Buffalo hump symptoms and conditions

I had a bulging disk and a pinched nerve and was put on PREDNISONE - 60mg for 5 days, then 40 mg for 5 days and then 20 for 5 days. I had a round face to begin with, which I always hated, but now, my face just looks like a balloon that someone painted a face onto. I have a huge face, a double chin, huge stomach, I look 5 months pregnant and I absolutely HATE myself on this drug. I've been off now for a week and nothing has subsided except the sweats -- very embarrassing! I work and in the middle of a meeting, I sweat so badly that it rolls off my giant red face in rivulets. I'm just miserable. Does anyone know how long it takes to get rid of the side effects of this demon-drug?? I want to stay in the house and hide.

I have been on various doses of prednisone on and off for 9 years for a kidney disease. The doses have varied from 70mg to 5mg. I have just about had enough. I cannot describe how debilitating this drug is. Every side effect on here I think I have had except excessive energy. Here is a small list:
Moon Face
Buffalo Hump
shaking like Parkinson
body aches
EXTREME weakness
heart palpitations constantly
joint pain
something would go on with my knees in the morning....it felt like something was boiling. It would be my guess as to what the "Bends" must feel like....it feels like someone is stabbing you in the knees with a knife.
Sleeping at least 16 hours a day
I could barely make everyday at work. It was so miserable to not be able to wake up, I would push myself in 15 minute increments....
You cannot know what it is like to be bed ridden for weeks and to have no doctor understand or believe what is happening to you. You just seem fat and lazy.

I am emotionally scarred by this medicine, there is not a day that goes by that I'm not terrified of having to take a large dose of this again. I just can't.
There is no quality of life at all. You can't do anything.
On top of that, there is no one to talk to, not even a doctor that understands what you are going through.
God help anyone that has to go through this. I understand.

my boyfriend has been on prednisone for 4 years and he is terribly snappy and aggravated all the time and short tempered and does not think that he is... i love him so i deal with it but its getting harder because he dosnt feel this is correct every time i ask him something he bites my head off and almost everything i do irritates him gets on his nerves the mood swings are out of this world sometimes and he totally thinks im being a lala in his words...will someone respond to this so i can show him and he will know im not just saying these things
all this

I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in Aug of 2005 and in remission for 9 months. I came out of remission in May of 2006 and have been on prednisone since then until right now. I would go on high dose of steriods, try a new medication, and try to ween off and get sick right as I went off the steriods, so I'd have to do this rollercoaster all over again. For a year now, I have been on steady, high doses between 60-100mg daily with no break. I tried to go below 20 and got really sick again and have run out of medication to try, so I had my colon removed. Right now, we are trying to ween me off the prednisone (since i dont need it for my disease anymore) but have to go over 3-4 months and very slowly since I've been on it so long to prevent the body from doing all the fun things it does when you stop prednisone cold turkey, like a coma and stuff. I'm SICK of the side effects this drug has had on me! I have had countless sleepless nights, heartburn, night sweats, weight gain (i went from 140 lbs to 215 lbs right now), the moon face to where i can't even recognize myself, red face, weird skin, sensitive teeth, thinning hair, hungry ALL the time, stretch marks, all the weight is in my stomach, the buffalo hump, high blood pressure and high eye pressures etc. These are all the side-effects that have been horrible on this miserable drug. I'm sure there are a lot more I am forgetting, but these are the ones that come to mind. Hopefully they will go away once I am able to finally get off this drug!

Well, let's see, I am 37, I just had my third child a year ago. When I had my first child at 19, I entered the world of Rhumatoid Arthritis, I did not take anything for it, it just seemed to go away by itself. After the second child it flared up but not long enough or hard enough to remember. After the third child at 36, wow did it get bad, so bad i couldn't get her out of her crib. That was the day I started 10mg of pred a day,,it made all the symptoms of the RA almost disappear...almost...which was a miracle,,,but it made all the side effects of the med start,,,,weight gain BIG TIME, bad moods, maybe 2 hours of sleep @ night,,,hair loss which scares me the most, blurred vision, buffalo hump looks like I'm looking for something on the floor all the time,,a wonderful neck that looks like i swallowed a couple bananas whole,,hmmmm,,,,let's seeeeee,,what else, easy bruising thankfully I like the color purple, oh, and me and mr. potty have become well friends. At first, the doc thought it was hypothyroidism because I also had 2 periods a month, but a blood test told threw that theory out. I just want to say,,,,I like that my RA is better because of it,,,but I am as of yesterday taking myself off of good ol prednisone, and sticking to a high dose of IB or Tylenol. It's just not worth it.

