Prednisone

[Sangye]

Dale,
Yeah, that is WAY too fast. Quite dangerous. You may be able to get off pred altogether, but you have to take your time once you get under 10 mg. Elephant's recommended taper is right on, according to my Wegs doc. Alternating days seems nutty because we don't do that with other drugs, but it works great with pred.

My Wegs doc said once you're at 5 mg, the best way to drop is by 1mg per month. No faster than that, but slower is okay.

[MCC]

I've been in hospital this morning for cyclo and discovered I've put on 2kg in a week! I've been on prednisone for 4 weeks now, and this is the first weight gain, but it's a lot for a week!

Am upset about this as I am dreading my weight going up and up uncontrollably. I'm down to 20mg prednisone now from 50mg, but that is still a relatively high dose.

I think I will try to start excercising more and try to resist the hunger, but the nurse said I will basically put on weigh whatever I do.

[elephant]

Mandycc, your not going to get bigger and bigger and bigger. As long as you eat healthy like fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meats, yogurt, high fiber foods that will fill you up. Exercise is good, but try to gage it to how you feel that day. As the prednisone is reduced it will come off slowly. Everyone reacts differently to Prednisone, I have been on high doses of prednisone many times and gained 10 pounds ( I was on 60mg of pred then weaned down then had to go back up again).
Prednisone can just take over your mind and you feel like eating everything in site. It's frustrating, I know. Being on Prednisone makes you more anxious and nervous too.
Just start out tomorrow as a new day.

[MCC]

Thank you, and I am sorry to whinge about something so relatively silly- I KNOW my health is more important that putting on weight, but although I feel quite well with the Wegener's I am finding it increasingly hard to come to terms with all these changes, drugs and hospital visits. I actually cried after I was weighed! I guess I am all over the place with emotions being on prednisone.

[snooz23]

Just for another perspective...I have been on various doses of pred. for the last 8 months and have not gained a pound....actually I have lost quite a bit. I think the stress, anxiety and depression just override everything for me and I just have no desire to eat. And I have also radically changed my diet, because my integrative med. doc. dx w/ celiac disease (no more wheat, gluten,etc), so I have changed my eating habits.

[jola57]

Mandy we all go thru the weight gain and we all moan about it. Welcome to the family. Take hart that it is temporary and when you taper down so will the weight - slowly but surely.

[coffeelover]

I was on pred for over a year and recently took my (hopefully) last dose. So far so good....but I see a mayo doc next week, so time will tell. Anyway, I too was freaking out about the weight gain, but worked diligently on eating the correct foods and exercising when I felt good enough. I have been off pred for over a week and feel some disappointment in not losing the weight I gained while on pred yet, but I know that I am so impatient and tend to be a perfectionist.
I am still eating the correct diet, exercising regularily and continuing to remind myself where I have been and trying not to push myself to hard. I intend on losing some of the weight, but If I don't I have decided that I DO like the way I am and if I do have to go back on pred, then so be it.
BTW-my last 10 mgs of pred, I went down 2 and 1/2 by the week until I was at zero. Workded ok for me.
lisa Coffeelover

[Ivelisse]

I totally understand.
I'm only 17 &since I've had Wegners (15y.o)my steriods have been high then they bring them down and then right back up if I get sick again.
It's extremely hard,I have self esteem issues &have fallen into serious depression because of my weight.I've gained over 50 pounds in a year and half.I was really skinny before I got diagnosed &now my face is puffy &really round and i'm overweight for my age. I'm always hungry,it's crazyy.&My mood swings are terrible,I'm fine one minute &the next no one can speak to me. It's really annoying,right now I'm on 10mg of Medrol and I can't wait to go back to the Rheum Doctor's to see if they can bring them down.

[elephant]

Hi Ivelisse, I was on high doses of Prednisone when I was a teenager too. I understand what you are going through. It is tough because even though you have this Wegener's disease and know it can kill you if you don't take your medicine..... you still want to fit in with everyone else. The weight will come off once the prednisone is reduced. If your able to exercise, I would start walking everyday a little bit at a time. This will help your depression and you will burn some calories. It is very Normal for you to be moody and crazy! We all understand. I am still on prednisone but when I go up to a higher dose of prednisone people know!
Ivelisse, are you on other medicines for your Wegeners like methotrexate, cellcept , imuran, cytoxan ...
Ivelisse hope you feel better...it will get better ...Really...

[Ivelisse]

Thanks.
I'm on Myfortic for my Wegners but I have other complications like rightside heart ventricular failure and a pacemaker &defibrillator.&Kidney failure due to the Wegners as well so I take about 25 meds a day..