There are a number of reasons you might have steroids as part of your cancer treatment. You usually have a type of steroids called corticosteroids. These are manufactured versions of the hormones produced by the adrenal glands .
Using a steroid inhaler too much over a long period can increase your chances of getting side effects. It’s important to keep using your inhaler, even if you feel better. Asthma + Lung UK has videos explaining how to use the different types of inhaler. There is a theoretical risk with steroids that go into the feed with inducing laminitis, so we do have to be careful which horses we choose to put on steroids. It is important to take steroids exactly as prescribed by your doctor.
Long-term steroid tablets can have side effects, like weight gain, bone thinning, bruising of the skin, and possibly diabetes. If you have had several
courses of steroid tablets or have been put on them for a longer period of time, speak with your doctor or healthcare professional about what you can do to reduce the chance of getting these side effects. Always get your medicines reviewed regularly so your doctor can make sure you’re on the right dose for you. Some people with COPD are given a short course of steroid tablets to keep at home, as part of their flare-up rescue pack, but you must have clear instructions about when and how to use them. This is usually only for people with asthma that’s difficult to control, or severe.
This leaflet is for parents and carers about how to use this medicine in children. Our information may differ from that provided by the manufacturers, because their information usually relates to adults. Always tell other doctors, nurses, pharmacists or dentists that you’re having this treatment. For example, if you need treatment for anything else, including teeth problems.
I’m very concerned as I am mainly alone with my daughter as DH works away a lot freelance, and I feel quite ill.
What has happened is that we had some parts of our house redecorated over the summer while we were away. I think the plaster dust this generated has set off my normally well-controlled asthma. I usually take a couple of puffs of standard strength becotide twice a day and rarely use my ventolin – I don’t normally have any symptoms at all, unlike when I was younger.
GINA guidelines 2022 recommend that SABA reliever inhalers are prescribed alongside inhaled corticosteroids even for patients with very mild occasional symptoms. This is due to the fact that airway inflammation is found in the majority of patients with asthma. Side effects are often localised and can include a sore mouth or throat, hoarse voice, cough and oral thrush. However, for the majority of asthmatics, regular use of inhaled corticosteroids has been shown to be highly effective in preventing acute attacks of asthma. Importantly, topically applied inhaled steroids have a dramatically reduced side effect profile compared to oral corticosteroids.
However, you should continue to take corticosteroids if you develop an infection whilst taking them. Corticosteroids, often known as steroids, are an anti-inflammatory medicine. If you need any medical or dental treatment, show your blue or red steroid card to the doctor, dentist or pharmacist so that they know you’re taking steroids. The side effects will usually pass once you finish the treatment, but do not stop taking your medicine without speaking to your doctor. Your doctor will advise you on how to gradually reduce your dose if necessary. Stopping a prescribed course of medicine suddenly can cause further unpleasant side effects (withdrawal symptoms).
I suppose what I’m really asking is, how bad is it that I am still having symptoms despite the oral steroids? What happens if I have to go to hospital and have nobody else here? Wheezing is not uncommon in children under school age, and can often be due to asthma or a viral infection affecting the upper respiratory tract. The study states that current national guidelines recommend the use of oral corticosteroid drugs to treat pre-school children who present with virus-induced wheezing. The researchers say that the evidence for the benefits of steroids in this way is contradictory and remains controversial.
Your GP will usually prescribe a single dose of an oral corticosteroid medication called dexamethasone or prednisolone to help reduce swelling (inflammation) in your child’s throat. Side effects of these https://zorafestival.org/rising-concerns-anabolic-steroid-abuse-surges/ medications can include restlessness, vomiting, upset stomach and headache. Reducing the inflammation and swelling in your airways using steroids means you’re less likely to get asthma attacks.
If you are at risk of bone thinning, your doctor may prescribe drugs called bisphosphonates to protect your bones. They will also usually give you advice about taking vitamin D supplements and your diet. If you notice any changes in your mood or behaviour, tell your doctor or nurse. They may make some changes to your treatment if the side effects are causing you problems. If you have periods, these may become irregular or stop during treatment.