I took Prednisone for about 6 weeks for Stevens-Johnson Syndrome brought on by an allergic reaction to Ciprofloxacin. My main complaint on taking it was extreme hunger--not for sweets or junk, but for real food. I was also very moody and I think I must have been really mean to my husband. At the time, I thought I was being reasonable, but looking back, I can see I wasn't. It kept me awake, as well. Without the Prednisone, I might have died, because the extreme, constant itching with the Stevens-Johnson would have driven me completely nuts. My main complaint is that almost two months after quitting taking the Prednisone, I continue to have a moon face, facial swelling, and holding water elsewhere to the extent that I can hardly tie my shoes or even breathe. I would have expected that to get better by now instead of worse.

I have been on Prednisolone about 4 times in recent years. the highest dose was last year when i was on 80mg reducing weekly by 5mg. I have had most of the side affects you all talk about above. I have severe colitis so the side-effects of this drug are something i have to put up with. at the moment i have all the classic side-effects i usually get, rapid hunger, swelling to my face (moon face), neck has layer of fat, swollen back (buffalo hump), bruising easily, horrible taste in my mouth, swollen stomach. the one good side effect is it gives me lovely smooth skin lol. anyway the point of my post isn't to rip this drug appart as i have to say for me its a wonder drug and this time has prevented me from having my bowel removed! from personal experience once you finish the steroid treatment after a few weeks you'll notice the swelling go, my hunger usually fizzles out quite quickly (altho i have a large appetite in the first place!!) none of the side effects are permanent, so please all rest assured you will go back to normal just try not to put on too much weight while on the drug.

hi all. thanks for writing your comments here. it has helped me today, another HORRIBLE day of prednisone hell. i have been seriously ill for 8 months been told ever other week I'm likely going to die from lung disease (i'm 35) and after a painful lung biopsy have been told my lung problems are almost all reversible... after a year on high dose prednisone. i was on 40mg a day for a month a while back and was so out of control from rage and crying and insomnia and panic/suicidality, ravenous appetite, that they lowered me to 30. then after biopsy they said i should be on 100mg to cure me, we settled at 60mg. it's been 24 days. The moon face started about one week in. i've gained 8 lbs. i am an emotional wreck. i have at least one rage filled attack per day where i am screaming and want to kill somebody or destroy something. some days i am so filled with hopelessness and worry i just want to die. my body changes (after just losing 30 lbs and being a work out fanatic my shortness of breath makes it impossible to walk up 2 flights of stairs without resting) face changes, acne, excess body hair (oh my god please make it stop i'm like a chia pet and i'm so afraid it is going to get worse) double chin, puffy eyes and cheeks, absolutely uncontrollable emotions and mood swings, inability to be logical or reasonable. i don't want to leave the house, i'm panicked and scared all the time. i never sleep. ambian gives me minimal relief (just started taking it) i feel like i'm losing everything, except my lung functioning is returning and i'm not going to die from this illness (they assure me THIS week) i understand light at the end of the tunnel, but living like this is unbearable most days, almost impossible the rest of the time. am i alone with the severity of this? or are all the others like me too busy hiding the sharps and crying in a corner to write on this board? thanks for listening :)

figures, forgot to mention what HELPS. no eating after 8 (7pm is better) no salt, no sugar, exercise, even just a walk every day, anything physical, i walk like a grandma on the treadmill but i still do it, sometimes it is the only thing that stops my crying. no alcohol, support and understanding from loved ones, it's not you, its the drugs. good luck.
figures, forgot to mention what HELPS. no eating after 8 (7pm is better) no salt, no sugar, exercise, even just a walk every day, anything physical, i walk like a grandma on the treadmill but i still do it, sometimes it is the only thing that stops my crying. no alcohol, support and understanding from loved ones, it's not you, its the drugs. good luck.

