Does cortisone really make you fat?

Why is it considered responsible for excess weight?

What is cortisone? What does she treat?

Cortisone, as well as its derivatives, corticosteroids, are very powerful  anti-inflammatories . It mimics a hormone essential to the body: cortisol, the stress hormone. This regulates the systems.

It therefore has an essential role of regulation within several systems, in particular that of the nervous system as well as the digestive system. The name of this medicine therefore comes from this hormone which it imitates and whose effects it reproduces. It is used to fight against asthma, certain chronic diseases, significant inflammation, or allergies. It is prescribed for more or less long duration depending on the case. This product is one of the on

What are the side effects of corticosteroids?

Depending on how long the drug is taken, as well as the doses prescribed, cortisone has some  undesirable side  effects. These effects may also vary depending on the person, their organism and/or metabolism.

Thus, the best known side effects are digestive disorders, diabetes, sleep disorders or appetite. It can also happen that this treatment causes libido problems.

In addition, as Professor Laurence Fardet, a dermatologist who studies the side effects of this drug, points out, it is possible to notice skin problems, such as acne or eczema.

The side effects will not always be the same. You may develop some disorders rather than others. It depends on how your body works, but also on the  duration of the treatment .
Indeed, the longer the treatment, the more you will notice the appearance of certain side effects.

Does cortisone make you fat?

One of the most well-known side effects is undoubtedly weight gain. This is of the order of a few kilos, frequently located in the face, neck and abdomen .

Why this weight gain? The treatment has effects on the appetite. It often triggers a bigger appetite, for a very simple reason. Cortisone mimics the stress hormone cortisol, which is very sensitive to sugar.
It is a so-called “reassuring” and “reassuring” food that this hormone particularly likes. This is why sugar is the main problem.
By taking corticosteroids, your body absorbs a certain amount of this hormone imitation. It therefore calls certain foods, as discovered by Dr. Paule Nathan, an endocrinologist.

In addition, it is also necessary to consider the problem of  water retention , on which the treatment acts. A  slowing down of the metabolism  can also be observed. The fats will therefore be less well eliminated and stored in the fat cells, constituting the reserves responsible for weight problems, which can be very badly experienced.