Steroids dexamethasone, prednisolone, methylprednisolone and hydrocortisone Cancer information

Further medical treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy (if applicable) can make swelling worse and steroids may be prescribed in anticipation to try to prevent this. Your doctor/ key worker (specialist nurse) will discuss these options with you should they be required. For the purposes of this document, your key worker is your specialist nurse. Steroids can increase your blood pressure (hypertension), which can lead to headaches and dizziness.

• You should show this card to other healthcare professionals, such as dentists, that are treating you.
• Steroids are naturally occurring chemicals produced from the two adrenal glands, which lie above the kidneys.
• Not all relapses need treatment as, in most cases, the symptoms will gradually improve on their own.
• Steroids can increase your blood pressure (hypertension), which can lead to headaches and dizziness.

This can include a cough, a sore throat or a temperature above 37.5°C. You should have this card if you are dependant on daily steroid use. This means your body has problems making enough of a hormone called cortisol. Having this problem can affect your body’s ability to cope with stress.

Types of corticosteroids

The steroids used to treat asthma are known as corticosteroids. These are not the same as the steroids that some bodybuilders use, which are called anabolic how to buy steroids steroids. If you need to take medication for diabetes with corticosteroids, your blood glucose levels will usually need to be checked more regularly.

You should make every effort to remember to take your steroids when you’re required to. “I put on seven stone, became depressed and didn’t want to go out. Then I was diagnosed with diabetes insipidus and a fatty liver and told to lose weight. Brain cells in and around a tumour, or the area treated by surgery or radiotherapy, can swell and put pressure on surrounding tissues.

Why would I be prescribed prednisolone for inflammatory bowel disease?

You should have regular blood pressure checks while you are taking steroids – ask your medical team for advice. The type of infections you are more at risk of depends on the type and dose of steroid medication you take. For example, steroid tablets and steroids given intravenously (into a vein) can make you more prone to developing infections such as colds, chickenpox, shingles and measles. HIV drugs – steroids and some HIV drugs both raise levels of cholesterol (fat in the blood), so if you’re being treated for HIV you should be careful about using muscle-building drugs.

Medicines that can interact with corticosteroids

Get advice on your medicines, symptoms or travelling with a lung condition, or just call us to say hello. Taking high doses of steroid tablets can make your immune system weaker, so you may catch colds and viruses more often. You’re less likely to get side effects from a short course of steroid tablets (less than three weeks). Or you may need a longer course of steroids if your asthma is severe or difficult to control.

Your steroid emergency card

Our community is available 24/7 and has dedicated forums where you can get advice and ask our experts. If you have any pain in your bones, such as in your lower back, tell your doctor. Doing regular exercise, such as walking, can improve your bone health.

What side effects could I get with steroids?

This would mean your pain should be relieved within minutes. The effects of local anaesthetics can wear off within half an hour, unless you’ve been given one that is long acting. You may have some numbness from the anaesthetic that could last up to 24 hours. You may need an ultrasound scan to find where the inflammation is, so the steroid can be injected into a precise spot and have maximum benefit.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

If you need an operation, you may need to increase the dose of corticosteroids for a short time. This is because the body requires more steroids during physical stress (including if severe infections). Current guidelines state that steroids are not harmful in pregnancy or breastfeeding. Single steroid injections shouldn’t affect fertility, pregnancy or breastfeeding and can be useful treatments in these situations.

This will include a weaning regime (reducing plan) for your dexamethasone tablets. Please contact your neurosurgical ward or specialist nurse if you have not been issued a copy of your discharge summary. You should follow the weaning regime which has been specifically designed to meet your individual needs. As there is limited space inside the skull, too much oedema will lead to increased pressure in the brain.

In the short-term, the side effects of steroids are usually mild and will go away soon after you finish the treatment course. In this case, once your arthritis is well controlled the need for injections should be reduced. Corticosteroids (steroids) are a natural hormone produced by your body’s adrenal glands.