i am a 21 yr old female taking 60 mg of prednisone for to much protein in my urine i am having severe nightmares and to look in the mirror i tell everyone i am ugly cause i have moon face and buffalo hump along with a lot of other symptoms i am looking for answers on to how to decrease or eliminate my nightmares i am in nursing school and to wake up with a nightmare till i get back toi sleep its time to get up for school and my exam grades have gone down hill since i started taking it cause of wanting to sleep all the item and not study now i sleep and my nightmares wake me and i am afraid to sleep if u have ne suggestions let me know i would appreciate it

Hi everyone,

I am a 25 year old female who was diagnosed with Crohn's disease one year ago. I stumbled on this website and wanted to share my experiences to let others know they are not alone and that their side effects due to Prednisone are completely normal.

In Nov of 2007, I was in the hospital for a Crohn's flare up and was put on prednisone through IV (240mg/day). After a three days I was released, but one week later, had another flare up and was back in the hospital in December of 2007. This time, I stayed for 6 days and was on 240mg/day again through IV, along with taking Flagyl and fluids for my flare up and infection.

At first, I lost about 10 lbs due to the flare up and all of the medication I was on. However, within 3 weeks time, I gained 28 lbs and was a complete mess. I looked different, felt different and was emotionally and mentally drained.

My side effects included: Severe moon face, buffalo hump, increased appetite, hair thinning and severe hair loss, night sweats where I would have to change pajamas 3-4x a night, OCD to the point where I would have to clean my entire apartment (even if it was already clean), restlessness, anxiety, no sleep and sometimes I would go days without sleeping, increased thirst and dehydration, swollen eyes and headaches, depression and mood swings, upper and lower abdomen swelling and weight gain (28 lbs in 3 weeks), suicidal thoughts, unbearable muscle and joint swelling and aching, forgetfulness and memory loss, blurred vision and dark hair growth on my face near my sideburns and underneath my chin and on the bottom portion of my face. Bottom line: it was unbearable and nobody warned me about the harsh side effects of the drug.

When I left the hospital, I was put on 60mg/day and eventually weaned off Prednisone over the course of 2 1/2 months and took my last 5mg dose in mid- February 2008.

It is now 2 months since I have been off Prednisone and as of now, I have only lost 7 lbs, but much of the moon face has gone away and I don't seem as swollen in my chest. My appetite returned to normal the day I stopped taking the drug and my mood swings subsided one week after stopping Prednisone. I still have the buffalo hump, but it stopped hurting and I am now able to sleep through the night. The fluid retention seems to have moved south towards my legs, arms, and lower abdomen. My doctors say that within about 6 months after stopping Prednisone, most of the fluid retention should go away and they recommend walking for 45-60 minutes/day to help with the fluid/weight gain.

Overall, prednisone helped to save my life and put my Crohn's into remission, but is one of the WORST drugs I have ever taken. My heart goes out to anyone who has had to take this drug and trust that you are not alone--and the side effects are real and they are harsh. I am slowly seeing that it takes time for the prednisone to leave your system and my doctors say that every day there is less and less in my body.

Stay positive, stay active & stay Healthy!!

I am a 25 year old, who was perfectly healthy prior to recently when I was diagnosed with Nephritic Syndrome and Minimal Change Disease and possibly FSGS (kidney diseases) I was put on 60 mg of Prednisone for 1 month then I was lowered to 40 mg for one month and I am then dropping to 30 mg. I am also taking Fosamax for my bones and a Vitamin D pill because my last lab test showed low vitamin D levels.

I am dizzy constantly and can not live a normal life, I can not drive or do any activities that I had previously done. My chest is so tight and constricted all of the time, my heart rate is so fast and pounds at my chest. I have no energy to do anything, I can barely open a door at times. I am beginning to grow unwanted hair on my face. My abdomen is always bloated. I have pain in my rib cage, and shoulders. I feel very sore throughout my entire body. I do not really sleep at night, so I look very tired all the time.

