Have you recently started prednisone? The same thing happened when I started prednisone...but, that all changed about 3 months into it!

It's been 4 years now, and I basically look the way I did before I got sick.

I remember my daughter seeing my upper arms just after I got the disease and her being shocked that they were so thin! (I'm not a thin person, normally and have always carried a bit of extra weight).
The muscles will begin to return with therapy and medicines, so try not to worry. Blessings, Kim

Yes I started Prednisone in July. The strangest thing is that some days I am so hungry that I sneak things that I shouldn't eat, because my daughter tries to watch what I eat. She teases me that I don't know portion sizes, but I am getting better at it.

I hope that I get my backside back. I don't want a stomach (that I never had before this) and no butt. Good thing I am not vain.

You are not vain. Getting used to the Prednisone reshaping my body was one of the hardest things I've had to adjust too. I never lost, just gain....gain....gain. But it did take 3 months before I started gaining. As the others said, once your disease is more controlled, you can start building your muscles again.

Even if you don't gain or lose weight, prednisone changes the way you look by re-distributing your body. My description is that I looked like a marshmallow with toothpick legs - very strange.

The fat went back to its normal places when I got down to about 7.5mg and I think yours will too. Trying to get some exercise and healthy eating will make it easier. It's not really easy, though, when DM makes you weak and tired and prednisone makes you ravenous. Good luck!

~Lucky

I just said to my hubby today "I don't look like myself anymore" I have shrunk. My face is thin, my butt is gone too! I miss it! My legs are thin and my arms are scrawny! My belly is even gone. I am on 5 mg of pred and hope to be totally off (well not really cause it is the only thing that controls the pain). I have never gained, lost 30 pounds in a couple of years, but damn I too miss my butt! I like the rest of the new body though :) Leanne

It was so strange to look behind me and see that my butt had shrunk. This was in less than a month. I couldn't have lost that weight in months if I had tried before being put on Prednisone. It has to be the Prednisone. I just noticed tonight that my wrist are so small that the veins that were invisible before are not protruding. I don't think this is my body. I think the body snatchers came during the night.

My body changed so much on prednisone that I have people tell me everyday that now I "look like myself" again (been off of it since June). It made my arms and legs very thin, but my face and middle very round. I look back at pics from when I was on it, and it is not me!

okapl2, do you prefer the you that Prednisone has left you with better or the one before? I like the one before more and wonder what the after Prednisone will look like. I don't want to be too small. I am 5'6" and was a nice comfortable size.

Hmm it's hard to say... I was SO sick before i started prednisone, I had gone more than a year with no diagnosis, so I wasn't looking too good before I started it.

I think I prefer the me AFTER prednisone, but that is because during the treatment I radically changed my diet and have continued eating that way after getting off of it. I don't think I would have been prompted to eat so healthy had I not been faced with the idea of gaining weight on steroids, so I am thankful for that in a way.

I generally like the way I look since being off prednisone (got off it in May) BUT I wish I had more muscle (don't we all???).

This is sort of funny though: I keep a blog and even though I haven't been posting lately (long story), I posted this photo a long time ago to show the change in my face from prednisone. The first photo was from when I was on about 35mg of prednisone I think, and had been on it for about 8 months or so. The second photo was from when I was down to 3mg several months later...

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bf4C__xAW8o/TbHqCQAUnmI/AAAAAAAAACk/9f-ssTb9X6g/s1600/prednisone%2Bface.jpg

mistake in that last post: meant to say been off it since JUNE... not even that long and boy do i feel different ha

ok,

You are just adorable. See now I am on 20mg and I hate the new fat that has come to my body, but yet everyone I know thinks I like great.

I was usually thin, but a very thin face so now people are like you look great. The odd thing is that I feel like a linebacker. My arms lost muscle tone, but now it justlooks like fat. Plus I have the rashes on my arms. Tust me not a good look.lol
You lok great before and after so no worries for you.

okapi2,
You look cute both on and off prednisone!
~Lucky

I agree - pretty girl!

Haha! Well thanks, y'all are so sweet! But I just think it is so funny how much prednisone changes things... a lot of people told me on prednisone i had cute round cheeks... to me, I just did not look like myself though!

I wish that pic were a close up so you could see the lovely face fuzziness.... i'm sure you all know how that is...