Is Prednisone Weight Gain Real Weight or Water Weight?

[kem53]

My daughter, who is naturally thin, has gained 9 pounds in the month she has been on prednisone. Is this "real" weight or "water" weight? She is starting to get worried since she will be on prednisone for at least 40 more days. Thank you for your responses in advance.

 

[Rebecca85]

I think it is real weight, it changes your metabolism and makes you hungry all the time. So chances are you are eating more calories and not burning so many off. The good news is it lessens as you taper, once I got below about 20 or 15mg I think I stopped putting weight on. And once you're off you should be able to lose it again.

 

[kem53]

Thank you, Rebecca, I appreciate your response.

 

[robbo87]

one of the effects is fluid retention, so some of it is "water weight" and i think that may be part of what causes the moon face thing, but like Rebecca says it also increases your appetite a ridiculous amount aswell so some of it will be real weight, I'd say both will play a part, but again once the dose decreases then both of those should go down aswell.

 

[ekay03]

Hi kem53, How old is your daughter. I ask just because the younger she is the easier to lose the weight. I was in my twenties when I was last on pred and I lost the weight quickly after I stopped taking it. I would go ahead and tell her not to worry. She will lose the weight soon enough. Pred really does cause appetite increase!

 

[indianhart]

Prednisone has so many side effects when I take it and one is moon face ! It does go away and the weight comes off. It feels more like water retention although you do want to eat more because your hungry. Good luck to her!

 

[braveheart]

Water

 

[sawdust]

I've got some flabby, chunky-looking water weight going on. It very well may be water weight with a constant amount of calorie intake, but my calorie intake is quite variable (pronounced tangential ) while on pred. 3 months, three inches on the waist and 35 lbs. I've never been this "healthy" weight-wise... or had this much acne on my moon face.

 

[KWalker]

I personally think it's water as well.. Judging from the fact your a mom to a child with crohns, I'm guessing your daughter is under 18. If so, she's probably so active and constantly burning off so many calories outside and playing with friends that she should have no problem getting rid of the added weight.

 

[kem53]

Ekay 03 and KWalker, my daughter is 23. She created a user name here as "ItsAlwaysSunny". She was diagnosed with Crohn's after a partial bowel obstruction in October of 2011. She doesn't have time to get on here right now and asked me to relay questions for her. She does appreciate the responses and checked the responses herself last night. Thank you to everyone for the answers, it appears she should not worry about it until she is done tapering off the prednisone.

 

[DanHerefordshire]

water weight is real weight the body will always store at least 60% in water

Percentage of water making up tissues, organs, fluids and bone in the human body: Brain 75%, Heart 75%, Lungs 86%, Muscle 75%, Liver 85%, Kidney 83%, Bone 22%, Blood 83%, Saliva 95%, Perspiration 95%

 

[ekay03]

kem53, Ya she is young!! I am sure she will go back to her original weight!

 

[KWalker]

Thanks for the clarification kem.. Like ekay said, she is young she shouldn't have any problems at all getting rid of that. Best of luck to her!

 

[Ang]

It's water sadly. DH actually swells so bad he needs meds to pee !!! His ankles sometimes make him look like a pregnant lady. We try not to let him take prednisone, we beg for other steroids. They tend to be more expensive, but less side effects.

 

[kem53]

You are all so kind to give so many responses. She is relieved to hear that the weight is either water weight or if regular weight, it can be lost readily. She weighed just 97 pounds last year, so she is happy to have the weight, she just doesn't want it to go completely out of control.