Asthma Support Group

The amount of steriod in an inhaler is very minimal even at large inhaled doses. So therefore although the side efects arnt totally gone there are still some side effectes however they are not that great and weight gain is very uncommon especially with inhaled steriods. Long term pred use dose ahve an weight gain effect.

The weight gain is also mainly due to water and fluid retention and not actually fat. therefore this makes it very difficult to lose. You can tell the difference becasue fluid is quite puffy and alot harder than adipose tissue. If you take your arm and squeeze it gently it will feel firm if it is fluid retention but softer if it is fat tissue.

Even on very high inhaled doses weight gain is very uncommon as they dont tend to physiologically adpat you body and also they go straight to the lungs and not into the bodies endocrine system etc where the most side effects from steriods are caused. The most common side effect from inhaled steriods is oral thrush as the products get left in the mouth and back of the throat.

I got this info from my dr who I was just chatting to so it is a pretty relaible source.

Olive

Thanks Olive i sure appreciate this advice I do get the thrush once in a while when i forget to rinse properly i am just gettig over that right now.

thanks

I have been on prednisone for eight straight months now. I have gained and enormous amount of weight as well as shown many other side effect leading to Cushings sydrome.
When I was on just advair I had minimal weight gain. I did feel that it was very difficult to take off. I also felt a change in my system as a whole. Harder to concentrate, less energy etc. I think steriods in any form is very deprimental to the body. I have used steriod creams for excema that has thinned my skin leading to bruising and easy,excessive bleeding. It keeps us alive it is a nessessary evil. But it Can make you absolutly miserable.
If there is any way you can use a nonsteriod medication I would try it.


Olive your response is interresting you are so informed! I hope you are doing well, Good health to everyone

Kim

I'm taking prenisone for over 10 years and i'vr gained soooo much weight. and they tell me i need to lose weight but its near impossibleon the dosage of prednisone i'm on.

seems like an endless battle

Unfortinatly for many people with severe breathign difficulties the prednisilone is the drug with the least side effects to control the inflamation in the lungs.

Prednisone has the least severe side effects after all the standard inhalers ahve been tried. Other stronger meds are much more toxic on the body ad can make you feel very ill. I know i would take pred over any of these. The good thing with pred is that you can take tablets to counter act the side effects however theeis none for he weight gain. although i did lose weight when i was put on diuretics!!!

Olive

i wish i could believe that post about prednisone.

i've caught EVERY side effect from that.
i'm 25 and i have cataracts, osteoporosis etc., and about 10 other issues.

Guys,

The most important thing to know about steroids, or any drug for that matter, is how a drug works and what side effects it can potentially cause.

Steroids (inhlaed, ingested, or injected) work by mediating and supressing the body's immune response. This reduces inflammation and decreases asthma. Howver, steroids also increase the chance of secondary infection and have numerous other long and short-term side effects of which patients should be aware and discuss with their doctor (up to and including diabetes, osteoporosis, cataracts, cushing's, etc.).

Of all the asthma drugs, pred has the MOST side effects, not the least. And whether inhaled, ingested or ingested, yes, it does cause weight gain. This is the primary complaint and the reason most people, particularly women, stop taking it over time.

Pred also changes the way both fat and fluid are used and stored by the body, espcially over a long-term basis, so the previous post on this subject is also incorrect.

Patients need to become better self-informed on drugs and this starts with better communication with the doctors that prescribe them. Other good well-informed sources include your pharmacist or a licensed nurse practioner.

orsonwelz THAT is the truth.


and for anyone who has a dr who has said that prenisone has the LEAST side effects, i suggest a 2nd opinion.

I have to disagree I am afraid. I have very severe asthma and am on many many drugs for it and the pred side effects are the lest of my worries. I take other drugs whihc are much stronger and much more toxic to my body. Many of them require frequent blood tests to ensure my blood isnt going toxic at the doses i require. Yes pred does have a lot of side efeects but for me it is the least of my concerns.

I think people also need to be inhaled the levels of steriod in an inhaler are much much more minimal than in tablet form and also the inhaled versiob goes straight to lungs and the tablet form is ingested and this is why there are more side effects from pred.

olive