I am a 34 year old male. I have been on 80mg of Prednisone 7 day...

Hi,

I'm sorry to tell you this but the only way to get rid of the moon face is to get off the prednisone :)

i was on it for ten years and had the same problem.

The prednisone has taken over your cortisone production but it is producing too much cortisone so you will continue to have the moon face, the sleepless nights and everything else that goes with it until you get off it and even then your body will have to adjust, but eventually things will go down :)

Good luck :)

David,
I've been on and off high doses (up to 140mg) of Prednisone for about 8 months to treat leukemia and graph v host disease. I believe that my workout routine and diet has decreased the belly fat. Morning - 5 min yoga, 15 cardio, leg and arm strengthening exercises, and then 100 crunches. I change the type of ab work every day to make sure I get to all of the muscles. I believe it's important to work on all parts of the body even though you may be inclined to just focus on the gut. If there is fat in other areas, the pred will transport it right to the belly. Afternoon - speed walk 1.5 miles. I believe this walking is an important exercise because of the impact on the knees. Pred can do a number on those joints so I believe it is important to keep them active. Evening (an hour after dinner) - 30 minutes of cardio, 100 of the ab work from that morning, 30 min yoga. This is to burn off calories, reshape the abs, and the yoga gives me a better night's sleep. Dealing with cravings can be so frustrating! Having a healthy diet has decreased my cravings and fat. I have found that I crave things that are high in fat, so to fight that effect I consume 3 natural oils a day: 2 tble spoons of olive oil (on whole-grain toast with some Italian seasoning), 1 supplement pill of Omega-3 fatty acid fish oil, and 2 tble spoons of flax seed oil (in a soy-protein shake). These oils are a type of fat the body uses instead of storing them in unwanted places. I try to avoid foods high in fat and calories like dairy products, nuts, and red meat. Junk food is definitely avoided. Salt should also be used sparingly. It's difficult, but getting those essential oils into my body every day has really curbed my appetite. I'm not really sure why Prednisone causes cravings, but I know that stress and anxiety can cause cravings, and that is one of the side effects. I take Ativan when I start feeling anxious. This stops the cravings due to the anxiety. Ativan is used to treat anxiety, not to stop cravings, but that's how it seems to work for me. Nights can be hard. It took me a while to get adjusted to what works for me, but now I get at least 7 hours of sleep. Things to try - be in bed the same time every night and set alarm to wake up the same time every day even if you didn't sleep well because you can try to take a nap in the afternoon. You can try Melatonin. It's a natural sleep-aid to regulate your circadian rhythm. A stronger sleep-aid is Ambien. I have found that Ativan works too. Sometimes I use meditation CDs. Also, I believe it's important not to eat before bed or during the night, and to start winding-down from daily activities an hour before bed. I believe sleep is the most important thing to fight for because it affects you the next day. All of these techniques have really helped me manage the effects of the Prednisone. I hope they are helpful to you. God bless!
Anonymous

Oh! I almost forgot! I have found Lasix to be good. It's a diuretic, and it helps with water retention, which is good because holding too much water is bad for your kidneys and increases blood pressure (another effect of the Prednisone).
Anonymous

Thank you all so much for your input. They are reducing my prednisone intake but as you all know it does and will take along time for this to happen. The effects are being managed, but I still don't look much like I used to..this is to be expected though. I do exercise and have kept on a strict diet low in fat, and salt...this seems to help alot. I will be getting close to 6 months now and it did take me awhile to just say to myself "your sick and this is the path you must take" This being said there still are days that it's difficult to look in the mirror or see a picture that someone has taken and not be shocked by what I see. All will be better someday, and I want to say thank you for those who have replied and to you all..be strong and you will make it..God bless David

Hi, I was diagnosed with crohn's disease last year (08/07) the first time I was in the hop it took them almost a week to diagnose me. They kept taking culture after culture. Finally a colonoscopy got the diagnosis for me. About 2 1/2 weeks later i was back in the hospital due to severe bleeding/dairrhea, etc. They started me on steroids (Prednisone) I don't remember the dosage, but I DISTINCLY remember the side effects!! My legs/ankles would swell up to twice their size. The moon fac (UUUGGG) the weight gain in various places!! IT WAS HORRIBLE!!! I promise you the side effects do go away!! You just have to give yourself LOTS OF TIME!!! I'm just now able to lose the weight from the steroids (07/08) drink lots of water and walk! Be as active as you can be! I did read that a very low sodium diet is very helpful so I started on Sea Salt. It has half the sodium content that regular salt has. You can't even tell the difference either. You need allot of iron/protein and ESPECIALLY potassium as well. I started eating grilled asparagus (sp) with some EVOO on it and sprinkled sea salt on it. God Bless you!!! I COMPLETELY FEEL FOR YOU!!