Prednisone and other corticosteroids

Weigh the added benefits and dangers of corticosteroids, these kinds of as prednisone, when deciding upon a treatment.

By Mayo Clinic Staff members

Corticosteroid medicines — together with cortisone, hydrocortisone and prednisone — are useful in treating a lot of problems, these kinds of as rashes, inflammatory bowel condition and bronchial asthma. But these medicines also carry a hazard of many aspect outcomes.

How do corticosteroids do the job?

When approved in doses that exceed your body’s common degrees, corticosteroids suppress swelling. This can lower the signals and signs or symptoms of inflammatory problems, these kinds of as arthritis, bronchial asthma or pores and skin rashes.

Corticosteroids also suppress your immune procedure, which can support control problems in which your immune procedure mistakenly attacks its personal tissues.

How are corticosteroids utilized?

Corticosteroid medicines are utilized to handle rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel condition (IBD), bronchial asthma, allergic reactions and a lot of other problems. These medicines also support suppress the immune procedure in get to avoid organ rejection in transplant recipients. Corticosteroids also handle Addison’s condition, a fairly uncommon situation where the adrenal glands usually are not capable to generate even the bare minimum volume of corticosteroid that the body demands.

Corticosteroids are administered in a lot of various techniques, depending on the situation getting addressed:

  • By mouth. Tablets, capsules or syrups support handle the swelling and agony linked with selected continual problems, these kinds of as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
  • By inhaler and intranasal spray. These forms support control swelling linked with bronchial asthma and nasal allergic reactions.
  • In the sort of eyedrops. This sort assists handle swelling following eye operation.
  • Topically. Lotions and ointments can support mend a lot of pores and skin problems.
  • By injection. This sort is normally utilized to handle muscle mass and joint signals and signs or symptoms, these kinds of as the agony and swelling of tendinitis.

What aspect outcomes can corticosteroids cause?

Corticosteroids carry a hazard of aspect outcomes, some of which can cause significant health challenges. When you know what aspect outcomes are attainable, you can choose measures to control their affect.

Facet outcomes of oral corticosteroids

Mainly because oral corticosteroids have an impact on your entire body as an alternative of just a distinct region, this route of administration is the most possible to cause substantial aspect outcomes. Facet outcomes count on the dose of treatment you obtain and might involve:

  • Fluid retention, causing swelling in your reduced legs
  • Higher blood pressure
  • Difficulties with temper swings, memory, behavior, and other psychological outcomes, these kinds of as confusion or delirium
  • Upset tummy
  • Pounds get, with unwanted fat deposits in your stomach, your facial area and the again of your neck

When using oral corticosteroids extended phrase, you might encounter:

  • Elevated pressure in the eyes (glaucoma)
  • Clouding of the lens in 1 or equally eyes (cataracts)
  • A round facial area (moon facial area)
  • Higher blood sugar, which can trigger or worsen diabetic issues
  • Improved hazard of infections, particularly with prevalent bacterial, viral and fungal microorganisms
  • Thinning bones (osteoporosis) and fractures
  • Suppressed adrenal gland hormone production that might end result in a wide variety of signals and signs or symptoms, together with severe exhaustion, loss of hunger, nausea and muscle mass weakness
  • Thin pores and skin, bruising and slower wound therapeutic

Facet outcomes of inhaled corticosteroids

When working with an inhaled corticosteroid, some of the drug might deposit in your mouth and throat as an alternative of making it to your lungs. This can cause:

  • Fungal infection in the mouth (oral thrush)
  • Hoarseness

If you gargle and rinse your mouth with water — you should not swallow — following each and every puff on your corticosteroid inhaler, you might be capable to stay clear of mouth and throat discomfort. Some scientists have speculated that inhaled corticosteroid medicines might sluggish growth costs in children who use them for bronchial asthma.

Facet outcomes of topical corticosteroids

Topical corticosteroids can guide to skinny pores and skin, purple pores and skin lesions and acne breakouts.

Facet outcomes of injected corticosteroids

Injected corticosteroids can cause non permanent aspect outcomes around the web site of the injection, together with pores and skin thinning, loss of coloration in the pores and skin, and rigorous agony — also recognized as write-up-injection flare. Other signals and signs or symptoms might involve facial flushing, sleeplessness and higher blood sugar. Doctors generally restrict corticosteroid injections to three or four a calendar year, depending on each and every patient’s situation.

Minimize your hazard of corticosteroid aspect outcomes

To get the most profit from corticosteroid remedies with the the very least volume of hazard:

  • Request your medical doctor about making an attempt reduced doses or intermittent dosing. Newer forms of corticosteroids appear in many strengths and lengths of motion. Request your medical doctor about working with very low-dose, small-phrase remedies or using oral corticosteroids each other day as an alternative of day by day.
  • Communicate to your medical doctor about switching to nonoral forms of corticosteroids. Inhaled corticosteroids for bronchial asthma, for example, arrive at lung surfaces directly, lowering the rest of your body’s exposure to them and main to much less aspect outcomes.
  • Request your medical doctor if you must choose calcium and vitamin D supplements. Extensive-phrase corticosteroid treatment might cause thinning bones (osteoporosis). Communicate with your medical doctor about using calcium and vitamin D supplements to support protect your bones.
  • Consider treatment when discontinuing treatment. If you choose oral corticosteroids for a extensive time, your adrenal glands might generate significantly less of their purely natural steroid hormones. To give your adrenal glands time to recuperate this perform, your medical doctor might lower your dosage slowly. If the dosage is reduced as well promptly, your adrenal glands might not have time to recuperate and you might encounter exhaustion, body aches and lightheadedness.
  • Put on a health care alert bracelet. This or related identification is proposed if you’ve got been working with corticosteroids for a extensive time.
  • See your medical doctor regularly. If you’re using extensive-phrase corticosteroid treatment, see your medical doctor regularly to check for aspect outcomes.

Weigh the dangers and added benefits of corticosteroids

Corticosteroids might cause a range of aspect outcomes. But they might also relieve the swelling, agony and discomfort of a lot of various conditions and problems. Communicate with your medical doctor to support you improved comprehend the dangers and added benefits of corticosteroids and make knowledgeable possibilities about your health.