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Moon-face caused by Prednisone

JTD
Hi,
I have been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I am 25 & am on Prednisone(60mg),salasapyrin(500mg)& Plaquenil(200mg) per day. I have developed a large moon shaped face. I am swollen in the face & neck & hate what it is doing to my face. Will this swelling & fluid go away when I come off the steroids in five weeks? It is causing me to be depressed & family have noticed the change in my face & are worried for my health. I have heard some scary things about these drugs, prednisone in particular. Please is there anything that can stop the Moon face & would I benefit from taking a dieretic too?? P.s I have had an eye twitch every day for the last 3 dys in my left eye, lasting for approx 20secs & about every 10 mins? Could this b another side effect & should I worry about it as it is annoying & starting to get sore?
Thanks
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Avatar universal
Hi, the side effects started to reduce for me at 10mg, it can feel quite slow at first, I went down to 5mg and then 2.5mg, which was over a period of 3 months.  I have been off completely now for 2 months and the swollan face has completely gone (at last!). I'm so happy to have my chin back!!!  I still have a small amount of the excess blonde hair on my face but its nothing compared to how it was (though its still pretty annoying it hasnt total gone yet from my face or back - it like a light blonde fur).  My dress size is more or less back to normal, my appetite went from being huge to hardly no appetite at all.  I need to see my GP to check I have'nt developed a stomack ulcer from the predes.  Rest assured if your coming off the predesolone your face will go back to normal and should be the first thing to improve!! Sorry to read you have the hump, I hope that can be hidden by your hair until it goes.
Good Luck, Best wishes
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Avatar universal
I have been on 80 mg a day of pred and my face and neck are swollen and I look like the nutty professor or something. I have ulcerative colitis and have been on pred for 9 months now not sure how much longer.
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I have a very rare autoimmune disease that I didn't see mentioned called "Hashimoto Encephalopathy".  In fact, there is only a handful of case studies here in the US so I am a guinea pig for my doctors and have been for 5 years now (keep in mind im only 22).  I am on prednisone 50mg for almost a year now and cytoxin (chemo) along with 13 other medications.  Before this I would take a multi-vitamin and call it a day, now I have a whole cocktail of meds.  Along with everyone in here, I too, have that wonderful self-concious huge moon face and extra pounds on my body after just losing it.  I continue to work out and never see results, but I do not let that stop me and I also do not give into the crazy urge to always want to eat!
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Avatar universal
I was diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica this week and have just begun to take Prednisone (15 mg, so far). I had never heard of this condition before. In the 4 days I've been taking. I'd love to hear from others about their experiences, treatment plans and outcomes with this condition. I am too new to this to offer much at this point.
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Avatar universal
hi iam 20 years old and i was diagnosed from five months as lupus and start by 20mg perdnisone  the miserable joke that iam a medical student i have to hear every day about the side effects of this drug and to study it well now i get down to 15 mg till now i havenot moon face but   every now and then i look at the mirror fearing from it.....
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Avatar universal
hi iam 20 years old and i was diagnosed from five months as lupus and start by 20mg perdnisone  the miserable joke that iam a medical student i have to hear every day about the side effects of this drug and to study it well now i get down to 15 mg till now i havenot moon face but   every now and then i look at the mirror fearing from it.....
Helpful - 0
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