I read your question carefully. I do understand your concern. Betamesathon is a corticosteroid. Like all corticosteroids, betamethasone affects your metabolism and how your body deposits fats. As a consequence, your appetite might increase leading to weight gain, especially to extra deposits of fat in your abdomen. ITo minimize this effect, watch your calories and exercise regularly. In general, your stomach will return to its normal size, 8-12 months after you discontinue steroids. Beside this, you should maintain adequate Vitamin D and Calcium intake through diet and supplement. You also should have a check up regarding osteoporosis risk assessment. The answer above was for the side effects of steroids in general and I m not saying to stop the steroids (actually, stopping abruptly or tapering off to quickly you might experience withdrawal symptoms). Regarding pemphigus vulgaris infection, the first line treatment are corticosteroids. You should consult with your doctor about second-line therapies (azathioprine, rituximab, dapsone etc. ). You should also be careful regarding contact sports or any other activity that traumatize the skin. I hope you do well and wish you a good health.