Stopping weight gain on steroids

Thanks so much. It is really helping me through the miserable days up to definite diagnose and the start of medication.

I have completely lost my appetite (never known to have happened before) but it is horrible. Each meal I want to refuse, but know that I will feel better once I start eating. So hopefully I will lose weight before I start gaining it.

I will take your advice to start watching my diet from day 1. My face is quite thin so maybe a plumper look will be ok. I could always wear a burka

I had that fear too when I needed steroids but mine were by injection (not into a joint) but I was told by the consultant just to watch the diet and it should be Ok.

I have no experience if steroids (so far) but plenty of managing my weight! My only permanent success has been by dieting on alternate days. To lose weight I eat 500 calories on diet days and whatever I like on the days between. To maintain I eat up to 1000 cals on diet days. It is so much easier to only have to wait a day to eat something I fancy, rather than permanently feeling deprived.
If I was in your position I would do this right from the start of medication, hoping to prevent weight gain. Unfortunately the moon face seems to be unavoidable, however a friend who hade PMR looked really well and younger with a fuller face!
I hope you will soon be rid of the pain , which is the most important thing. Take care.

Someone I know cut out all sugar, and that seemed to definitely work. Mind you she has had an eating problem in the past so I guess will power was relatively easy for her.

Moon face is definitely getting smaller.

Useful information Daddima.

Has the moon face gone now ?

I doubt they will put my thyroxine up as I am already on 150mg a day.

Yes I intend to watch my diet very carefully.

Isn't getting old a bu**er ?

I've been on steroids for nearly a year now, and have regained the stone and a half I'd lost before my diagnosis ( Giant Cell Arteritis)
Didn't particularly notice " munchies", but did get the " moon face". Mind you, my thyroid was underactive also, so an increase in Levothyroxine has resulted in a weight loss.

I'm recording everything I eat on My Fitness Pal ( google it!) and making a diuretic drink of root ginger, lemon juice, and cucumber in iced water.
Hopefully if you watch what you eat from day 1 of steroids, you'll be fine.