I have recently started new meds for asthma. I have not had a bad problem since I was a kid but it has kicked back in (I recently moved to a new area and it started about this time). I'm talking singulair, flovent inhaler, albuteral inhaler and also an expectorant. Any experience with side effects of weight gain. I was also on prednisone for two weeks but have been off that for a week but I've gained about 8 pounds since this all started.
Thanks

I would guess your weight gain is due to the prednisone. My kids have taken all the same meds as you but when they take prednisone they eat non-stop. My sister also took it and gained weight and got the "moon face".

thanks. I knew that the prednisone could cause this but was so hoping it wasn't the Singulair since it seems to be helping (but....this morning I woke really tight and "wheezy" and had to do two nebulizer treatments to loosen up. Could the flovent cause weight gain because I have stopped it and maybe should go back on it but know it's an inhaled steroid.


Trish

Some people more sensitive to it have gained weight while on inhaled steroids. I haven't, personally. I know the people more likely to gain weight while on inhaled steroids are the people more likely to gain weight on general principle -- middle aged, not getting enough exercise.

I have a five year old daughter who also suffers from asthma. Last winter, she was diagnosed with pneumonia. We were back and forth to the doctor to receive antibotics and other meds. This drove my family crazy.

She has finally found relief in drinking an all natural fruit juice. Not only has it improved her respiratory system, but it has also helped her immune system. She doesn't come down with colds/flus as in the past, and she also is able to play with other children without the fear of "catching something".


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Beverly P.

Thanks for your reply. It's so discouraging and I hate taking so much medication....especially when it doesn't really help much and has so many side effects. I'll try you suggestion.

tricia

Anyone interested in further information about the all natural methods that I use, feel free to give me a buzz at (586) 776-1014.

I have a real love-hate relationship going with prednisone, but sometimes it seems the side effects are worse than the disease (okay, maybe not worse, but it's still really frustrating). The can live with looking like a stuffed chipmunk but the emotional side effects really bother me. Anyone found anything that helps? I would give anything to get a break from this stuff but I haven't managed to wean off for more than 4 weeks at a time in the last 4 years. I'm getting pretty discouraged.
Barb

My experience with prednisone was horrible. I gained a lot of weight, but I also, had terrible crying fits. (not great for asthma.)

I lost the weight about a month after stopping it.
I do take flovent but have not gained weight from it.

Blue

charleyhorse, have you ever tried theophyllines?

They may sometimes be called "the poison of asthmatics," but they've been around for years and years, and despite needing regular monitoring of the drug levels in your blood (Because the therapeutic range is very narrow) they have many effects, mostly anti-inflammatory and some weak bronchodilating effects.

They aren't great for your body, but they're a lot better than prednisone.

Also, have you looked into trying one of the leukotriene blockers, like singulair or accolate? Some people have tried them when even steroids don't seem to work and end up feeling like a million bucks, but for some people they seem to have almost no effect at all.

Prednisone really doesn't look all that bad when you start to think that drugs that are a step-up from prednisone include intravenous solumedrol (through a surgically implanted, permanent port), or immunosuppressive drugs, like those used for chemotherapy and organ transplants.

Yes, theophylline's in the package too. I take Advair 500, extra Flovent for good measure, theophylline, Ventolin and/or Bricanyl ... and prednisone most of the time. I've had reflux surgery and nasal surgery which both helped but I still end up in hospital about 3 times a year on iv steroids ... yuck. I tried Accolate and Singulair but the specialist didn't think they were doing anything to improve my lung function so we dropped them. I've been reading about this anti IgE - its sounds promising for the allergy-induced problems anyway. Sure hoping.
thanks
Barb

Well....if anyone read my original post it was about weight gain....now it's about relief. I have been wheezing every day and almost every night for over two months. I have an albuterol inhaler, take singulair one tab at night and just today started serevent inhaler. Like I said, I had asthma as a kid and only in the last two months has it flaired up, I think from a move to a new house and new location. Honestly, I can't live wheezing every day!!! any advice? Plus, I don't want to take steroid and be fat. I just lost about 40 pounds on a low carb diet and felt great until now. Please help.

More advice please ...
I went on prednisone last week and 1 more week to go and my weight has jumped !! Will it return to normal on its own accord or is it diet time?
thanks for any help
Blaven

I have lost about 6 of the 8 pounds I gained while on prednisone. But, I have restarted my low carb diet (which by the way works wonders....I lost 30 pounds last year and have felt great).

You can lose the weight.

It'll usually return to normal of its own accord. Prednisone is just famous for wacking out your metabolism and making you gain weight in weird places on your body.

Hmm. Let's see...

It's easy for the body to develop a tolerance to antihistamines -- it happens a lot. Try switching antihistamines, even if you're on prescription antihistamines. I've had most excellent luck with 20mg cetrizine HCl (a double dose of OTC reactine, that you can get by prescription.) It's a great antihistamine for me, as it doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier and thusly has practically no sedative side-effects and won't (meaning shouldn't, I'm not that well versed on the LIST of drugs that interact with theodur) interfere with your asthma meds.

