Moonface

I've been on prednisone beginning in late June of last year for GCA and PMR. I started at 60 mg and now I'm at 10. I'm really thin, but I still developed a bit of a moon face, and I also got more of a belly. I also understand that it is common for people taking prednisone to get more fat on their necks. Here's a quote from Google:

"Prednisone is a steroid that can cause fat to be redistributed to the face, abdomen, and upper back. This is because prednisone changes the body's electrolyte and water balance, and how it stores fat, carbohydrates, and glucose. "

I also understand that the moon face (and fat in other areas I assume) goes away after you stop taking prednisone.

"I also understand that the moon face (and fat in other areas I assume) goes away after you stop taking prednisone.
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I think it depends on how long you are on prednisone. I didn't develop an obvious moon face but I certainly gained weight. For the longest time I would tell people I was gaining weight but they assured me that I "carried the extra weight well." I wasn't too concerned about the extra weight because I thought it would be easy for me to lose it again as soon as I could stop Prednisone and when I could resume my exercise routine again.

Five years after discontinuing prednisone I still struggle to lose my prednisone weight. Most of my weight used to be muscle weight. My problem with prednisone was muscle wasting. Google artificial intelligence spells it out more concisely than I can:

"Muscle wasting, also known as muscle atrophy, is a significant side effect of taking prednisone (a glucocorticoid steroid) and can contribute to the development of metabolic syndrome, which is characterized by a cluster of health issues including increased waist circumference, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar; essentially, prednisone can cause muscle breakdown while promoting fat accumulation, leading to metabolic imbalances."

I still see an endocrinologist for metabolic syndrome. He forewarned me that some of my prednisone side effects might be irreversible. With diet and exercise I have reversed everything except the extra weight. Now I can blame Actemra for my extra weight but I'm just making excuses for all the prednisone weight that I gained.

I've only gained a little weight. I have to be careful about eating though. It seems like I can always eat and I never feel full. I think that's from the prednisone messing with my metabolism. I choose portion sizes of food based on the memory of what I ate before I got sick rather than what I feel like eating, and even then I might make the portion size smaller depending on my activity level. Also I don't eat out very much. Restaurant meals tend to have a lot of calories.

Danielle Collins is the face yoga expert. She has lots of free videos on youtube and a website, books et. Her exercises certainly helped with my moon face, and they make you laugh as well, a great bonus. I also bought her paperback.

Thank you!