I have actually lost weight, I have no appetite at all. I am down 10-15lbs.

Now for the Pro- my Kidney Diseases are currently in remission and this has happened much faster than the Nephrologist had thought.

I am very anxious to getting my life back to normal and getting off the Prednisone.

Has any one else experienced increased heart rate, chest tightness, or rib pain?

I wish everyone the best in their roads to recovery!!

Hi! I was diagnosed with wegener's in Dec. 2007. I was hospitalized for 6 days. When I left the hospital I was taking 80mgs of pred's. After 8 weeks I am now down to 60mgs.{per day} I found it amazing how the doctors didn't inform me on the very well on the side effects of pred's. Plus bactrim,actonel,protonix,vitamin-d and cytoxin chemo once a month for six months or more.{i have had 2 four hour infusions,getting ready for my 3rd one in a few days}.
I have severe moon face,buffalo hump. My neck and throat feel full. Almost as if I was drowning.I've gained 25 lbs.,I have severe pain in my legs and knees,my back between my shoulder blades from the massive hump that I have,which by the way makes it hard to sleep. I am puffy all over,I feel like a huge sponge in the ocean!!!!! I only hope that when the med's are over I will return to normal. I cry a lot because of all the changes to my body! I don't feel like getting out, afraid people are laughing at me, my clothes look horrible,and my memory has been fading! I sometimes feel like I'm in the "o" zone.
I am grateful for the wonderful care my doctors have given me,I just wish that they would of prepared me a little better for what I was facing for possibly a year!
For every one out there that are facing all types of effects,just remember not to forget who you are and things will get better.

I Have ms I just found out. They thought I had a brain tumor and the admitted me to the hospital and started treating me immediately with Prendisone.It has just been horrible do you hear me horrible!! after I weened off of them the moon face became horrible. I have knee pain and they swell. my legs and feet and stomach. I have swelling in my back that looks like a buffalo hump. It is horrible.please help me. I feel so unattractive I just cant help it. I am very grateful that it has helped me. I was numb on my entire right side that is another reason why they put me on it. I am glad that is gone, but I almost think I would rather deal with the numbness than I would all of this. It is really scary because nobody said anything to me about how it was going to effect me. Actually the nurses said that there were no side effects to worry about. well let me tell you it has been one roller coaster; i was pumped full of the Prednisone through an IV for thirteen days straight in the hospital,, then was sent home and was given the pill form. all together I have been on the Prednisone for 26 days straight. I will just be so grateful when all of this subsides.All I want for Christmas is to get this swelling off of me and get rid of the moon face and the joint pain. is that tooooo much to ask my goodness. I am so glad that I found this site. it has really been most helpful. I hope everyone out there has better luck with this than I have. it sounds like allot of people have problems. thanks

Was on Prednisone 2 years ago for respiratory problems 30mg. Gained 25 pounds, fat face, felt tired, etc.

However 2 years later, after weaning off Prednisone my muscles ache, joints are most always stiff, esp. hands plus my feet feel numb and my short term memory has not returned to normal----does any one else out there have similar problems. What can be done?

I have been on prednisone for just over a week at 40 mg for Crohn's Disease. I have been experiencing constant body tremors, exhaustion, restlessness, the inability to focus, depression to the point of being suidical, mood swings, muscle aches and pains, extra stomach pain (not from the Crohn's), as well as the usual side effects, like enlarged appetite. I am only 16, and when I was 10 or so, I was on Prednisone at 60 mg a day for about 6 months with out these side effects. When I was younger, I only experienced the "moon-face", "buffalo-hump" (a small lump that often forms on the back of the neck), extreme weight gain (50 pounds in a month or two), and extreme stretch marks.

