Treatment FAQ

how long does the prednisone moon face take to wear off after stopping treatment

by Estell Streich Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

The good news is, once the steroids are stopped and your body readjusts, the weight generally comes off. This usually happens within 6 months to a year.Dec 15, 2020

How long does moon face last on prednisone?

Moon face usually goes away slowly as your dose decreases. Below 10 mg, most notice a difference. Below 5 mg, most people do not have much moon face. Once you stop taking prednisone, moon face usually vanishes within a month.

Does the moon face ever go away?

Yes, the moon face does go away. And once you're off prednisone, if you put a little effort into it, the weight will come off, too.

How long does it take for prednisone to leave your face?

It can take about a year, though, for your body and face to return to their pre-corticosteroid states. If you can’t stop taking prednisone or similar medications, you can reduce how much your face swells by taking some precautions: Control what you eat and limit calories to avoid additional gain.

What will happen if I stop taking prednisone?

The swelling will go down. It is actually a special watery fat deposit that the prednisone makes (cortisol response). Other traits are a hump at back of neck, extended belly. The face is called moon face. Here is the warning: DO NOT stop prednisone because of your appearance.

How long does it take for prednisone moon face to disappear?

Once you stop taking corticosteroids, extra weight, water retention, and the puffiness of moon face will begin to go away. It can take about a year, though, for your body and face to return to their pre-corticosteroid states.

Does your face go back to normal after prednisone?

“When the patient stops taking the prednisone, fat distribution goes back to normal and moon face disappears after a few weeks,” Dr. Galligan says. And, again, this kind of swelling isn't harmful, so moon face is actually a relatively minor potential side effect of prednisone.

How long do prednisone effects last after stopping?

Symptoms can vary in intensity and may last anywhere from a few days to several months after discontinuing the drug. The severity and duration of withdrawal symptoms usually correlate with the length of time that a person was taking prednisone, as well as the size of their regular dose.

How do I get rid of prednisone moon face?

When your moon face is caused by prednisone or another steroid, the simplest treatment is often to reduce your dosage. Your doctor can put you on a lower dose. Over time, being on a lower dose will reduce the appearance of moon face.

How long does it take to flush steroids out of your system?

How long will it be detectable? If taken orally, steroids can show up in a urine test for up to 14 days. If injected, steroids can show up for up to 1 month.

How long does it take for adrenal glands to recover after prednisone?

Typically, the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis recovers after cessation of glucocorticoids, but the timing of recovery can be variable and can take anywhere from 6–12 months.

How can I reverse the effects of prednisone?

Use strategies (such as meditation) to cope with and reduce stress. Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or skim milk and cheeses. Be active — shoot for exercise most days of the week. Get adequate rest (ideally seven to nine hours each night).

Does the moon face go away?

Yes, the moon face does go away. And once you're off prednisone, if you put a little effort into it, the weight will come off, too. support. support. Sign in to react. thanks. thanks. Sign in to react. useful.

Does prednisone go away?

Yes it does go away but don't assume that the weight will just drop off you when you stop the prednisone. I've always had a hard time loosing weight and this was no different. My advise, REALLY watch the eating (I know it's hard, really hard) but find a distraction so you don't gain the weight. Good luck.

How long does it take for a moon face to go away?

My moon face took about two months to go away, once I tapered down to a 10 mg dose from a three month stint of 50 mg. I'm still on the 10 mg dose, so while I am still a bit chubby-cheeked, I can see me again! Give it another month. Tough when you are in high school, but hang in there, it will disappear! Ditto that Quasimodo hump of fat on the back of the neck, if you were 'fortunate' to get that as well!

How to get rid of moon face?

Just know that it will go away. Be self-confident and have a good sense of humor about it. Tell people you are on a med that causes Moon Face. And ask them if they think it is getting smaller...with a good laugh. As long as you don't act like it's weird, they won't. High school is all about being confident in who you are. I know...my youngest just went off to college. And I was a school nurse for many years. You'd be surprised how often the "cool kids" like to feel needed and included about things like Prednisone.

How long does it take for a moon face to disappear?

Below 5 mg, most people do not have much moon face. Once you stop taking prednisone, moon face usually vanishes within a month. However, some have reported moon face lasting several months. It usually disappears pretty quickly though.

How to stop taking prednisone?

Stopping prednisone is not really an option, so the next two strategies are your best bet. 2. Change Your Diet. While this is not a cure, if you stop eating the typical American diet, it can minimize moon face. Foods high in salt and sugar exacerbate prednisone’s worst side effects.

What is the moon face?

Moon Face is a Battle Scar. In many cultures, scars are treated with high respect, showing evidence that the carrier of that scar must have fought a tremendous battle and survived. Moon Face is the same. Moon Face shows that you are fighting a battle to survive.

