Dexamethasone. Puffy Face.

Hi,

I was on the same dose of Dexamethasone prior to having a brain tumour excised. It was to bring down the swelling of my brain and worked like a charm, made me feel much better. (I asked if I could skip the brain op and just stay on the pills, but got told a firm "no".) Aside from feeling great, and losing some body-fat round my waist, no side effects for me.

Doc Google squirted me to the NHS website (I'm very picky about where Google takes me) www.nhs.uk/.../

Half way down the page, and the reason for my prompt reply, is:

Call a doctor straight away if you get:
    "moon face" (a puffy, rounded face), weight gain in the upper back or belly – this happens gradually and can be a sign of  Cushing's syndrome

Sounds like you've ticked this box, so get onto your doctor pronto.

kind regards,
Steve

Yeah, I totally get what you’re saying—steroids like dexamethasone can make you feel bloated or give that “moon face” effect really quickly, even with short courses. From my experience, some people do manage chemo without them, but it depends a lot on your specific regimen and how prone you are to nausea. One thing that helped me was talking to my oncologist about alternative anti-nausea strategies—sometimes they can adjust the timing or combine it with other meds so you get less steroid exposure. Also, staying hydrated, eating smaller meals, and light exercise can help reduce puffiness and bloating. Definitely discuss it with your care team before skipping anything, but there are often options to minimize the side effects without compromising treatment.