Weight gain is a common side effect of prednisone. Prednisone can also cause a redistribution of fat to the face, back of the neck and the abdomen, although these changes vary from person to person. Generally speaking, the higher the dose and the longer the treatment, the greater the changes.
Yes. Prednisone is one of several medications known to cause weight gain. This is usually more likely to happen with long-term use or higher doses. For example, about 70% of people in one study who took oral corticosteroids (including prednisone) for over 60 days reported weight gain.
The majority of patients who take steroids long-term will experience weight gain, even as early as six months into treatment.
The longer you're on prednisone, the more likely you are to gain weight. Why does this happen? In addition to prednisone increasing appetite, Dr. Bedford says the drug also causes fluid retention, which leads to swelling, often of the hands, legs, and feet, along with the face.
Many patients take prednisone daily for different immune conditions. Known side effects of daily prednisone include weight gain and even muscle atrophy with weakness.
Gaining weight while on prednisone is commonly caused by fluid retention. One way to limit the amount of water you retain, is to eat a low sodium diet. Sodium binds to water inside of the body and helps maintain the balance of fluid inside and outside of cells.
How Can I Lose Prednisone Weight? The fluid retention and increased appetite from prednisone often go away once the medication is stopped or reduced to less than 10 mg/day.
Many people only need a short course of prednisone (1 to 2 weeks) to treat their condition. And this is good because most side effects of prednisone are “dose dependent.” This means the risk of side effects increases with higher doses and longer courses of steroids.
When your moon face is caused by prednisone or another steroid, the simplest treatment is often to reduce your dosage. Your doctor can put you on a lower dose. Over time, being on a lower dose will reduce the appearance of moon face.
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.
Common side effects of daily low dose prednisone include elevated blood pressure, swelling, changes in blood sugar, increased appetite, weight gain, insomnia, osteoporosis (thinning of bones), irregular menstrual periods, and mood changes.
Prednisone Side Effects
Taking high doses of steroids for more than a few weeks can start to affect how the body works. The body holds on to fluid, creating the 'moon face' look and change in body shape. Blood pressure can start to raise due to changes in your cardiovascular system.
But, although moon face is common, it's temporary. “When the patient stops taking the prednisone, fat distribution goes back to normal and moon face disappears after a few weeks,” Dr. Galligan says.
Once you stop taking corticosteroids, extra weight, water retention, and the puffiness of moon face will begin to go away. It can take about a year, though, for your body and face to return to their pre-corticosteroid states.
How and when do you stop taking prednisone, a steroid to treat inflammation? Even if you have side effects from the medication, don't stop cold turkey or cut back the dose on your own if you've been on it more than a few weeks. You could go into steroid withdrawal, which can have severe symptoms.
You may only need a short course of prednisolone for up to 1 week. You may need to take it for longer, even for many years or the rest of your life.
Total course of treatment may range from 3 to 10 days. 1 to 2 mg/kg/day PO in 1 to 2 divided doses for 3 to 10 days (usually 5 days). Max: 60 mg/day. A dose of 1 mg/kg/day has been shown to be just as effective as a dose of 2 mg/kg/day with fewer adverse effects, and this dose may be preferable.
Steroid drugs, such as prednisone, can cause weight gain in the face. They can make a person's face look swollen, puffy, and round. These symptoms usually go away once a person stops treatment. A lower dosage of steroids may also reduce the symptoms.
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.”
Prednisone has a tendency to raise the level of glucose, or sugar, in the blood, which can cause increased body fat or diabetes in some people. It is important to avoid "simple" carbohydrates and concentrated sweets, such as cakes, pies, cookies, jams, honey, chips, breads, candy and other highly processed foods.
When prescribed in certain doses, corticosteroids help reduce inflammation. This can ease symptoms of inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis, asthma and skin rashes. Corticosteroids also suppress the immune system. This can help control conditions in which the immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues.
Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, heartburn, trouble sleeping, increased sweating, or acne may occur. If any of these effects last or get worse, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
People taking prednisone can also experience higher blood sugar, which is a special concern for those with diabetes. Because prednisone suppresses the body's immune system, it can also increase the risk of infection. Therefore, some precautions need to be taken.
Official answer. You could expect a dose of prednisone to stay in your system for 16.5 to 22 hours. The elimination half life of prednisone is around 3 to 4 hours. This is the time it takes for your body to reduce the plasma levels by half.