When I was put on prednisone (40mg daily) back in July, I was really freaking out about the possible weight gain. I was already overweight but had just started a low-salt diet recommended by my doctor for my blood pressure.

Based on a recommendation on this forum, I bought the book, "Coping With Prednisone" by Eugenia Zukerman and Julie R. Ingelfinger, M.D. I found it very helpful. It talks about a lot of things the doctors or pharmacists don't mention. I stuck to a low-salt, low-fat, low-sugar diet and lost weight (25 pounds so far). Granted I was only on prednisone for 3 months and my doctor began reducing the dosage after 2 weeks. I didn't experience any cravings or mood problems, so guess I was lucky.

If you are going to be on it long-term, it's important that you educate yourself about all the possible side effects.