Being on Prednisone pre and post op

[Jobey 177]

Hey, I thought this was the best place to post this. I have Lupus and have been on prednisone since January and put on 60+ pounds. It's part of the reason I decided to have a VSG I was just wondering if there's anyone else on here that was on it immediately post op and if it changed how much weight you lost?

I have really been able to find any information on the web and will be asking my surgeon at my last pre op appointment. So thought I would turn to the next best thing, this awesome community!

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[Jobey 177]

Sorry, I mean I haven't been able to find any information not I have lol

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[hpa 104]

Ask your surgeon about stress dose steroids. When you are on chronic doses of steroids your body stops making them and you can have significant complications post op.

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[Jobey 177]

I'm only on 10mg a day and he wants me to take them in tablet form the day after surgery!! Rather than IV!

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[theantichick 2,204]

I think the big things with prednisone (or any other steroid) is that it can delay healing. But of course without it, you can flare or have an adrenal crisis. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to me that doctors talk to each other anymore, which puts us in the middle and having to keep everything straight. Just make sure that whatever your rheumy wants done, that your surgeon is completely on board and knows what's up. The problem with the steroid tablets post op is that it's hard on your stomach which is already irritated from surgery, and it increases the risk of ulcer. So if it's what your rheumy wants, tell your surgeon. You'll almost definitely have to take a proton pump inhibitor to protect your stomach, and if you're going to be taking oral steroids, your surgeon may want something other than the standard s/he prescribes. If the surgeon has concerns about the plan, you may have to try and get the two to talk, or carry a lot of information back and forth. I wouldn't worry too much about the weight loss, from everything I've been able to put my hands on, we'll lose no matter what for at least 6 months, and usually a year.

I'm not on steroids right now, but we're postponing moving to a biologic until after the surgery. I'm on sulfasalazine, and we'll stop that 3 weeks before the surgery, and we'll likely start it back up after until I get cleared for the biologic.

[Jobey 177]

I have been told that I'll take longer to heal - I have to do the post op liquid diet for 3 weeks and I currently take a PPI every time I take my tablets. Glad I have a script for them cause sounds like they're going to come in handy lol

I've also spoken to my rheumatologist and been told I can discontinue all of my Lupus meds till 1 week post op, except prednisone. I'm only on 10mg atm and will be tapering it down 1 mg at a time every 3 weeks.

Thank you for responding to my post I have found it really hard to find anyone who has any experience being in prednisone immediately post op

When's your surgery date?? Mine's on the 7th, getting a little excited now

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[LisaMergs 2,857]

Ooooh. Hello and good bye to the best worst drug in the world!

8 years. 8 fricking years I took 60 mg per day to simply walk across a room. Took 2 years and an endocrinologist just to get OFF of it. ( And I'm not including the monthly IV decadron I was given.)

FYI- ORAL hydrocortisone is the best way to fool your body to be able to wean off of prednisone and avoid adrenal insufficiency

/crisis.

Those still on it do heal slower. It's a fact. I wish you well. As an aside, my RA has not flared since I had the surgery. First time in 9 years!!!!!!!!!

[Jobey 177]

I know, if it wasn't doing what it was supposed to I'd hate it even more, but it is working. I wish someone had explained what it did to any sugar whatsoever that I ingested!!

But it saved my life and I can't pretend it didn't! 60mgs is stacks, I can't even imagine!! It's taken me 4 months to wean from 50mg to 10mg and will now take me another 8 months to go from 10mg to nothing. I'm just scared I suppose that it's going to fuck this up as well.

When you get sick you just assume that the Drs will give you all of the information! I hate Drs that treat you like a mushroom!!

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[LisaMergs 2,857]

I'm telling you- see an endocrinologist. It was my saving grace. She knew exactly how to get me off. I literally could not function once I got down to 20 mg if I went below that. Switching to oral hydrocortisone allows you to get off of it more easily.

I KNOW how much prednisone helps us in order to carry out the bare basics in life and for that I was grateful. However, the 90 lbs I gained, the fact that I'm left with next to no adrenal function, the glaucoma it gave me, the high blood sugar....never again. NEVER again.

[theantichick 2,204]

We're hoping for an early August date for mine. I've been very lucky to not have to use a lot of steroids, but I understand why one blogger calls them Satan's little tic tacs. Only time I've been pain free in years was the few months I was on them while we were getting a diagnosis.

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