First….. Wish I could say I have been feeling much better… I guess I have been, all things considered. I am not having the pain which was resulting from the abscess since it’s been drained. Instead, the main pain I’ve been having seems to be from a nerve in my right butt cheek running down about mid-thigh.
I guess it’s from the removal of the catheter – I think it started about 4-5 days after the catheter came out. It started slowly, but now it’s pretty bad. Ouch. I’m going to call the doctor Monday… need to anyway, since I’m about out of all my medications.
Second…. What is with the side effects of prednisone! The first time I went on prednisone, I was so underweight – for me… I normally weigh around 130 or so (5′7″).. but when I got sick the first time, I had lost so much weight I was down to about 113. So when I went on prednisone, gaining my weight back seemed normal. I got up to about 128 and stayed there. I also think the doctor I was seeing at the time lowered my prednisone too quickly. Otherwise, looking back, maybe I would have gained more weight at the time – a normal side effect of prednisone.
So I’m reading now on the weight gain… Prednisone tends to cause the redistribution of body fat to places we don’t really want it – the face (moon face), back of neck (buffalo hump) or the abdomen (hey… I recognize this!).. and high salt intake can further increase the bloating… lovely.. ugh! I was not so underweight when I started prednisone this time and I can tell you.. I’m not happy with the weight I’m gaining now.
I’m off to the store tomorrow morning to stock up on lots of fresh fruits and veggies.. I’ll make some yummy dips or just eat them by themselves. I may not be able to counter the side effects of prednisone completely by diet, but I can do a little to help.
Dealing with a longterm illness is depressing enough.. dealing with pain and the ups and downs of all of it, I certainly don’t need to start worrying about my weight too. And honestly, it’s isn’t as much my weight, from a vanity perspective, as it is just not having clothes to wear that are flattering. But, I do feel very “full” in my face, neck and shoulders and that doesn’t feel good.. And my abdomen – all I can say about that is I’m glad – so glad! – I know WHY I look like I’m 4-5 months pregnant.. I’ll cut out the salt, make wiser eating choices and hopefully I can get this under control before I have to go to my doctor and beg for him to up my anti-depressant prescription!
Oh.. another side effect of prednisone that I encountered was “steriod acne”.. when I first went back on prednisone – this was right after my hospital visit in June.. my upper chest broke out in acne.. a little peppered my shoulders. I knew it was either a result of my ’sickies’ or from one of my medications. Looks like it was the prednisone.
Nerve pain in my butt/thigh, “moon face”, bloated abdomen, and “steriod acne”. But, I don’t have pain in my intestines right now. Oh.. we got our hot tub.. and it helps the nerve pain (the feeling reminds me of when I had sciatic pain during pregnancy). Maybe hot tubs should be put on insurance as a pain reliever or a pain management. 
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
This all rings so familiar. Hubby went through this…was down to 130 then gained like 50 pounds in a short time…he has stretch marks in his armpits and inner thighs! He gets joint pain in his ankles too.
Could that be sciatic nerve pain?
Hang in there!! I just want you to know that I offer love and support…we’ve been there, could possibly get there again and know how tough it really is!
The Moms last blog post..Word Association Saturday
I just turned 16 a few days ago, and I was diagnosed with Crohn’s when I was 14. I also JUST got over a flare about 2 weeks before my birthday, so that was a nice present.
But as a total buzz kill, my doctor put me on Prednisone. I cannot tell you how much I hate steroids. I would honestly rather just be sick sometimes. I get all the side effects you mentioned (and more): moon face, breakouts, abdominal weight gain, mood swings, insomnia, super-human eating habits; and these are definitely hard to deal with as a sophomore in high school.
My friends and acquaintances are very nice and understanding, but its hard when I’m always feeling self conscious. I never smile anymore because it just makes my face appear BIGGER. I’m weaning off the Prednisone now, and I’m due to be steroid-free on January 12th, but I know from past experiences that it takes several months for my face to be back to what I deem “normal”.
The weight gain sucks too, I’m just glad that I usually lose about 10 pounds when I have a flare up (my Crohn’s is on the “severe” end of the scale), so I give myself a cushion to fall back on when the super-human hunger and unusual fat distribution come into play.
Best of luck to everyone who takes Prednisone. I wish there was an alternative, the side effects are horrible, but I’m glad it puts me in remission. I guess a fat face is better than being dead.