Help - My Body Is ...

[TOBEY32]

not my own!
Yes, part of it is ego.
I was 20+ underweight after diagnoses/release from the hospital. Now I am 20+ over (Prednisone).
Everything's bigger, but none of it is muscle (definition). That has gone bye-bye. My puffiness has affected me down to the bags under my eye. People comment (if they don't you know they want to). I have no chin (jaw line). I have a gut that resembles a map of Texas, if I don't hold it in. If I do, then it's only like Kansas. My clasp watch won't clasp. I stand/walk as erect as possible to try and disguise my 'hump". And last, but not least, I've developed (drum-roll!) MAN-BOOBS! Don't look, I'm not wearing a bra!!
My doc has recently lowered my Pred from 20mg to 17.5mg for the next 30 days, then we're gonna try 15mg/the next 30 after that. I have heard different experiences from some of you once your Pred was lowered as far as if/when some of the excess came off.

David

[renidrag]

David, I have been there and am now somewhat coming back from it. The puffiness and hump probably won't start to go away until very low pred or off completely. The price we pay. I am 6'4" and weighed 205 for most of my adult life. After dx and treatment soared to 272. Post pred down to 247 now and slowly losing. I know exactly how you feel, I used to say I was just following my belly around. My strength has not responded as I had hoped but I can't complain too much. I too accepted that my man boobs will probably be with me for a while. I no longer remove my shirt for any activity that three years ago I would not have given it a thought. To top it off I had to renew my drivers license in the middle of pred and meds. Now there is a picture!
Dale

[drz]

Two years after diagnosis and initial treatment my weight remains where it was when i left in patient facilities. No luck losing any weight but good news is I didn't gain any more. I just decided to give away all my clothes from before the Wegs stuff since i don't see any likelihood of wearing them again. i have to wear suspenders since belt won't work with the beer gut that makes look about 7 or 8 months pregnant. It might be wishful thinking but i think it is down from the 8 and half month look earlier or I am just getting used to it. i think my big gut has become so attached to me that it will never leave me unless i have a real big flare and end up spending another couple months in a hospital again. I rather have the pregnant look than that experience again. I did lose the buffalo hump and puffy face except for bags under the eyes when pred got down to 5 mg day.

[freakyschizogirl]

Hey Tobey

I was always overweight but the pred munchies hasnt helped. Another 2 pounds and i'll be the heaviest i've ever been - thats very scary for me. I have a weight that i refuse to let myself go over because i feel like if i do there'll be no turning back.

Hang on in there. The pred reduction will help - tho my energy levels were zapped when i tapered down from 15mg - i did Zumba classes on 15mg but once i was down to 10mg i simply could do them anymore!

[TOBEY32]

Dale, that's too funny regarding your picture!

I knew I wasn't the only one, renidrag.

Never heard that lower doses of Pred affects one's energy, freakyschizogirl. Don't need any help there.

[Dryhill]

Like Sam, I was overweight before starting pred, but now I have the concern if I put more weight on I will not be able to sit behind the wheel of my car AND reach the pedals. :love:

Jim

[Dryhill]

Hey Tobey

I was always overweight but the pred munchies hasnt helped. Another 2 pounds and i'll be the heaviest i've ever been - thats very scary for me. I have a weight that i refuse to let myself go over because i feel like if i do there'll be no turning back.

Hang on in there. The pred reduction will help - tho my energy levels were zapped when i tapered down from 15mg - i did Zumba classes on 15mg but once i was down to 10mg i simply could do them anymore!

Hey Sam, I heard something interesting the other day. If you eat a ring doughnut it is the centre that is very good for you, but you MUST eat the ring on the way to the centre. :flapper:

Jim

[freakyschizogirl]

Hey Sam, I heard something interesting the other day. If you eat a ring doughnut it is the centre that is very good for you, but you MUST eat the ring on the way to the centre. :flapper:

Jim


Oh Jim, you do make me laugh!

Is this to be called the Doughnut Theory? Much like the spoon theory...Hmm

[renidrag]

Jim, I was not too concerned with reaching the pedals, rather the Oreo cookies.
Dale

[Dryhill]

Jim, I was not too concerned with reaching the pedals, rather the Oreo cookies.
Dale

Dale, I am concerned about reaching the pedals, I have to drive to the shops to get more cookies and doughnuts!

Jim

[mishb]

Try being 4'11" and reaching the pedals.....with or without the pred tummy :crying:

[Debbie C]

when I was in the hosp. last week one of the nurses asked me what my secret was cuz I didn't look my age. I told to take steroids and your face will be so puffed up it takes away all yr wrinkles. I too don't fit in any of my clothes ( I'm going thru my summer clothes now ) but I just can't bear to get rid of them,I keep saying one day !! The only thing is I never even got "man-boobs" the weight went ever where else..how unfair!

[julia]

One year off pred. Have lost some weight.
Lost some while tapering pred
more when off pred.
It comes off very slowly. I am able to exercise, water aerobics and walking.
Some time ago I noticed my calf muscle "was back" , I was very happy.
I was overweight before diag. lost weight at diag. then gained almost 50lbs from that point. I have lost 34lbs since.
My biggest worry is ever going back on pred.
Best of luck to you.

[Pete]

My six-pack abs have morphed into a keg. Before I got sick, I weighed about 170. I lost about 25 lbs. before diagnosis. Once on pred, I quickly regained the lost weight plus about ten extra pounds. It's all belly fat. I'm down to 10 mg/day of pred now, but still holding at about 180. Hope to lose and redistribute some weight as I wean off pred.

Good luck and hang in there.

Pete
dx 1/2011

[NicShaf]

Well, it's nice to see you all can have a little sense of humor about Pred. I was rolling...pun intended:)

Anyway...David, when I was reducing my Pred, I noticed that my face swelling went down slightly. my family and friends would comment on my face looking slimmer. My Pulmy told me that below 20mg it should be easier to lose some weight, but I didn't have much luck with it.
As soon as I came off Pred, my puffiness seemed to melt away within a matter of weeks. I'm still struggling with losing the weight, i've been pred free for about 2 months, and it has taken counting every calorie and exercising daily to lose 5lbs. before Pred, I could drop weight like it was nothin', this has been a change for me to adjust to.

I had read parts of "Coping with Prednisone", it said the number one deturant of puffiness was avoid salt. This is hard to do, and it wont' make it all go away, but it might help.

Link to "Coping with Prednisone" on Amazon:
Amazon.com: Coping with Prednisone, Revised and Updated: (*and Other Cortisone-Related Medicines) (9780312375607): Eugenia Zukerman, Julie R. Ingelfinger: Books (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312375603/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0312195702&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=07N9A15NNRK7GMF62YZ5)

I also noticed my energy went down slightly with every drop in pred, but my body would adjust to it within about a week fo the drop.

Hope they can keep reducing your Pred.

Nicole