How to reduce moon face?

The three main strategies to reduce or minimize moon face include the following, which I will go more detail into below. Stop taking prednisone. Change your diet: consume less salt and sugar. Drink more water. 1. Stop Taking Prednisone.

What are the risks of getting a moon face?

This showed that those who got moon face (CIL) had a higher risk for the following compared with those who did not get moon face: Higher blood pressure. Higher fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol and triglycerides. Lower HDL-cholesterol.

Why does my face look like the moon?

Fat is deposited on the cheeks and neck making the face appear round like the moon. This frustrating side effect and appearance-changer made it so that even Apple’s facial recognition software did not recognize me. It is a key sign of Cushing’s syndrome. Read on below to find out answers to these questions:

Is it bad to take 40 mg of prednisone?

It can happen sooner if you take a high dose, such as over 40 mg per day. The main principle to understand is that moon face from prednisone is worse the higher the dose. The fat deposits worsen the higher the dose. The higher the dose, the rounder the face.

How long does it take for the moon to go away after stopping prednisone?

For some people, it takes a couple of months after you stopped taking prednisone for the moon face to go away. The weight gain caused by prednisone goes the same way. The higher the dose, the more weight gain. The closer you get to normal cortisol levels, the less weight gain there is.

Why does prednisone last so long?

If you’re on really super high doses of prednisone it might last a really long time because you have to slowly get back down ( taper ). Whereas if you are only on a slow, steady, low dose, your body is a lot closer to its normal cortisol levels and it can sometimes recover faster. 2.

Why do you need to take vitamin D and calcium when you are on prednisone?

Osteoporosis is when your bones are thin and brittle and they can break and make you hunch over and you need to be taking calcium and vitamin D every day that you’re on prednisone and after you take it to build back up your bone mass because you do not want to be breaking bones when you’re way too young to be doing that. You don’t want to look like an old grandma before your time. So be sure to be taking calcium and vitamin D every day, according to the doctor’s guidance.

What does the moon face mean?

To understand how this happens, the moon face occurs when you are taking prednisone and prescribed to take it at a higher dosage. The higher the dose, the rounder face. The lower dose, the moon face starts to go away. Higher dose = Rounder face. Lower dose = Moon face starts to go away.

How long does it take to recover from prednisone?

Duration: How Long You Take Prednisone. The other thing that matters is how long you’re taking it. So if you’re just taking it for five days , you’ll probably recover pretty quickly. Some side effects do last a long time, even if you only take it for five days. Because one key thing to understand is there is no dose too low or time too short ...

Does prednisone affect the adrenal gland?

It’s that signal; it’s all being interfered with by the prednisone.

Does prednisone make your face puffy?

Higher dose = Rounder face. Lower dose = Moon face starts to go away. For example, if you’re on a really high dose of prednisone and your face gets puffier as time goes by and it will usually go away once you’re below 10 milligrams or 5 milligrams. When you go off prednisone, it’s usually gone!

22 Answers

I didn't know you can be on that for a long time my mother n law who has cancer was on that for about 2wks which is how long she was supposed be on it and her tongue swelled up and her throat closed up but don't stop taking it unless u speak with a dr Ijust find it odd that your swelling up. Sorry if I'm no help

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Medical uses

  • Corticosteroid drugs such as prednisone are commonly used to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and many other inflammatory conditions. These drugs are frequently prescribed because they are inexpensive and often work quickly to squelch inflammation. However, prednisone and …
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Adverse effects

  • One of the more visible effects of long-term use of high dosages of prednisone is swelling in the cheeks and in the neck. Prednisone might also cause weight gain and redistribution of fat deposits in some people. This leads to fat going to specific areas of the body, including the face, abdomen, and the back of the neck.
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Classification

  • When the fat winds up around the base of the neck and the collarbone it's called \"supraclavical fat pads.\" Fat on the back of the neck is sometimes referred to as a \"buffalo hump.\" These are the types of prednisone side effects that can certainly lead to a lot of unhappiness in someone who is taking this drug.
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Side effects

  • Facial mooning can be a difficult side effect to deal with for anyone and especially for younger patients (which often includes those with IBD). It is a visible side effect and it changes a person's appearance, sometimes quite drastically. These changes in the cheeks and the neck often leads to patients feeling unattractive and unhappy at a time when they are already feeling ill. Despite it…
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Prevention

  • Such drastic changes in a person's appearance because of a drug is upsetting. When people are prescribed prednisone, they're not well to begin with, and adding on some cosmetic adverse effects doesn't help the situation. It is crucial for people with IBD to take care of their mental health as well as their physical health. Talk to a gastroenterologist about the potential for the sid…
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