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Original poster

Prednisolone and moon face

45 replies

thislittlebird · 27/01/2023 16:29

I had to take this for a couple of months in spring 2021 but unlike most people my moon face never seemed to go away completely. Did anyone here have to take this and struggled to get rid of the moon face? Did losing weight generally help? I’ve lost a chunk of the extra moon face fat but the last bit doesn’t want to shift and it’s really impacting my self esteem. I’m hoping losing some weight (which I do need to do) will help.

OP posts:
Princesspollyyy · 27/01/2023 16:34

I'm on my third course of prednisolone now since December, and I haven't got moon face. I wonder why? I'm sorry you've got it.

RedPandaFluff · 27/01/2023 16:42

I have major prednisone moonface at the moment and I hate it, so I completely empathise, @thislittlebird! It has had a huge effect on my confidence - I used to have nice cheekbones and a reasonably pretty face, now I look podgy, swollen and unhealthy. I'm due to start tapering off in a couple of weeks and I'm really hoping it goes back to normal reasonably quickly.

Princesspollyyy · 27/01/2023 16:44

What dose are you on and for how long?

I've been on 6 tablets daily for a week, but I've had three courses of that now, with about a weeks break in between.

Original poster
thislittlebird · 27/01/2023 16:44

Princesspollyyy · 27/01/2023 16:34

I'm on my third course of prednisolone now since December, and I haven't got moon face. I wonder why? I'm sorry you've got it.

Amazing if you’ve swerved it. It’s crap! Are you on low doses?

OP posts:
SweetSakura · 27/01/2023 16:46

I have major moonface at the moment and it's really bringing me down.

My hair and skin are rubbish too- I don't know if that's related to pred.

It's my first time taking pred and I will be taking it for quite some time. To make matters worse it hasn't done the trick on its own so I am starting mycophenolate as well now.

So I dont know the answer but want to join you in sympathy.

Original poster
thislittlebird · 27/01/2023 16:46

Sorry, just seen your other message @Princesspollyyy. I was on 5/6 tablets per day and then it was slowly tapered down over the course of treatment. But I’m pretty sure it was about 6 weeks in total, I’ve been on it for one week since then and it didn’t change my face so I bet it’s the amount of time you’re taking it for that makes a difference maybe?

OP posts:
Original poster
thislittlebird · 27/01/2023 16:48

RedPandaFluff · 27/01/2023 16:42

I have major prednisone moonface at the moment and I hate it, so I completely empathise, @thislittlebird! It has had a huge effect on my confidence - I used to have nice cheekbones and a reasonably pretty face, now I look podgy, swollen and unhealthy. I'm due to start tapering off in a couple of weeks and I'm really hoping it goes back to normal reasonably quickly.

Ughhh @RedPandaFluff i feel you, it totally sucks. Same here, I don’t have a huge amount of confidence but I always had a nice jawline and face shape. Now it’s just puffy and lost the nice definition it had before. Hopefully you’ll be like most people and it’ll go in a few months, I don’t know why mine is so persistent.

OP posts:
Original poster
thislittlebird · 27/01/2023 16:52

SweetSakura · 27/01/2023 16:46

I have major moonface at the moment and it's really bringing me down.

My hair and skin are rubbish too- I don't know if that's related to pred.

It's my first time taking pred and I will be taking it for quite some time. To make matters worse it hasn't done the trick on its own so I am starting mycophenolate as well now.

So I dont know the answer but want to join you in sympathy.

Yeah, I know what you mean, it’s such a downer. It made me feel crap, it changed my face so much. Although it really helps my skin because I have eczema and it calms it all down but I’ll take a steroid cream any day of the week over the stupid moon face.

Feel free to join me, we can have a pred sucks group. How long are you expected to be on it for? I originally had to take it for my out of control eczema, but I’m doing ivf and I strongly suspect I’ll eventually have to go on it to have any chance of a successful pregnancy because my immune system is a twat. Time will tell, I suppose.

OP posts:
Princesspollyyy · 27/01/2023 16:53

My course is less than a week and no tapering is needed, so I think that may be why I've escaped it.

I'm taking it as I've got pneumonia and I'm an asthma sufferer.

SweetSakura · 27/01/2023 16:58

It's such a horrible trade off isnt it. It can be the best solution for a badly behaved immune system but feels so unfair it comes with rotten side effects.
My children had horrible eczema as babies and it was so hard seeing them in pain. It took 2 years to get pregnant with my son we were about to start ivf, it's a hard exhausting journey but hopefully it won't be too long for you.

I have a rare neurological condition called myasthenia gravis - my immune system attacks my neuromuscular junction. At the moment it is really bad and even my ability to talk and swallow is affected. So I know I need immune suppressants but I really hate the side effects!

snowsilver · 27/01/2023 16:59

When you say 5/6 tablets how many mg? The tablets come in many different sizes.
I took it for two years for RA, hate the stuff. It's the devil's drug, makes you feel good while making you dependent and damaging your bones. I didn't get moon face thankfully but even though I was on a low dose of 10mg daily it took 8 months to wean off. I now have osteoporosis. It's true there are good side effects. My eczema disappeared and my general allergies improved.

Had to take 40mg a day for five days last week due to chest infection.

SweetSakura · 27/01/2023 17:01

I think I will be on pred for at least a year while we wait for mycophenolate to kick in 😬

AnnaMagnani · 27/01/2023 17:06

My DM was on v high dose prednisolone for a year for giant cell arteritis and got all the side effects: diabetes, sepsis, osteoporosis and a broken arm... And even though she desperately tried not to gain weight she got a horrible moon face and altered fat distribution.

