The FastDay Forum

I was diagnosed with sarcoidosis back in 2004 and have been on varying doses of Prednisolone (corticosteroid) ever since. I'm currently on 10mg/day Prednisolone along with 10g/week of Methotrexate (a steroid sparing agent).

I've lost 8 kilos so far since starting the 5:2 diet on Sunday 10/03/13 but have been wondering what effect (if any) the steroids may have on the effectiveness of the diet. I'm not only referring to weight loss but to the other health benefits of the diet. I've heard of people losing their insulin resistence and coming off their diabetes medication through this diet, but given that the steroids apparently caused my own diabetes, I'm wondering if the even the mighty 5:2 will struggle to help me.

Does anyone else have any experience of dieting whilst on steroids?

I'm on MTX and take prednisolone from time to time.

In the past, I found that cortisone can actually increase metabolism and the general "happy" effect that it has on us helps with feeling good and sticking to the diet.

To be honest, I'm not expecting 5:2 to help me reduce any medication (I'll be happy if I'm wrong).

Unless I'm mistaken, sarcoidosis is an autoimmune? To my knowledge, autoimmunes do mess with out weight loss because they tend to slow down our metabolism. Your weight loss though is quite impressive, so perhaps you're one of the lucky ones. Keep up the good work!!!

I should point out that I had allowed, steroid-assisted or not, my weight to balloon so it's not really surprising that I've made good, early progress. The target is to get down to near 90kgs so I have a long road ahead. Won't make me slim by any means but a lot better than I am now.

Sadly my ribs will probably remain concealed. I think 1968 was the last time they made an appearance. Oh to be this thin again ...



Perversely, I look forward to my fasting days and am enjoying cooking plenty of interesting meals in the evening. Started out using the book's scrambled egg or frittatas for breakfast but now prefer some fruit to kick off the day. Only a month or so in but I think I can stick at this regime for quite a while. The fact that I don't have to say a final goodbye to any of my "treats" keeps my spirits up ...

Doctor friends have pretty much unanimously said that the steroids will have induced my type 2 diabetes but my hope is that I can rein that back in any way despite still being on the Prednisolone. My cousin and his wife, both doctors, are doing the 5:2 diet but more interestingly, one of their diabetic patients has managed, seemingly through the 5:2 diet alone, to get his HbA1C back to a state where he's been taken off his diabetes meds altogether. He wasn't on steroids, mind you.

Let's see if I'm still this bullish in three months time ...

Aaawwwwww aren't you the perfect Scot!!! Red hair et all...

I'm pretty sure you'll do very well, you got the attitude for it!!!

Hi Shiskine,

I have sarcoid too (neuro-sarcoid), and was on high doses of Pred for a year, with massive weight gain, ugh. I got rid of most of it with calorie counting for a year, double ugh. Not doing *that*again! The weight is slipping back on now, unfortunately, but I've just started 5:2 last week. Have lost 2 kg so far, and finding fast days quite easy.

I'm on mycophenolate now, and am hoping that I may see some of the anti-inflammatory effects from 5:2 on my sarc. We shall see. The main problem I'm having at the moment is sleeping poorly on fast nights.

I checked with my immunologist about going on the diet. He said "That sounds a bit extreme", but he didn't ban me from doing it. LOL. My sports physician is very much in favour of it.

My husband has various chronic ills too, and is on Pred (low doses) pretty much permanently. He started 5:2 last week too, and so far hasn't really seen much weight loss. But it's still early days.

[janeg]

hahaha Shiskine- where was the photie taken? Bet it was a grand summer's day- all 10C of it!

hahaha Shiskine- where was the photie taken? Bet it was a grand summer's day- all 10C of it!

Hehe ...you're not wrong. Blackwaterfoot beach on Arran.

Still go there every year !!

I'm on mycophenolate now, and am hoping that I may see some of the anti-inflammatory effects from 5:2 on my sarc. We shall see.

I've not heard of mycophenolate. Is it a steroid sparing agent like methotrexate? Are you taking it with steroids or in place of?

It's funny how some doctors claim that steroids don't cause weight gain per se but simply fuel your appetite whilst others will concede they put on the pounds. All I know is it's rare to meet someone on steroids who hasn't put on some weight.

Mycophenolate is a steroid-sparing agent, like methotrexate. Also known as CellCept? My liver wasn't happy on methotrexate or imuran (probably have sarc in liver), but I'm tolerating the mycophenolate well. I'm not on any Pred at the moment, thank goodness.

My most worrying neuro-sarc symptom was going half blind a few years ago. The Pred has regained me *nearly* all of my vision, but it *gave* me glaucoma and cataracts. Such a dirty drug :/

My daughter is on Pred at the moment for lupus, and while she weight hasn't changed that much, its distribution has, so she has the classic moon face and hump behind her neck. I don't know anyone on Pred who hasn't gained weight!

Saw a photograph of Lady Thatcher a week or so back in old age. Apparently she had PMR and was on steroids for some months.
Even she clearly had the "moon face". So nobody spared, even Prime Ministers!

The yearning for carbs. doesn't help though does it. I'd love to know the chemistry behind that! And if there's any connection with diabetes being another common side effect.

You have to find a physician that embraces the concept of intermittent fasting and have them do the research for you.

It's funny how some doctors claim that steroids don't cause weight gain per se but simply fuel your appetite whilst others will concede they put on the pounds. All I know is it's rare to meet someone on steroids who hasn't put on some weight.

I don't usually take steroids for a long time but the one time I did I lost weight. It was weird because I was eating all sorts of crap since my appetite was huge but my GP/rheumatologist said that it probably happened because I was in such a good mood (forget xanax, give me prednisolone, LOL) that I was in constant movement. I don't know if it was that but it was a fairly good explanation since I did almost never stop moving. I was going out shopping, walking, dancing... I only paused to sleep!

I was on 60 mg/day of Pred for a while, and was *manic* during that time, LOL! I decluttered every closet in the house in a week, was rushing all over the place like a thing demented, and was getting up at 4:30 am every morning, totally wired. Very weird experience!!

I've been on Prednisilone since May 2004 at doses ranging between 10 and 30 mg per day. As these are only serving to dampen my immune system (and so mitigate the effect of the sarcoid in my lungs) and aren't a cure, I presuaded the consultant to try me with no steroids as I was fed up with my fluctuating weight. However, chest x-rays showed the sarcoid activity had increased so back on the steroids/methodtrexate I went. I think things are pretty much under control now and hopefully I can continue to lose weight on the 5:2. Just wish it had been around in 2004 ...

My mother had sarcoid in her glands not long after I was born but hers cleared up within two years. Unfortunately I appear to be among the 10% for whom it never goes away ...

I was on 60 mg/day of Pred for a while, and was *manic* during that time, LOL! I decluttered every closet in the house in a week, was rushing all over the place like a thing demented, and was getting up at 4:30 am every morning, totally wired. Very weird experience!!

Manic indeed but it was good manic, IME. I remember this period as one of the best of my life!!!