Question: Since I had successful surgery for Cushing’s, I cannot lose weight and the weight is on my face and abdomen, just like when I was ill. Is the steroid replacement therapy responsible for this weight?

Answer: It should be possible to lose weight following cure, once the steroid replacement doses are below the levels experienced during Cushing’s. Once the patient has been tapered down to physiologic replacement (levels equivalent to what is normally produced by the adrenal, approximately 5mg prednisone or 30 mg hydrocortisone daily), there should be no greater difficulty losing weight than there would be for a person of the same weight without Cushing’s. The best way to achieve weight loss following surgery for Cushing’s is to use a sensible diet and exercise program and to be supervised closely by an endocrinologist in order to have the steroid replacement tapered as rapidly as possible without producing steroid withdrawal symptoms.

By Dr. Beverly MK Biller MD (Spring 1995)