Thankfully once she came off, she stuck to a low carb diet rigidly and the fat moved back where it was supposed to be, no more moon face.

Titsolina · 27/01/2023 17:18

Hiya, I take pred and mycophenolate for Myasthenia. The high doses caused moon face and other fun side effects pretty quickly. However even with a significant reduction to 10mg I still am quite rounded in the face. However, I'm still on the buggers & from what I understand you aren't! It is supposed to take a year plus to return to normal again. Don't be hard on yourself.

SweetSakura · 27/01/2023 17:27

@Titsolina sorry, thread side track,, are you finding the mycophenolate is helping? I hate the thought of starting more meds with side effects but also really want to get better!

Original poster
thislittlebird · 27/01/2023 17:29

@snowsilver interesting, how did you wean off across the 8 months, was it lowering the dose? I was on 6 x 5mg per day from what recall, which tapered down to 5 x 5mg, 4 x 5mg, 3 x 5mg, 2 x 5mg, 1 x 5mg each week. So yeah, about 6 weeks and my face ballooned. It was for my eczema and it did the trick, but my face never snapped back.

OP posts:
Original poster
thislittlebird · 27/01/2023 17:30

Princesspollyyy · 27/01/2023 16:53

My course is less than a week and no tapering is needed, so I think that may be why I've escaped it.

I'm taking it as I've got pneumonia and I'm an asthma sufferer.

I agree, because I've been on it for a couple of individual weeks since then and it hasn't caused the moon face.

OP posts:
Chesneyhawkes1 · 27/01/2023 17:41

I can't remember what steroids they were but I had them when I was having cancer treatment. The moon face was awful.

Thankfully within 6 weeks of treatment finishing I'd lost the kg I'd put on and the moon face went. I have a photo of me on my phone and I don't even look like myself 🤦‍♀️

Princesspollyyy · 27/01/2023 17:51

snowsilver · 27/01/2023 16:59

When you say 5/6 tablets how many mg? The tablets come in many different sizes.
I took it for two years for RA, hate the stuff. It's the devil's drug, makes you feel good while making you dependent and damaging your bones. I didn't get moon face thankfully but even though I was on a low dose of 10mg daily it took 8 months to wean off. I now have osteoporosis. It's true there are good side effects. My eczema disappeared and my general allergies improved.

Had to take 40mg a day for five days last week due to chest infection.

I'm on 30mg a day for 7 days x

Original poster
thislittlebird · 27/01/2023 17:56

SweetSakura · 27/01/2023 16:58

It's such a horrible trade off isnt it. It can be the best solution for a badly behaved immune system but feels so unfair it comes with rotten side effects.
My children had horrible eczema as babies and it was so hard seeing them in pain. It took 2 years to get pregnant with my son we were about to start ivf, it's a hard exhausting journey but hopefully it won't be too long for you.

I have a rare neurological condition called myasthenia gravis - my immune system attacks my neuromuscular junction. At the moment it is really bad and even my ability to talk and swallow is affected. So I know I need immune suppressants but I really hate the side effects!

It really is hard when you're a kid, I remember how horrible it was. Unfortunately we're into year 4 and multiple failed ivf transfers so it's long haul over here. Can't say it's all helping me feel good about myself, the crazy eczema and immune system kicked off just as we started to ttc in 2019, I can't help thinking it's related, maybe stress? Dunno.

Your condition sounds horrid, sorry you're stuck with them, they're really not the nicest of meds.

OP posts:
Original poster
thislittlebird · 27/01/2023 17:58

Titsolina · 27/01/2023 17:18

Hiya, I take pred and mycophenolate for Myasthenia. The high doses caused moon face and other fun side effects pretty quickly. However even with a significant reduction to 10mg I still am quite rounded in the face. However, I'm still on the buggers & from what I understand you aren't! It is supposed to take a year plus to return to normal again. Don't be hard on yourself.

Thanks @Titsolina. It'll be two years in april, I'm hoping it'll mostly bugger off if I lose a decent amount of weight, which I'm aiming to do by summer.

OP posts:
Original poster
thislittlebird · 27/01/2023 18:00

Chesneyhawkes1 · 27/01/2023 17:41

I can't remember what steroids they were but I had them when I was having cancer treatment. The moon face was awful.

Thankfully within 6 weeks of treatment finishing I'd lost the kg I'd put on and the moon face went. I have a photo of me on my phone and I don't even look like myself 🤦‍♀️

I'm glad it went away for you, that's something at least. I can't stand the photos of me from April 21, not super keen on the ones in 2023 either, but it's better than then.

OP posts:
Chesneyhawkes1 · 27/01/2023 18:06

@thislittlebird I put on almost 10kg during treatment 🤦‍♀️ my diet was very beige 😂

9kg of it seemed to be on my face! I hope it goes away for you soon!

TheMousePipes · 27/01/2023 18:10

I took pred for 9 years, on a sliding scale as the mycophenelate kicked in. My moon face was FUCKING MASSIVE. I have nothing useful to offer but solidarity to you all.
On the plus side, I’m in drug free remission at the moment (hurrah) and my face looks ravaged but non moonlike.

Rugbyfield · 27/01/2023 18:11

Two of my children have had moon face from pred.

One was using it for about 16 months with occasional breaks, his moon face probably took longer to disappear because of overall weight gain but it did go.

My DD lost her moon face faster but she was only in it for a few weeks and had got really skinny before starting so her weight gain was more her getting back to her original weight. DDs dose was also lower at 20mg compared to DS who took up-to 60mg and his maintenance dose was 20 mg.