Feeling miserable on Prednisone

Hi everyone,

Just got home after about a fortnight in hospital with a really stubborn flare up. Was on 40mg oral Pred for about a month before GI decided to admit me for IV Hydrocortisone, which seems to have worked so far which is great - only having 2-3 bm's a day
This is a bit of a silly superficial post really, but I'm feeling very very down in the dumps now that I'm home. I obviously didn't feel good in hospital, but due to everything that was going on I didn't really have much time to think. Now that I'm back home though I'm starting to notice the silly little things like how much weight I've gained due to the Pred (especially the moon face, which makes me want to cry every time I look in the mirror). I know it all sounds a bit silly in the grand scheme of things to worry so much about how I look, but I always take quite a bit of pride in my appearance and it's just making me feel so down. I'm even nervous to go into town incase I see anybody I might know, and I can't bring myself to let any friends visit me.
I'm back onto 40mg oral Pred again now until I start tapering very slowly on January 5th, which is when I will be starting to take Azathioprine. So there's not much chance of shifting this awful weight before then. Does anyone have any tips for weight management on Pred? Or is it just a waiting game?
Sorry if all of this seems a bit silly, I'm just struggling a bit at the moment with how overwhelming things feel. Thank you x

time baby ! right now (aside from the fact that we are getting flippin older every second) time is your biggest ally -

nothing wrong with wanting to feel good about yourself - just try to be patient - it will get better

as diva said, good food is important - veggies and fruits as you can tolerate them - BUT, your body also needs good fats and oils - you'll have to figure out what works and what doesn't, but you probably can't go wrong with olive oil and coconut oil - there are many others that will help also -

pred is your best buddy and worst enemy all in one tiny pill ! use it, then lose it !

I am with you. It really stinks!!!! Why are you waiting to start the Aza?

I see what you mean. I don't think people usually get nausea to that point with Aza and they start the dose low and go higher over weeks. If you started now, you would be able to start tapering sooner which would be nice but, you're right, you would have to worry about side effects around the holidays. You will also probably need to get blood draws the first couple weeks which isn't the most convenient thing to deal with. Almost a month on 40mg though, I couldn't do it, i'd be bouncing off the walls.

I was on Predni for two weeks and it did wonders ....all UC symptoms started going away within 3 days and everything was back to normal by 10 days .BUT, I was like energized Bunny...hyper in the morning, full of energy and talkative..by afternoon..slow and dull..very anxious. My family noticed these mood swings and we consulted a psychiatrist who prescribed Alprazolam 0.25 mg two to three times a day and Benadryl if I can't sleep. Man...within 2 days, I was almost fine and able to tolerate the mood problem and anxiety during the Predni taper. I am off Predni now totally for last 7 days and off all the other meds too.
Now, only on Apriso, Boswellia, Turmeric, Probiotics and Flax seed oil caps. I am in remission now with memories of those nightmarish first few days.

Ok I know exactly how you feel. I am currently on a pred taper and am at 25mg at present going down by 0.5 every 4-5 days or so. You are not vain or shallow or anything by worrying about your moon face and putting on weight. You are just a normal woman. This is what I am doing and have always done when on a pred taper and it not only keeps the weight off but when I come off the pred or get to the low doses, I actually end up looking and feeling better than ever and people comment on that:

1. Exercise! I don't know if you do any exercise already but if you do up the frequency whilst on pred not only good for your muscles and bones which are always at risk of degrading on pred but also good for clearing your head and also keeping weight off. I run about three miles about three times a week. Makes me feel so good. But you need to make sure you're up to it too. I tend to feel pretty good on pred.

2. Watch what you eat. Pred will increase your hunger ten fold but it doesn't mean we have to binge on junk food. I end up eating more but buy healthy snacks like dried apricots and crackers and hummus. I also really up my fish intake as it's soft, full of omega 3 which is anti inflammatory and low fat. And I make my own soups like butternut squash and watercress. Full of goodness, iron and rests the gut a little which allows healing.

3. Take your high calcium and vit d supplement religiously. Especially on the high doses of pred.

4. Can't do much about the moon face unfortunately. I am going through the same thing right now. But I find that it looks a look worse than it actually is. I went to a party last night and asked my sis in law whether she could tell that my face was puffy and she said she didn't notice a thing! And she would have told me the truth!

Main thing is you get better. Forget the rest! And enjoy life! Even whilst on pred!