Are Steroids Worth the Risk? for Teens

Long-term corticosteroid therapy may cause thinning bones . Talk with your doctor about taking calcium and vitamin D supplements to help protect your bones. Vertebral fractures are more common in patients on steroids, even in those with normal bone density. Seeking treatment from medical and mental health professionals can help to ensure safety during withdrawal and avoid the negative consequences.

Anabolic steroids are synthetic variations of the male sex hormone testosterone. The proper term for these compounds isanabolic-androgenic steroids. "Anabolic" refers to muscle building, and "androgenic" refers to increased male sex characteristics. Learn about the health effects of anabolic steroids and read the Research Report.

The risk is also increased when patients receive combinations of immunosuppressive medications, such as cyclophosphamide and prednisone. The risk of some infections can be greatly reduced by taking specific types of antibiotics prophylactically. Most forms of corticosteroids that are prescribed are synthetic, and include prednisone, prednisolone, dexamethasone, triamcinolone, and methylprednisolone. These synthetic forms of corticosteroids are many times more potent than the naturally occurring forms found in the body and typically last much longer.

Some side effects can occur with topical, inhaled, and injected steroids. Localized steroids are used to treat conditions like asthma or hives. Systemic steroids treat conditions such as lupus and multiple sclerosis. Systemic steroids move through the blood to assist more parts of the body. When someone with rheumatoid arthritis has a flare, a corticosteroid injection can provide fast relief to an inflamed joint.

On each visit, discuss with the physician whether it is possible to decrease your steroid dose. Discuss this possibility with the surgeon or dentist, etc. who is taking care of you at the time. Your physician or surgeon may not feel you need to take the extra steroid at the time of surgery, but if they know you have been on corticosteroids they can watch you more carefully after surgery. Their effects aren't well known, but it's thought that, when taken in large doses, they cause effects similar to other androgens like testosterone. But research studies suggest that they do very little or nothing to improve athletic performance.

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Corticosteroid drugs are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease , asthma, allergies and many other conditions. These drugs also help suppress the immune system in order to prevent organ rejection in transplant recipients. Corticosteroids also treat Addison's disease, a relatively rare condition where the adrenal glands aren't able to produce even the minimum amount of corticosteroid that the body needs. This is called adrenal insufficiency, and it may last up to a year after you stop the medication.

Anabolic steroid misuse can lead to serious long-term, even permanent, health problems. By submitting this form you agree to terms of use and privacy policy of the website. Our Supporting partners are active champions who provide encouragement and assistance to the arthritis community. Our Visionary partners help us plan for a future that includes a cure for arthritis. These inspired and inventive champions have contributed $1,500,00 to $1,999,999. Currently this program is for the adult arthritis community.

The longer you take steroids, the more dependent on them your body becomes. Stopping them suddenly can cause withdrawal symptoms, including severe fatigue, weakness, nausea and dizziness. Your doctor will taper steroids slowly, gradually lowering your dose. The length of the tapering depends on how much you’ve taken and how for long. You may experience some withdrawal symptoms even if you follow your doctor’s instructions.

If you have a history of glaucoma or cataract follow up closely with the ophthalmologist while on steroids. If you develop any visual problems while on steroids, you will need to see the ophthalmologist. Watch your calories and exercise regularly to try to prevent excessive weight gain. Know that the weight will be easier to take off in the six months to a year after you discontinue steroids. Most people taking corticosteroids will need to take a calcium supplement unless they can get enough calcium from their diet (if you can get it from your diet, that’s the best option).