Nutrition: Steroids and weight gain
If you have changed your lifestyle – perhaps by moving house or changing job – your routine becomes disoriented. Things like this can contribute to less walking, a change in diet and the amount of sugary drinks you consume. People who go to bed late eat more calories in the evening, according to a Northwestern Medicine study. It highlighted the effects stress and a lack of sleep can have on your weight.
- Not surprisingly, research shows that when we’re given a larger portion, we tend to eat more.
- Taking steroids may make you feel hungrier, and you might find it difficult to maintain your former weight.
- Age can also be a factor with young children and older people more commonly experiencing side effects.
- At Complete, we use ultrasound guidance to carry out the injection, so we know exactly where drug is deposited.
Because it is a small dose injected directly into the structure that is causing pain, it does not pass through the body, minimising any negative side effects. One-off injections, or even multiple injections (for example, three injections in a year), do not cause weight gain. Don’t suddenly stop taking steroid medication unless a doctor in charge of your care tells you it’s safe to do so.
What causes rapid weight gain?
If you need medical treatment for any reason other than cancer, always tell the doctors and nurses you are having cancer treatment. Give them the contact details for your cancer doctor so they can ask for advice. To prevent this, your doctor may gradually reduce the dose. This gives your body a chance to adjust and get used to making its own steroids again.
- Myopathy can lead to muscle weakness, often in your hips and shoulders.
- An asthma inhaler, for example, delivers almost all of the steroid only to where it is needed; the tubes of the lungs.
- Steroids truly are wonder drugs — life-savers in some cases — that for decades have been relied on for their ability to reduce inflammation.
Some of your favourite food items might suddenly taste revolting. It’s important to try and maintain your weight and to drink plenty of fluids during your treatment, which can be hard if all you’re craving are delicious salty snacks or sweet treats. They’ll have some good ideas about how you can get the nutrition and calories you need, in a way that’s still satisfying and do-able on treatment.
Less common side effects
Your appetite should go back to normal when you stop taking steroids. If you are worried about gaining weight, talk to your doctor or nurse. Steroids including Prednisolone can cause serious mental health problems.
Sometimes, when taken in higher doses, steroids can cause confusion or changes in thinking. To help protect your stomach, you should take your tablets with food. Some steroid tablets are coated to help reduce irritation. Your nurse will give you telephone numbers for the hospital.
Like all medicines this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. If you have any further questions on pharmacydiscounts the use of this medicine, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. Do not use more Prednisolone Suppositories than you should.
Your hands and feet may swell because your body is not getting rid of fluid. To help reduce the swelling, avoid standing in one place for too long or crossing your legs. A small number of people can experience what is referred to as steroid-induced psychosis.
Steroids save lives but we have to face-up to their side-effects
Always use this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure. Mental health problems can happen while using steroids like Prednisolone Suppositories (see also section 4).