WEIGHT GAIN POST-OP DUE TO STEROIDS TO TREAT MY LUPUS

Hi, everyone!

I'm ashamed to write the following. But if I don't, I'm afraid I'll keep going down the wrong path. I'll try to keep this relatively brief.

I've had lupus since my 20's (now in my 40's) and I've been treated with a myriad of medications to help stabilize my lupus with little relief. The main medication I take is prednisone. I also take a half dozen other meds. But, it seems once I began taking high dose steroids over a decade ago, my weight just kept climbing until I tipped the scale at 306 lbs.

I had the vertical sleeve op about four years ago. I initially lost 65 lbs. on the soft food portion of recovery. But once I began eating again while taking prednisone, I started gaining back all the weight I'd lost.

Today, I'm back where I started pre-op. I don't know what to do and I'm frustrated to tears. I've tried other lupus meds like Cellcept and intravenous Benlysta to try to decrease the steroids, but nothing has worked thus far. I'm current at my heaviest.

I'm considering another surgery. Yet, I'll need to remain on the lupus meds. So, I wonder if it's worth it. I've tried so many diets, especially high protein/low carb, and the results are minimal. I'm not sure what to do next.

Okay, this wasn't exactly brief. Haha. But thank you for reading this. I hope to hear from you if you have had a similar situation or have any ideas as to what I should do at this point. I'd really appreciate it.

Thank you

But i exactly laughed at what you wrote at the end of your story. Anyways if you think that nothing is work out and surgery can be considered, then think upon it. i also feel the same.

I have lupus and i take plaquenil  ask your doctor to take you off of prednisone and try you on plaquenil  and you wont have problems with gaining so much  weight. I refuse to take prednisone because of weight gain from it .  I been on  plaquenil

for  9 years  hope  this help.

 

Hamptons-

Before my DS, prednisone was the only thing that worked for me, too.

Check my signature for my weight loss to date with the Duodenal Switch.  The surgery made it possible for me to get off  the steroids.  I'm now using Plaquenil with very good results.  I also have Fibromyalgia, which is kept in check with Lyrica.

Prednisone is now reserved for emergencies when I have a major flare, and I haven't had one since I lost my first 200 pounds, and began to use Plaquenil successfully.  Of course I have to do all the precautions many lupies do, like staying out of the sun and/or using sunblock every blessed day of my life, especially in the summer. 

Since you use Benlysta, I'm wondering how that is working for you, and how often the infusions are.

***Edit***

Forgive me - It's almost 5 AM, and you already said Benlysta doesn't work well.   I think I need to go back to bed now.

hamptons11937-

Since you already have the VSG, which is the top half of the Duodenal Switch, find a good DS surgeon and get yourself the intestinal DS re-routing to go along with it!

The trauma of surgery can set of major flares, but as long as your surgeon knows you have lupus, precautions can be taken, like having a longer hospital stay, so you can be treated right away if you do go into a major flare.  You may even be able to have it laparoscopically, if you find a surgeon who does the DS that way. It's still  trauma nonetheless, but not as much as an open abdominal surgery would be.