Predisone

[Zebrina]

Can predisone make you lose weight? I've heard it helps some people gain weight.. But it seems like I am losing?

 

[FrozenGirl]

Pred can do a lot of crazy things. I dont believe it directly causes weight loss but it can lead to hyperactivity and feeling of euphoria which may lead to increased activity or simply being so busy or caught up in thoughts you forget to eat.

My opinion.

 

[Johnnysmom]

i agree with FrozenGirl, my son was a ball of non stop energy on Pred. he gained weight but only because he was eating a lot more. Pred increases your appetite so you gain weight and causes fluid retention but otherwise its just the extra food that makes you gain.

 

[LodgeLady]

I haven't gained a pound on Prednisone or Entocort despite increasing my appetite. I wonder if the Pred just makes you feel better but doesn't really treat the underlying problem.

 

[Johnnysmom]

Prednisone treated my son's inflammation. His Sed rate and CRP were normal 6 days after starting it.

Some people need IV pred because they have difficulty absorbing because of lots of small bowel inflammation. If you are not seeing results I would ask your GI about IV Pred.

 

[GreenwichUK]

I've been on pred for a couple of months and have continued to lose weight although at a slower speed than previously. If it's working it should be tackling the inflammation though

 

[Alley2231]

Extremely jealous of the people who have been losing weight on this drug. I've even gotten to the point of strict calorie counting and exercise and I still gain weight.

The weird thing is, the weight gain didn't really begin until I started to taper. When I was on a high dose (80mg via IV, then 60mg pill form) my appetite was HUGE and I definitely indulged, but my weight stayed the same.

I just look at this as an evil drug, with way too many unhealthy side effects. Looking forward to be totally tapered off in about a month!

 

[BruceRx]

From personal experience prednisone was the first thing I was given that actually helped. My symptoms cleared up within days. I was 18 at the time and although I don't remember how much I was taking I do remember it being a lot!!! I slept maybe 2-3 hours a night and was up the rest doing whatever to keep myself occupied, which mostly became me just raiding the pantry. I had dropped around 45 pounds in total from my first flare up, going from 150lbs to 105lbs. The prednisone made me crazy hungry and my family was very supportive. My dad would cook me huge London broils which I could eat 2 of in a matter of hours. Not the healthiest food looking back but it was convenient. He would cut it into strips and I could pick at it all day. I needed to gain the weight back since I was 105 lbs at 5'11", so my family always made sure the shelves were stocked with healthy items that were easy to pick at. I gained all the weight back over several weeks. That is my experience as someone who very desperately needed to gain weight.

That being said I've known prednisone to put other people to sleep. They weren't taking nearly as much as I was though.

Prednisone is one hell of a drug.

 

[wondering]

I lost weight on prednisone, but mostly because it wasn't working and I finally ended up getting admitted. If you're losing weight, might be worth mentioning to your doctor.

 

[LodgeLady]

I lost weight on prednisone, but mostly because it wasn't working and I finally ended up getting admitted. If you're losing weight, might be worth mentioning to your doctor.

What did they do for you in the hospital?

 

[wondering]

Well, first they tried IV steroids which also didn't do anything so I got started on Remicade as an inpatient. In retrospect, I think that I was probably mismanaged when I was diagnosed (couldn't complete the scope due to inflammatory narrowing but only put on pentasa) and a really poor advocate for myself. I didn't want to be an annoying patient so I never called my doctor when I was feeling worse. Plus, I got zero education and assumed that feeling horrible was part of the crohns that was inevitable. No way to know, but I've always felt that if I had been treated more aggressively at diagnosis, maybe I could have avoided that whole stretch.

 

[Ali29]

I have been on Prednisone for 2 months & I have lost weight. It's not that I have a lot of energy, usually lay on the couch much of the day since I don't have much energy. I do still have lots of diarrhea so that could be the cause but I'm on a new diet now so this may help the D. I don't really have any increase in appetite before or after starting on this extremely bland diet.

My GI knows and is watching it. I agree with Wondering - make sure your GI knows.

Good luck!! :ghug:

 

[CDJ]

My son was on 40mg prednisilone last year due to a flare, and he lost 6 kg in a week while on it! This was because it wasn't working and there were further issues with his crohns. So it may well be worth mentioning to your doctor that you are losing weight whilst taking prednisilone to rule anything else out.