Does prednisone make you gain weight?

I'm 53 year old female. I've never been fat. I am now. I'm taking 5 pills of prednisone, sometimes 6 daily for over a year. I've gained 40 lbs. I have hives so badly that the prednisone doesn't work so I have to go to Urgent Care or the Hosp for a shot. I just started seeing an Allergist. Extensive tests all come back negative. He wants to put me in a study I'm at the end of my rope with this. I wish I could have an operation that disables this function from happening but I doubt it's possible.

To add from my last comment, I'm a 53 year old female. It was seven years ago almost to the day when I experienced my first episode outbreak of hives.

Hi, just wanted to let you know about a immune disorder called hypocomplementia urticarial vasculitis.. thats what i was diagnosed with after seeing several different doctor's, even allergists. A rheumatologist is pretty much only doctor's that know what it is. I had biopsy of a hive thats how its confirmed. Hopefully this help you out.. i know the frustration with hives and why I was getting them. .

HI, I am 65 years old and have been taking prednisone for 2 years. (liver transplant) I have gained over 25 pounds. I was 115 lbs and I am 5 feet 2inches tall. I have always been very active and athletic. Since my operation I have doubled my excercise routine. Alas, to no avail! The only strange change in my diet is that I crave proteins and more salty items. This is directly opposite of what I enjoyed my WHOLE life--SWEETS, I ate, for real, at least 2000 calories a day just in sweets! I have been a size 3 to 7 my whole life! Now, I can't look at sweets. I don't understand, but it has truly made me depressed in the area of my appearance. I'm OK in my basic outlook on life which is good for me. Does anyone else share any of these any of these feelings? Thank you, Marie

I already gained 7 lbs in a week from 40mg daily trying to stop the eczema itching. One year and 5 docs later, no relief. Decided to send all my records and biopsies to Mayo for a consult. I'm desperate for relief and ready to just about try anything. Otherwise a healthy guy and very active at 70, but as eczema sufferers know, this can be a nightmare to endure.

Paulette, I became very ill, fever, swollen glands and my gums hurt. I thought maybe it was the flu. The next day I broke out in a rash that looked like big bites but eventually they spread out in large circles. I had biopsies done and it kept coming back negative until my doctor told them to check for Sweet Syndrome and that's what I have. I'm on a very high dose boost of predisone and I'm finally starting to feel better. Have them check you for that. Good luck to you.

I have been battling angio edema for a year now and not one doctor, and I've seen them all, could tell me what to do. I've been on a half dose, five mg, of prednisone to keep the facial swelling down. I go on Tuesday to start treatment with Xolair. I pray this works an I can get off of the prednisone, Allergra and Ranitidine that I take twice a day. I have gained about ten pounds from that stuff and feel awful. I need to get my life back and hopefully Xolair will help me do that.

Incorrect. Prednisone, a corticosteroid feeds back on DHEA production by the adrenal cortex so catabolic processes i.e. breakdown dominate so breakdown of body occurs. Like accelerated aging.

Food is preferentially turned into fat, leaving hunger. Keeping track of diet does not alter this. Heavy exercise to reduce sarcopenia i.e. muscle loss, strips protein from inner organs.
Watching your diet is just watching, it will not grow back hair under the armpits, on arms or head or thicken skin.