Steroid treatment
They can make a person's face look swollen, puffy, and round. These symptoms usually go away once a person stops treatment.
Can Tapering Cause a Flare? Your symptoms may be a return of inflammation, not withdrawal. Tapering too quickly can cause a flare to happen. If your disease flares, you may need to go back to a higher steroid dose for a short time to get the inflammation under control.
“When the patient stops taking the prednisone, fat distribution goes back to normal and moon face disappears after a few weeks,” Dr. Galligan says. And, again, this kind of swelling isn't harmful, so moon face is actually a relatively minor potential side effect of prednisone.
Self-care tips: Watch for swelling of your ankles, and report this to your doctor. Occasional patients benefit from diuretics (water pills). Low sodium diet helps reduce fluid accumulation and may help control blood pressure.
A gradual reduction in prednisone dosage gives your adrenal glands time to resume their usual function. The amount of time it takes to taper off prednisone depends on the disease being treated, the dose and duration of use, and other medical considerations. A full recovery can take a week to several months.
Fluid retention can be controlled by eating a diet low in sodium – no more than 2,000 mg a day – and higher in potassium. You can find a list of high-sodium foods to avoid in the General Guidelines for Healthy Eating. You can increase your potassium intake by eating potassium-rich foods such as: Apricots.
Dr. Rogers advises that it will be easier to lose any excess weight 6–12 months after long-term steroid use has been discontinued and the body has readjusted. The best strategy in the short-term is to take measures to prevent or minimize weight gain as much as possible: Eat healthy and stay active.
Increased water retention, another side effect, can cause swelling and further weight gain. All of this can make your cheeks get puffy and fill out your jawline, causing moon face. Corticosteroids are used for several conditions, but moon face is most related to long-term use.
After you stop taking steroids, your body may be slow in making the extra steroids that you need. Your doctor may want to do a simple blood test to see how your body is doing. If needed, they will have you continue or restart your steroid medicine.
Most short-term prednisone side effects, like headaches, nausea, and weight gain, go away once the dose is lowered or the steroid is stopped altogether. Other potential side effects—like vision problems and osteoporosis —may be permanent.
When a person stops taking prednisone or other steroids abruptly, they may notice symptoms similar to adrenal insufficiency. These include lethargy, low appetite, weight loss, and a general feeling of being unwell.
Even when used for a short time, prednisone can increase appetite and cause swelling of the face (called "facial mooning"). With long-term use, prednisone can also cause changes in body fat, leading to fat deposits at the back of the neck or around the belly.
If you are taking a steroid medication and are experiencing moon face, talk to your health care provider about reducing and stopping the medication if your medical condition allows. If you have Cushing syndrome or hypothyroidism, talk to your provider about different treatment options that can help reduce swelling.
Some experts say that it's easier to lose weight about 6 months to 1 year after stopping corticosteroids. You may not lose the weight immediately. But it does tend to be easier after you've stopped taking the medication.
Fluid retention is one of prednisone's most famous side effects. “'Moon face' is common, which is swelling in the face that can occur after you've been on steroids for a long time,” Dr. Ford notes. “You can also get swelling in the legs and midsection.”
The appearance of moon face can start to fade when you stop taking steroids, but it may take several weeks or even months for your face to return to normal. To prevent steroid withdrawal, do not suddenly stop taking them.
How long will it take to work? Prednisone generally works very quickly — usually within one to four days — if the prescribed dose is adequate to reduce your particular level of inflammation. Some people notice the effects of prednisone hours after taking the first dose.
These are just a few of the more common side effects reported by people who took the brand-name version of prednisone (Rayos) in clinical trials: edema (swelling due to excess fluid) muscle weakness. bloating (swelling due to excess fluid or gas, often in the abdomen)
There's no official definition. But over 30 days is generally considered long-term steroid use. Most often, oral corticosteroids are prescribed for roughly 1 to 2 weeks — and only for very severe symptoms. But for certain chronic health conditions, corticosteroids may be necessary for months or even years.
If you have one high-sodium meal and then return to normal, healthy dietary habits, you'll likely return to your normal weight in 1-2 days. If you're returning from a vacation of over-indulging and are retaining a higher amount of excess fluid, it may take longer.
Can You Detox from Prednisone at Home or Not? Detoxing from prednisone naturally at home is not typically recommended. This is due to the uncomfortable physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms that should be monitored by a medical professional.