Pred and water

[Scaryman]

We all k ow that prednesone gives us moon face (water) in longer term use. My question is twofold.


1. Does t also effect waist line (looking fatter me a beer gut? I do not drink alcohol. Just wondering how much of my waist line is water to steroids.

2. Howlo g after your tapered off do you loose the water naturally? Would a GI perscribe those water reduction pills?

 

[AlliRuns]

I'm one of those weird people that prednisone made me lose weight and not gain, so I can't comment on how long it would take to lose it.

However, if you are retaining water as opposed to having gained fat, I would think that your abdomen would feel bloated as opposed to fat which would be more squishy (sorry for lack of technical terms). Again, just my thought.

 

[Ferret]

Hey! i have been recently diagnosed with Crohns, the first time i went on pred was actually to treat an autoimmune liver disorder but it actually dual helped with the inflamation of my liver and intestines from Crohns. but i know aaalll about the moon face crap :/ i gained 20 lbs of water weight gain in 3 weeks and then 10 more from the munchy side effect i get from prednisone. i had to start taking water pills and such to help with my swellin as my legs and stomach were getting really swollen. the moon face i got decently bad as well. i was started on 60 mg and stayed on that for about 2-3 months then tapered down to 5mg. i started losing the water weight gain after 20mg then the face after being on 10mg for 2 weeks then when they took me off pred (cause i wasnt responding for some reason) i lost my moon face after being off it for bout a month. it stays in your system preety well,which is how its designed. but alas they have started me on 60mg once again to combat my crohns and liver disorder again. hope this helps! write back if ya'd like

Ferret

 

[Jennifer]

Depends on the dose and how long you've been on it really. Like Ferret I was also started at 60mg and didn't start to see a reduction in the water retention until around 20mg. It took a few months for the water retention to fully go away for me after stopping Prednisone. I'd say between 3-5 months. Everyone is different though. For me it was always water weight. Reducing salt in your diet may help some as it also helps you retain water. I was never given any pills to help reduce the water weight, talk to your GI about it.

 

[Judith]

Prednisone can cause the weight you gain to preferentially distribute in the belly, the base of the neck, and the back of the neck ("buffalo hump").

In my personal experience, the water weight is lost pretty quickly but the fatty tissue sticks around. A diet rich in protein and very low in carbohydrates (sugars) and salt is extremely important for reducing weight gain due to water and fat. Keeping Potassium levels up by eating bananas could help you as well.

I noticed a difference by eating lots of lean meat and eggs and cutting out breads, potatoes and starches completely. I would consult your doctor before any drastic diet changes though.
Hope it helps.

Also.... it might seem counter-intuitive, but drinking a lot of water helps reduce the water retention as well.

 

[Scaryman]

Thanks everyone

 

[UnXmas]

I think this is quite an individual thing. I got moon face but only after many weeks on prednisone, and since I was underweight it actually made my face look more normal. I lost weight overall though and my arms and legs seemed to get thinner.

I think water weight is generally something that can be lost and gained relatively quickly - days rather than months - whereas fat and muscle is lost and gained over a longer time span.

 

[Jennifer]

I was on the higher doses for over 6 months so it can take months to lose the water weight when you've been on it for so long.

Forgot to mention that I had water retention throughout my body. I have stretchmarks on my legs and armpits and breasts from the higher doses of Pred long term and my sister who was also on a high dose long term got stretchmarks in the same areas as well but also on her stomach. Without any diet or exercise changes and the weight still falling off so rapidly (2-3 months of doing nothing and losing about 30 pounds) it was mostly if not all water weight.

 

[Hobbes650]

I was on the higher doses for over 6 months so it can take months to lose the water weight when you've been on it for so long.

Forgot to mention that I had water retention throughout my body. I have stretchmarks on my legs and armpits and breasts from the higher doses of Pred long term and my sister who was also on a high dose long term got stretchmarks in the same areas as well but also on her stomach. Without any diet or exercise changes and the weight still falling off so rapidly (2-3 months of doing nothing and losing about 30 pounds) it was mostly if not all water weight.

I sure hope it doesn't take MONTHS! :stinks:

I've got four weeks from today until my last dose. Gained 40 pounds these last 8 months. Hoping to fit back into my "old" clothes sometime this summer. I refuse to buy all new clothes! :yfrown:

 

[Jennifer]

Everyone is different. I was referring to it being completely gone. It starts coming off around 20mg.

 

[Hobbes650]

Everyone is different. I was referring to it being completely gone. It starts coming off around 20mg.

You're not helping. I was on 20 about 6 weeks ago and am still pretty plump. Just started 5mg every other day for two weeks, then 2.5mg every other day for two more.

What's odd is that once I started going to the every other day schedule my acne got worse. My knees are feeling better though. I think it's just my body is starting to get back to normal and the last part of this taper is causing me to notice the changes more. No cramping so all seems to be moving forward ok.

 

[2thFairy]

I sure hope it doesn't take MONTHS! :stinks:

I've got four weeks from today until my last dose. Gained 40 pounds these last 8 months. Hoping to fit back into my "old" clothes sometime this summer. I refuse to buy all new clothes! :yfrown:

Oh come on now, Hobbes.... you're sexy and you know it! Work those extra pounds down the catwalk!

 

[Jennifer]

lol I didn't say significant change at 20mg. Ya I was still pretty plump too. The main issue is the taper taking so long. Once you're completely off the weight should fall off much faster. Maybe I was a bit off saying 3-5 months after Prednisone was stopped completely. I honestly haven't taken it in 14 years so I guess for a teenage girl it felt more like a year so I tried to reduce the time. Might have been closer to 1-2 months.

That's good that the taper is going well. Hope it keeps up and you'll be off it soon.

 

[Judith]

I agree. Everyone is individual in how they react. I am extremely sensitive and will put on weight (water and fatty tissue) even at the lower doses. But, the water weight comes off very quickly.... almost surprisingly so.

One thing that might help is a mild form of resistance exercise (yoga, light weights, swimming, biking, etc.). Mild resistance training helps "squish" (for lack of a better word) the water out from the spaces between your cells and into areas that your body can excrete it. You will probably be surprised how much of your extra weight was water.

.

 

[Jer]

What's odd is that once I started going to the every other day schedule my acne got worse. .

Happens to me when I taper off, my skin gets crappy.

 

[xX_LittleMissValentine_Xx]

I have only been on pred for 5 weeks and I already have the moon face. I have three weeks to go. (All going well). In the past I think my whole body swelled up although I didn't really notice it at the time, its more looking back on pictures. I definitely haven't put on as much weight this time, both other times I've reached about a stone heavier than I am now.
I would say it took a couple of months for my face to get back to normal. But maybe because of the weight gain as well I did just get a healthier fuller looking face. But there is definitely a difference between the swollen water look and just a fuller face.
I always kinda felt like my face was never back to normal but that was probably because I stayed at the higher weight.
Its hard to say.