Haven-

See other past posts on this subject under the "discussions" link. This is the number one side effect patient complaint and reason for noncompliance (particularly by females) about this classification of drugs.

I know. It sucks.

Haven,

Take heart! Though this is a big problem right here and now there a drugs in the works down the pipeline that will bypass this altogether.

Til then the only thing is to modify diet and hit the gym, if you're well enough to.

I'd recommend antidepressants but guess what the number one side effect is - yep!

In the meantime, try and cheer up. There's always the old vaudville one-liner "I may be fat, but you're ugly, and I can diet" :-)

Well, works for me anyway.

hehe i wouldn't worry about me mate, i may be a big guy but im damn happy with myself :P i just wanted to help out anyone who felt shite because there is really no reason to be :)

life is guuuurd!!

I had no idea inhalers caused weight gain? I am on atrovent and albuterol, but I take advair which I guess is a steriod.

I want to let you all know from personal experience that the steriods in the inhalers does not react the same way as other kinds of steriods, such as prendisone. I have asked so many doctors and They all said the same thing. I am diabetic and it is crucial I am not on regular steriods. Steriods raises the insulin to dangerously high levels. I had a bought with pneumonia this past march and I was taking 50mgs per tablet daily for a week. Was hard on my insulin dosing. So it was then I learned the truth about inhalers. I take Qvar 80 (Steriod based for lung inhalation) for daily protection and Ventalin when emergencies arise. Weight gain from steriod inhalors does not seem possible to me, but who knows for sure.

Heart-

First of all, steroids (whether oral, inhaled or injected) have the potential to create many side effects -including raising BLOOD SUGAR, (not insulin) levels.

However, oral (pred) and injectible (salumedrol) steroids definitely increase blood sugar to dangerously high levels, (as opposed to inhaled steroids which don't create as drastic a swing and are better tolerated).

And yes, inhaled and oral steroids (and obviously injectibles) do cause weight gain based on how these work. As with blood sugar, the effect is more drastic with oral and injected than inhaled.

So the best thing to do is carefully monitor your blood sugar levels regardless of what type of steroid is being used. Weight gain, especially in diabetics, should also be carefully monitored as this could be related to or caused by many factors.

Best of luck in the difficult balancing act of stabilizing diabetes and asthma. Be sure to discuss all your meds with all with doctors as some have the potential to interact or counteract each other.

I have suffered from diabetes for a long time, along with my asthma and ADHD. I know first hand that inhaled steriods causes an increase in my blood sugars, not as much then when I am on 60 mg of prednisone, but it does raise it. I never thought about the weight gain, but makes sense to me.

Nope and i sure does suck. I have more things that are making me gain weight majorly than just my inhalers..grrrr

I had a ong chat with my soecialist about this subject and according to him that if you have a pre exsisiting conditionsuch as diabetes then inhaled steriods may effect you blood sugars and even more so oral striods will however if you have no predispostion then it is highly unlikly that you will ahve blood sugar effects from inhaled striods as the amounts of steriods in these is very very minimal. I am not saying that if you dont have disbetes then you wont get high blood sugar. i am saying that it is more unlikly.
However with iral and iv seriods the amount iof steriod is so much higher and therfore side effects are much greater. However i find that the effects the oral and iv steriods has on my chest is si much btter than the side effects. I would mind putting oin 20stone if it meant i was able to breathe better rather than not taking my steriods and notbeing able to breathy. I am sure that others who are steriod dependant will agree of course i want to get off it and not take it but the effects of it are too powerfula and have such an effect that i need to take it.

So the side efefcts of it are much more minimal than the effects on the lungs. Also alot of the side effects are temporary and will go and subside once the steriods are finished.

What i ahve said was alot of what was discussed in a convo between me and my specialist who is a specialist in difficult and severe asthma so he knows what he is talkign about he also does alot of reserach into steriod use so this topic interets him alot that where i got my info.

Olive