Side effects of steroids adults
They do this by treating inflammation in your airways (this is when your airways are swollen and narrow). If you think you might be addicted to anabolic steroids, you should try and see your GP. They might refer you to a specialist addiction service or a trained drugs counsellor. These services will also be able to help with advice on weaning yourself off the steroids.
You may be prescribed steroid tablets if you’re struggling to control your symptoms or if you’ve had an asthma attack. Your reliever inhaler (usually blue) opens up your airways when you’re having symptoms or an asthma attack. It does not contain steroids, so it cannot reduce inflammation in your airways. The steroids in asthma medicines lower your risk of having an asthma attack.
What are the side effects of steroids?
This also depends on what other cancer treatments you have, such as chemotherapy. To help protect your stomach, you should take your tablets with food. Your nurse will give you telephone numbers for the hospital.
- Also let them know if you or any family members have ever had depression or manic depression (bipolar disorder).
- It’s normally best to take steroid tablets with or soon after a meal – usually breakfast – because this can stop them irritating your stomach.
- Most sports organisations have banned the use of anabolic steroids, and other performance-enhancing drugs, and will carry out regular tests on all competitors.
- It might build up in your face, giving your face a more rounded or puffy appearance.
Taking steroids for a long time can cause bone thinning, often known as osteoporosis. If you’re concerned about any of these effects, you should speak to your health team. During the hyper-active periods, people can be more prone to making impulsive and rash decisions. If you’re worried about your behaviour, or that of a relative, talk to your health team.
Your reliever inhaler does not contain steroids
Talk to your GP about other conditions you have and medicines you take, like high blood pressure, stomach ulcer or diabetes. If you’re taking a long course of steroid tablets, ask your doctor or specialist for a referral to a specialist. This is so specialists can work out if treatments called biologics are suitable for you. You’ll need to keep taking the steroids while you’re waiting to be considered for biologics.
Because anabolic steroids can make you feel paranoid, aggressive and violent for no reason, it’s not that unusual for anabolic steroid users to lash out or attack family and friends. https://scotiamultisport.com Your treatment plan is tailored specifically to you and your individual situation. Your medical team will give you advice about how and when to take your steroid medication.
Is it safe to take steroids if I have other conditions or take other medicines?
During your course of steroids, your blood pressure will be monitored by your medical team. These symptoms could suggest that your blood sugar levels have temporarily risen and you may have steroid-induced diabetes. This will usually clear up by itself when your steroid dose is reduced or stopped.
Treatment for other conditions
Steroid tablets that are taken for a short period of time are unlikely to cause side effects. Please take time to read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine. There’s no evidence to suggest that using a steroid inhaler during pregnancy increases the risk of problems like birth defects.
Types of steroids
Take your tablets after a meal or with milk as they can irritate your stomach. It can help to change a few things about when and where you sleep. Try to go to bed and get up at the same time each day and spend some time relaxing before you go to bed. Talk to your nurse or your dietitian about how to safely control your weight.
Steroids that are injected into muscles and joints may cause some pain and swelling at the site of the injection. However, they’re not usually recommended unless the potential benefits outweigh the risks. They shouldn’t be used if you have an ongoing widespread infection. However, you should continue to take corticosteroids if you develop an infection whilst taking them.
General advice on short-term steroid treatments
They couldn’t keep me going in sudoku, I was flying through sudoku, but that quickly, that quickly went down, and I got back to my old nature again [laughs]. I just sort of, I think, wakened up one morning and could hardly get out of bed. But as I say, it was straight on to steroids, which I’m very grateful for.