The important part about antihistamine pills is to take them ALL THE TIME. There are also other kinds of allergy shots that you MIGHT qualify for if it means you spend less time in the hospital when you're on them. When do you usually end up in the hospital? Is it with a cold, allergies, things like that?

The most important thing at this point (since you're already on so many anti-inflammatories) Is to keep the bronchospasm down. The more your airways spasm, the bigger the muscles get -- it's like weight training, except in this case, you don't WANT the increased muscle mass because it makes your airways smaller. If you need to start taking extra Serevent or possibly switching to Oxeze, (which works a little faster than Serevent... I'm on symbicort, you can get it since you're in canada, it's like advair, just different drugs.)

The important thing is to keep on top of it and keep pounding at it -- you sound like the kind of person who knows what they're doing and who's trusted by their dr. ... especially if you've been put on theodur.

Thanks for the advice. I haven't had a lot of success with antihistamines, but I will check into what you suggested. Tried allergy shots but got a nasty reaction so they discontinued them. Maybe I just haven't found the right antihistamine yet. Allergies stir things up asthma-wise, but it takes a respiratory infection to put me in the hospital - any respiratory infection. I think however, that if I could get the allergies tamed down, my lungs might not be so 'twitchy' and maybe the virus wouldn't react so drastically.

for everyone struggling with prednisone and weight gain - it seems if you can get by the with the occassional short term burst, the extra weight and puffiness generally disappear pretty quick. Its harder when its long term daily use ... well, let's say the the stuffed chipmunk look can be kind of interesting http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

thanks
Barb

My brother was real sick when he was younger, and he had to take steroids a lot for his asthma. He gained a lot of weight as a result (of course, he doesn't eat very healthy either, that doesn't help)

Originally posted by charleyhorse:
Thanks for the advice. I haven't had a lot of success with antihistamines, but I will check into what you suggested. Tried allergy shots but got a nasty reaction so they discontinued them. Maybe I just haven't found the right antihistamine yet. (...) I think however, that if I could get the allergies tamed down, my lungs might not be so 'twitchy' and maybe the virus wouldn't react so drastically.


Yes, that's exactly what it is. The way your muscles in your airways work is exactly the same way any other muscle in your body works. The more often they are contracted and with more force, the more likely they are to build mass. Muscle mass with weight training is done through repetition -- you will increase the number of reps in a set before you increase the actual weight borne. In this manner, if you can keep your muscles in your airways from becoming constricted for whatever reason, they will eventually start to shrink and give you a greater airway lumen to work with.

Look into increasing the dose of your long-acting bronchodilator (like, look into switching away from advair and going towards serevent/flovent while taking serevent at higher doses) to keep your muscles in check.

There's tons of different antihistamines out there -- and lots of them are available by prescription. They all can cause drowsiness, and you should be careful which ones you pick -- as lots of drugs can interact with theophyllines to increase or decrease blood serum levels.

There's also different allergy shots -- some of them act in different fashions. It is possible you had a reaction to the preservatives inside the allergy shot and switching to a different brand manufacturer (if possible) could help.

Accolate and Singulair work best for people with allergic-type asthma. It might not make a noticeable change in lung function when you're not having any episodes, but it can make episodes shorter, less traumatic, less acute.

Look into going back on one of them, since it doesn't sound like they did anything to HURT you, more just that they weren't doing any GOOD.

Just an update....I originally wrote about wheezing every day especially at night with really not much relief unless I stayed close to my nebulizer. I was almost afraid to got to work, but did and coughed nonstop. My doctor gave me an antihistimine cough syrup with codeine and I was finally able to sleep through the night without coughing. Since then I have been so much better. It's like that little bit of relief broke the cycle. Maybe it's just that the serevent kicked in but I've been "wheeze" and cough free for 5 whole days. Maybe there is a God!!!

Thanks Wrin. That makes sense.
TrishB, glad you got some relief and were able to break the cycle with the coughing. Sure wears you down doesn't it? Did you find the codeine made you drowsy? My dr gave me some and I thought it might also help me sleep better ... it did relieve some of the coughing but I felt even more wired that usual.
Barb

It definitely made me sleepy but it was an antihistimine cough syrup. I haven't used that before and know what you mean about codeine wiring you. I've had that happen before. So far, not wheezing.
I'm supposed to see an pulmonary doc next week. If my breathing is still under control, do you recommend that I still see him or it is really going to matter since I'm symptom free right now.


Trish

I'd really encourage you to keep the appointment. Sometimes we 'feel' fine but trouble can be brewing. Asthma does have its ups and downs and I think its good for our drs to see us when we're heading in both directions.
Barb

Thanks so much for your reply. What's weird if that this morning (after missing my Singulair for two days thinking I was better and not getting it refilled and not using my Serevent inhaler) I was wheezing like crazy. Got my prescriptions refilled today and will see the specialist.

Tricia