it through, thank God, but was put on a high dose of pred. for a year. He put on almost 90 pounds. He has since been weaned off of it but still has to loose about 30 pounds. It made him gain weight but at least he is still part of my life.

[Sawyer]

I had to go on prednisone for arthritis and I've gained over 50 pounds. I went off the drug about 2-3 weeks ago and have only lost 5 pounds so far. I think with eating gluten-free it will help lose the rest.

[NicoleAJ]

I'm on predisone for a mysterious viral infection that caused swelling of the spine. I hate it. Not only have I gained a few pounds, but it makes my tongue go numb, and sometimes my eyes don't open on their own--I need to force them instead. It also makes me feel loopy and nauseous. The doctor wanted me on higher doses but I coaxed him into weaning me off and seeing what happens. We'll see. I really hate the way it makes me feel, so I'm hoping this spine swelling goes away on its own. I'm going to the doc tomorrow, so we'll see.

[Canadian Karen]

Nicole,

Wanted to wish you good luck at the doctors tomorrow. I for one know first hand that prednisone is absolutely horrid, horrid stuff.......

Hugs and sending good luck vibes your way!

Karen

[LKelly8]

Yes, many good vibes go with you!

I was on 9mg of decadron for rheumatoid arthritis and gained 60lbs in six months. I'm also bipolar so the mood swings were unbelievable. Felt hot all the time, head sweats in the middle of the night - leaving my pillow drenched, obsessive compulsive behavior, fits of anger/irritability, "moon face", "buffalo hump", horrible stretch marks and best of all was my doctor threatening me with "life in a wheelchair" when I wanted to stop.

I try to remember that it's not the medicine's fault, corticosteroids can and do save lives, it's the doctors who administer the drugs incorrectly or carelessly that are at fault.

[loraleena]

Prednisone is bad stuff. I believe it cause my candida to become out of control. It can cause many health issues, including weight gain and mental illness. I just recently read about its implications in candida overgrowth.

[bdot78]

I know this is an old thread but I figured I'd post something I just found.

There is more and more research pointing to the cause of Crohn's being mycobacteria. (an auto-immune disease just like Celiac)

So I started researching about mycobacteria/mycobacterium being the cause of Celiac as well. Did a quick search and a forum post popped up from a supposed "Indian doctor" whose dermatitis herpetiformis was supposedly cured by taking an antibiotic called Tequin, that kills mycobacteria as well.

I recently had to take Tequin, an antibiotic, for a sinus infection.

After about five days I noticed a change. I did not react to gluten

as I normally do. Wanting to test this more I went to the local IHOP

and had a stack of pancakes. I did not seem to react or have a

problem. Since then I have "cheated" quite a bit and cannot detect

any definite side affects. Tequin is a fourth generation

flouroquinolone. It is know that a particular organism, atypical

mycobacteria, are highly sensitive to it. Since I "acquired"

dermatitis herpetiformis along with some celiac problems later in life

and since sulfonamide antibiotics have been used successfully to treat

these in the past, I have felt that celiac disease and dermatitis

herpetiformis may be the result of an infection. Atypical

mycobacteria fits the bill in that it is extemely hard to find,

isolate and culture. Might this be the culprit? Might Tequin be a

useful treatment? I leave it to all of you to consult your physicians

and report back to the group. I have not yet but plan to bring this

up to a gastroenterologist friend of mine. I am, by the way, a

physician myself and have no commercial interest in Tequin. I am

anxious to hear what the members of this group think, what experiences

you might have had with Tequin and what your doctors think.

Open Original Shared Link

I just did a search on Google for "Tequin" and "Celiac" and this post came up with the author that has used Tequin and ended up having improved symptoms (yes I know she took Prednisone as well)

I just thought it was interesting that the "auto-immune" condition Crohn's Disease is being closely related to mycobacteria (

watch parts 1-10), and Celiac is considered an auto-immune condition as well.