I've been reading the past postings and so far have seen nothing about adrenal gland failure. My husband was on 60 mg a day since Nov. 05 (for GVHD) and they have been weening him off since. He was down to 5 mg and he just seemed to crash, no energy, panting when going upstairs, just plain tired. They tested his adrenal glands and I have read that prednisone can atrophy them so now they have upped the pred to 7.5mg which is what these glands put out usually.
Has anyone had this or know what drugs they use to kickstart the glands?
He also has the moon face, buffalo hump and budda belly but he exercises every day because of the osteo and muscle wasting.

Shortness ofbreath(heavy lungs),paranoia,anxiety,depression,(relieved by drugs) , weight gain...cushingoid appearance..buffalo hump and all,hunger,foggy, strange gluey feelings in my toes,afeeling of bouncing when I walk,knee swelling peptic ulcer diareahea,neck and face swelling

And the Saga of Prednisone continues:

After a few weeks of 10mg per day (5mg AM 5mg PM) I am now down to 7.5 mg per day (last 3 days). The 10 mg allowed a lot of the side effects to start to fade: weight is steady or decreasing. I only gained about 5 lbs but that is now down to 1 or 2. I'm working out so I'm adding muscle as well as losing fat so I dont expect massive weight loss. (For instance .. I added an inch to the circumference of my upper arm.. muscle..not fat !) The irrationality toward food (cleanup in aisle 5 has new meaning.. like cleaning one's plate !)

Yes, Im hairier ! for a guy it's in all the right places. Not only hasn't that gone away.. it's hairier still !

My face is almost back to it's gaunt thin self :) SOME of the buffalo hump has gone away and my neck has thinned a bit - so no double chin anymore - just in the last two weeks.

Never had insomnia.. never had depression (wasn't thrilled with the side effects but thats a rational reaction.. not depression) never had moodiness. Acne is getting better. I STILL RECOMMEND PHISOHEX and a LOOFAH.

My belly is still distended but then I had a lot of surgery so it could be either or both. Exercise has helped (jogging and situps) and Im a tad fatigued but getting better.

Certainly thats not all of the side effects but the statement 1 month for every week of use seems true.. and the effects go away slower than they arrived.. ]

BUT THEY DO GO AWAY.

The more permanent effects (stretch marks etc) may be permanent.. try vitamin E Aloe etc.. they may help!

moon face, buffalo hump, bloating, stomach distention, heart burn, gassy feeling, cramping, increased/decreased appetite, night sweats, doube chin, hair growth, back aches, insomnia, moodiness, depression(and im a happy person most the time) mind racing contantly, WEIGHT GAIN!!!!!!!!! (40 lbs in 2 months or less) that i dont need. oh and these ugly purplish striations on my legs and stomach (look like stretch marks only purple and are near veins and are vertical)... hope they go away cause i'm self conscious of my body and am hoping to get the old me back so i can wear a bikini again......... while i'm young

I was on prednisone for over a year for neurosarcoidosis. My doctor and I felt there was no choice in the matter. It was either take the prednisone or suffer brain damage. The side effects were devastating. Although I hated the moon face, weight gain (50 lbs. in 3 months) and buffalo hump - I could have lived with them. What I'm still having trouble with is leg and joint pain and vision problems. I've been off prednisone for a month now. The weight is starting to go down but the pain in my back and my leg is still there. Still, I feel so much better than I did two months ago.

I have been on Prednisone since Feb 05. I am taking it for Unspecified Nephrotic Syndrome. I started taking 120mg every other day, as my doctor thought the side effects would be lessened. WRONG. Thank God though that it is working to treat my illness, as it is believed that it works only 50% of the time. This I am greatful for. However, I have experienced, sensitive gums, weight gain, weak bones, fatique, buffalo hump, moon face, and developed fat under my chin that is just the ugliest thing. It is good to see a website like this because sometimes it seems that I am imagining it all. I guess I am not. Yes, and like one of the posts, I know that things agitate me much more.

I've posted before.. so this is a continuing story. Hope it helps some of you. And I REALLY hope some of you will put your thots down so we can all learn.

I've been on 10 mg a day for almost a month now.. tapered off from 30mg/day for a month to 25mg/day for a month and then tapered it down to 10 for the last 4+ weeks. There is some reduction in side-effects but trust me I still have plenty. Anyone care to join me ? Id be happy to share.

