Nutrition: Steroids and weight gain

Check food packaging for recommended portion sizes before tucking into a meal and keeping an eye on the nutritional value, and calories, listed on products. If you think you might be addicted to anabolic steroids, you should try and see your GP. They might refer you to a specialist addiction service or a trained drugs counsellor.

If they have a fever, or become unwell, contact your doctor or nurse. You may eat less because eating makes you feel breathless, or your appetite might be low. If you feel tired or out of breath, you might find it more difficult to shop and prepare your meals. If you’re planning a family, you should discuss this with your doctor, as it’s important that a mother stays healthy during pregnancy and that flare-ups are avoided.

Where do people get anabolic steroids from?

In the longer term, this can help with weight maintenance and muscle strength, including how strong your lungs are. You should discuss the risks with your doctor if you have any concerns. You may aanabolic be able to have the live shingles vaccination (Zostavax) if you’re on a low dose of steroids. Alternatively, there is a non-live shingles vaccine (Shingrix) that you may be able to have instead.

• If they have a fever, or become unwell, contact your doctor or nurse.
• After some time, you might notice you need more and more to get the same effect.
• Your medical team will give you advice about how and when to take your steroid medication.
• I try not, I try to make it that I don’t want to bother them too much.
• Whilst keeping her asthma and brain tumour stable is a priority for Lina, she is currently working with her consultants to reduce her steroid dosage.
• Using a device called a spacer with your medication can help to prevent many of the other problems.

You know, we just knew there were apples, oranges and bananas when I was a kid, [laughs] you know. We’ve got guavas, pomegranates, oh my god there’s so much fruit. There’s so many fruits that you just don’t realise and in that context, there’s so many different things and you’ve got to try it, try it and see if you like it.

Steroid injections

Common drugs that have these affects include steroids and insulin. You should speak to your GP about your medication if you think it’s impacting your weight. It might sound obvious, but if you over-eat you will gain weight – no matter how healthy your diet – and it’s easy to do.

At Complete, we use ultrasound guidance to carry out the injection, so we know exactly where drug is deposited. Hormonal changes as you age don’t help, since excess calories often head straight for your waist and are stored as fat. Another contributing factor is poor posture, which weakens the stomach muscles which, in turn, causes the stomach to distend. A consistent message, is for people to prevent accumulation of central fat from early on in their lives.

Talk to your doctor before taking other medicines

Your doctor might also give you a steroid warning card in other situations. For example, this could include if you have four or more short courses of oral steroids a year. If you have an operation or any dental work in the future, let the anaesthetist or dentist know beforehand that you’ve had steroid treatment. They can then take any necessary precautions to ensure that you recover well.

Fuss them all the time and I realise sometimes it might get them, they might be having a really good day and then I ring them up and say, “Oh guess what….” you know? I don’t like to bring people down when I’m already down, so what I try to do is do something to make myself upbeat or just completely not talk about the subject. If they bring it up, but start on a nice note, “Hi, how are you today? ” you know, start off like that and, and go from there.

Although Lina initially found it hard to find motivation, she has recently made changes to her diet. She eats lots of vegetables, lean meat and fish, and has reduced her red meat consumption, which she has only as a “treat”. She has cut down on fried foods, and stopped buying desserts, eating dark chocolate or fruit when she fancies something sweet. Although she still buys snacks for her children, Lina tries to fill up on tea and carbonated water between meals.

However, there came a point where Lina reached 13 stone and decided she needed to take action. Whilst keeping her asthma and brain tumour stable is a priority for Lina, she is currently working with her consultants to reduce her steroid dosage. However, Lina is focusing on lifestyle changes to manage her weight and health.

Please ask your doctor for more information about immunisations. If you’ve taken steroid tablets for more than a few days, they can cause side effects known as withdrawal symptoms if you stop suddenly. You might be given a small dose, known as a maintenance dose, for a long time to make sure your symptoms don’t return. High-sugar foods also contain lots of calories and can lead you to gain weight.

Side effects of steroid inhalers

You might also be given a drug called a proton pump inhibitor or another medicine to protect your stomach. As with all medicines, some people will have side effects. These are more likely if you’re on a high dose or if you’re taking steroids for a long time. You will be given the lowest possible dose for the shortest possible time, to reduce the risk of side effects.