Also one last piece of info I found:

"SAITO, H.,T OMIOKAH, . & WATANABET, . (1981). H202-releasing

function of macrophages activated with various mycobacteria based

on wheat germ agglutinin and phorbol myristate acetate triggering.

Journal of the Reticuloendothelial Society 29, 193-204."

Basically that's saying that mycobacteria have some function that gets activated when they get wheat gluten. Maybe our Celiac/Crohn's symptoms are from this mycobacteria getting it's preferred food, wheat gluten?

I have no interest in the "Tequin" company, and if anything would be interested in curing it naturally.

I personally have Crohn's and gluten intolerance. I have a small mass on my right lung that didn't grow on a 6-month follow-up, so no treatment was taken.

The last time I ate gluten just right chest became very swollen for about 12 hours and I was very irritable. This was the first time I had ever went gluten-free for a period of time (30 days), and then tried to re-introduce gluten. This is also the same side that I have a lung mass on.

What do you guys think?

[Loey]

predisone is not the evil drug it's being made out to be. YES, it can have some side effects, but those are outweighed by the benefits the drug provides.

as for weight, i haven't been on pred in about 10 years, but now i have been on it for the last 5 months, in very high doses. (up to 120mg/day at some points) 10yrs ago i gained about 70lbs, this time around i have not gained ANYTHING, and no "moon face." yes the drug gives you the urge to eat, and that you're "not full," but you can control that too. i eat gluten & dairy free, meals high in protein, and one meal a day is seafood/fish. i don't add salt to anything, the more salt you eat the more water you'll retain. i also use an appitite suppressant available at the healthfood store called "hoodia," so i have that "full stomach"" feeling. (get the 100% hoodia extract, without caffeine) i eat about 2500 calories per day, if i say eat 3000 one day, the next day i'll eat 2000 so it averages out. i count every damn calorie i eat....one has to, or else you'll gain weight like crazy on the pred! the only exercise i get is about 20mins of weight trainng every other day-otherwise my lifestyle is basal. with a little disipline and knowledge you will not gain any weight being on prednisone.

good luck

--matt

HI everyone,

I am new to this forum and actually found it after goggling side effects of prednisone. I've recently had a lot of life changes (we moved to another state the day after my son graduated high school). I literally received my diagnosis the night before we left NJ. I was doing all right for about a month or two but for the past three weeks I've been in excruciating pain. My old G.I. wanted a capsule endoscopy because she felt it had been undiagnosed for a long time. When I initially went to my new doctor in our new location it was to get my son genetically tested (phew - he's negative). I was feeling well when I saw him so he ordered blood work to be done before my next check up. Then BAM!!! - a really horrible flare. When I saw him this week he said there were still high levels of gluten or the markers for it in my blood. I've spent a fortune on gluten free food and hope I can find my triggers soon. I've read that some foods that are gluten free are not for everyone (I can't tolerate canola oil). I'm going to be my own detective. I also insisted on the capsule endoscopy and it's booked pending authorization from insurance.

OK, I digress. I was just put on a 4 week course of prednisone weaning down the daily dose by 10 mg a week (I'm starting at 40 mg a day this week, then 30 mg a day next week, 20 mg a day, etc.). My husband feels I need to gain a little weight right now. I have dropped down to below 100 some days. I've taken prednisone in the past for respiratory infections and didn't have any side effects. I have my fingers crossed that the prednisone will help by next Saturday. We have really good seats to see Roger Water's perform The Wall and it will also be the first time we see our son since he left for college at the end of August. Today I can't imagine sitting at a concert that long. In August we saw Paul McCartney and I was doing well enough to stand for the 3 hour (no intermission) concert. I can't even imagine half that time.

This web site and it's forums have been a Godsend for me. I am usually a extremely positive person but I have been feeling very isolated since I don't know anyone here and the Celiac flare isn't helping me to get out of the house. I want and need to feel well enough to get a job.

Thank you all so much for giving me a place to share what we all learn on this journey.

Loey