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

[ddfighter]

Hello, I've been on and off prednisone (averaging 20 mg) since I was 8 for fightingLupus. Now I am 17, clean for 5 months. I am only 5' 0, male. The doctor said I will "catch up" immediatedly, but I haven't grew an inch yet. I am wondering by experience, about when should I be starting to experience the growth.
(My lupus is now in relative control; It seems as if I am still in the middle of puberty started when I was 16)

[Shuffling]

I recently was Dx with MS and was prescribed1250 mg Prednisone a day for 5 days. It was heaven and hell all in one. But even 3 days after stopping Prednisone I am extremely swollen (face and legs). I wish I had known to watch my salt and water intake... this is pretty miserable.

[beastiegirl_]

Hey, thank you! I feel so much better about this really. Im 18 and i got diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome when i was 17. So I've been on prednisone for about 5 months now. I have gained about 19 lbs and i've had the moonface effect and the bump on the back of my neck for 4 months. Also, im starting to get the hair on my face too. I started off on 50mg. but now my doctor is tapering it and im on 12.5. So im guessing i just have to hang in there right? :) The moonface and hair will start going away when i go about 10mg less?
Thank You and God Bless.

[lollipop710]

Hi,
I had a kidney transplant and have been on prednisolone now for 3 years, since i was 18 and since then have had two rejections, one where i had to have 600mg of prednisolone over 3 days and another rejection this time last year and had to have just under 2000mg of prednisolone straight through a drip, and i will be on prednisolone fo the rest of my life, so i can completely understand where everyone is coming from about the whole moon face situation, mine still hasnt gone yet, even after a year, and i am now on 7.5mg but i no that it will disappear hopefully altogether in about another 6 months. You dont just wake up and moon face is gone, it will happn gradually, like i said i still have moon face but believe me it was so much worse than it was now, i was barely recognisable after the 2000mg :( but it will go :) all i no is you have to hold your head up if you find people  making snidy comments about how you have put on weight, there have been a time when ive wanted to wear a sign around my neck saying seroid patient, this is not my fault lol but at the end of the day id rather have a chunky face then be ill and well, dead by now to be honest if it werent for this medication.  All that matters to me is that my 20 month old daughter accepts and loves me for who i am because im her mommy and i just ignore everybody else because its not there buisness :) Just stay POSITIVE!!! lol it will go :) x

[Aecc1174]

I was put on 80mg of Prednisone for 2 weeks for thyroiditisand then instructed to taper by 10mg every 5 days.I have a huge moon face but I am also bloated all over my body,expecially in the stomach area and upper back.I am now down to 20mg a day but my symptoms do not seem to be improving.I have gained 20 pounds which feels like pure water in 6 weeks! Has anyone else had this much trouble? I have been put on a diuretic hctz..but haven't noticed much change..Any ideas on how long this will last?

[Gdogxxx]

Hi All,

I know all about the Moonface experience having suffered with it for the past 7 months.  I was on a high dose of Predesolone, 70mg to start with for my Uvetis.  As well as eating 24/7 and getting the moonface (although my dr said I did'nt quite have the moonface - only water retention on the face. I think he was trying to put my mind at ease and also let me know actually it can look a lot worse), I also started to get hair on my face.  The good news is when you go down to 5mg and 2.5mg the moonface and the hair starts of fall away.

I hope this brings you all reassurance that there is light at the end of the tunnel.  For the moment you can grin a bear it knowing its only temporary as long as your on a high dose (70-30mg)