I hate it. Specifically, I hate the way I look.
I am taking prednisone to suppress the symptoms of sarcoidosis, a rare autoimmune disease that attacks vital organs. In my case, my heart and lungs.
There is no cure, but it can be controlled by corticosteroids, including prednisone, and chemotherapy drugs, including methotrexate.
I am lucky. I am not suffering through many side effects. Not yet, thank God.
The longer one is on high doses of prednisone and methotrexate, the more at risk one is of severe side effects. We'll see. The goal remains to get off these drugs as soon as possible.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have noticed the moon face side effect. I have a full face anyway, but now it looks like a brown full moon.
So prednisone's side effects include high blood pressure, moodiness, joint soreness, sleeplessness, weight gain….and, moon face…Other stuff, too. Glaucoma...
Too @#$%ing much.
I know that the problem disappears after prednisone treatment is ended, so there is light at the end of the tunnel. But sarc makes one feel like shit anyway. Moon face is just piling on.
I should be grateful that things aren’t worse, but I wish I was going through this during the winter when we were all covered up by hats, sweaters and coats.
The only thing I can do is talk with my docs, keep with the program – I am not quite done with prednisone, although the docs have reduced it from 60 mgs a day to 50.
I plan to see my pulmonologist next week. Perhaps he will see enough progress to reduce the drug to 40 mgs.
I am trying hard to eliminate moon face. People who have had the problem and doctors recommend the following to reduce weight gain while on prednisone:
- Avoid salt
- Avoid alcohol
- Avoid sugar
- Drink plenty of water
- Exercise
…I’ll get through it…I’ll get through it…
How do you handle these drug side effects?
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=ff9104f8-2260-4329-b656-b9a87c3e72a6)
Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. After 2 years of recurring "pneumonia", multiple lung nodules, a thoracotomy with lung resectioning & biopsies, I have been diagnosed with Wegener's granulomatosis--also an autoimmune disease. In 1990 I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. According to my Rheumatologist I am the only person he's ever heard of that has both of these diseases. So now, I too am on high dose Prednisone (60mg/day) and 40 mg of methotrexate weekly. I hate the weight gain, the moon face, the nausea & diarrhea, but I'm optimistic that since so far only my lungs are affected that the treatment will put this into remission. I have good friends in the people in my congregation and my neighbors and my family. They are very supportive even if they don't understand exactly what's going on---neither do the Drs. The best way I can deal with the side effects is at least to be AWARE of them & not reach for the chips, pizza & ice cream when the steroid munchies hit, but to have healthy snacks on hand at all times, keep busy when I'm able & if I can't sleep at 3am.., well that's when I'll do the laundry on the night rate, clean house & work on the projects I've put off for the last 2 years. If I know the prednisone is making me moody I try to STOP right then & confront it. I'm not always successful, but part of 'winning' this battle is to have at least some control of my life & not let the disease or the drugs take over. To me that would be defeating their purpose. I also have firm belief that sickness will one day be a thing of the past. I'll remember you in my prayers--hope you don't mind. I just know that having this kind of disease can make you feel pretty alone sometimes. Take care. ldoolittle1@stny.rr.com
ReplyDeleteHI! i am so glad to find you! can I add your name to the community list for those with WG on my blog? blessings to you!
ReplyDelete