I occasionally get nasty leg cramps that wake me in the middle of the night and occasionally cramps in my hands and just about anywhere else I 'stretch' weirdly.. No clue why.

I have lost quite a bit of the moon face (not all). I can't tell if I've lost some of the buffalo hump or gotten used to it. Hope it's smaller !!

My appetite is still ravenous BUT I can control it. Therefore my weight is staying under control (a really good thing even though we're only alking 3-5 lbs from normal).

Most of the other side effects are still there.. fat deposits, somewhat moody, tingly feeling, and pimples/acne. The good news.. they are (to me) obviously diminished !

There is hope !!

If things continue well with the post transplant tests the pred will be reduced in 2 weeks to 7.5/day ! Cross those fingers ! :)

Not sure what happened: I had made a post several days ago. I thot it showed up..oh well.

They've reduced my dosage from 25mg/day to 10mg/day, it's been about 2 weeks. Some of the moon face has disappeared not a lot but some. The muscle cramps still creep up once in a while in the legs and sometimes the hands and even one in the neck but they pass more quickly now.

Eating is less of a problem. First of all, I was able to eat mounds of food. As mentioned by someone earlier, eating or not eating doesnt seem directly related to my weight but I did gain 4-5 pounds in 3 weeks and some days my weight would rocket 10 lbs right before bed. (Any weights taken outside the normal consistent time really don't count.. but they're interesting. Weight should be taken the same time under the same conditions every time to make any sense.) It wasn't just the eating it was the rationalization. "Oh I can eat just onemore helping.. about 5 lbs .. of potato salad". And it actually made sense. Probably related to the psychotic episodes others have mentioned. Now, at 10 mg, it IS easier to control. My weight has drifted back a bit to just 2 lbs over what I was when I started the pred.

Other side effects are still around: puffiness in the face (though it is diminished), buffalo hump, swollen belly, some acne (improves with phisohex), general movement of fat stores to all sorts of weird places. It is difficult to tell on a daily basis if that's changing only incomparison week over week (or more).

More later 'As the Prednisone turns'

Yes, I am another victim of Prednisone bait and switch. The dr assured me that the side effects were nothing. He was right: nothing to him... but a disaster for me. SO. I have moon face, dbl chin, buffalo hump, leg and hand cramps, some acne, and more ! The acne is controlled with Phisohex cleanser .. you might try that. And the moon face/dbl chin alway smake me feel like I am gagging or choking !

I did a month at 30 mg/day (15 in the am 15 in the pm).. then a month at 25 (12.5 and 12.5). And this week got the go ahead to taper down to 10/day over the next 2-3 weeks.

Rather than jump in 5's each week, Ill probably lower it 2.5 every 3-4 days to minimize the after shock (if that's even possible).

I haven't seen any post-prednisone posts. That is, now that you've lowered/abandoned/dropped or run away from prednisone willy nilly and screaming HOW ARE YOU? Did the side effects/adverse reactions go away (ie moon face .. buffalo hump, cramps, etc).

Let us know how you did .. how long it took.. how long it's been and if you still have effects.

THNX

I have been reading some of the postings and I thought maybe I would share my experience with prednisone. I am a severe asthmatic and have been taking prednisone off and on for 17 years. In 1999, I had to have both hips replaced due to the prednisone. I have what you call a vascular necrosis of both hips and just this past November; I had to have my left shoulder replaced. I am praying that my right shoulder will hold up and be ok, but you never know.
Like most of you, I have the moon face, the weight gain, depression, memory loss, I have the start of cataracts, osteoporosis, mood swings, sometimes I can't sleep, I have a hump at the base of my neck, my mom calls it my buffalo hump, there are times that I take prednisone and all I do is pee and then there are times that I take it and all I want to do is eat. It is as if I can never get full.
Like someone wrote, it does make me feel better to know that there are people out there that know what I am going through. I hope what I have wrote helps. I guess like most of you, when I first start taking prednisone, we really did not know the extent of damage that it could do, but I also know that without it, I would not be here. So I will take the side effects any day.