Stopped prednisolone and I've ballooned up

[*yvonne*]

I stopped my prednisolone on Thursday last week and since then I've gained 8.5lbs without any change to my diet and my stomach is all bloated and huge. I tapered down from 40mg dropping 5mg each week so I did exactly what they said. I also have joint paint all over and some abdominal pain too and generally feel awful. Is this withdrawal symptoms I'm having and when will they stop if it is?

Thanks for reading :ysmile::ysmile:

 

[DJW]

Talk to the doctor asap.
It sounds like you're still flaring. I can't explain the weight gain.

 

[SupportiveMom]

Weight gain is confusing me unless you are massively holding onto fluid. Talk to your doc

Did you notice symptoms coming back when tapering? If so what dosage of pred were you on when you noticed?

 

[*yvonne*]

I started to notice symptoms coming back about 20mg or 15mg and spoke to my IBD nurse but she said to keep tapering. I'll give her a call back. I really thought after stopping them I'd have lost weight given the fluid retention and that's upsetting me as I had already put so much weight on already.

Thanks for your support I really appreciate it.

 

[UnXmas]

Are you sure it's stopping the prednisolone that's caused the weight-gain? It does sound like it must be fluid retention - you won't have gained 8.5lbs fat in a week with no change of diet - but fluid retention with prednisolone usually works the other way - you retain fluid when you are on it, and lose it when you stop. I have the opposite problem, I am very underweight and got frustrated when my weight dropped after stopping prednisolone, and the doctor said the loss was because of fluid shifts. If your stomach is distended and painful, I would ask a doctor whether you may need your abdomen examined as it might be that something, unrelated to coming off prednisolone, is not right.

 

[*yvonne*]

I know it puzzled me why I would gain when stopping as normally I would lose weight! I am so fed up with this disease I am normally quite good with coping with it but I feel like I'm at the end of my patience with this flare. I have taken a turn for the worse and today nauesous, weak with lots of D and the worst headache ever! Called my IBD nurse and she said to start back on 20mg then go in for an appointment on Tuesday morning. So fed up of this now. I know there are people a lot worse than me but I can't help complain just now