Are Steroids Worth the Risk? for Teens

Autoimmune diseases are frequently treated with this class of drugs. Have your blood pressure monitored regularly while you are on steroids, especially if you have a history of high blood pressure. Watch for swelling of your ankles, and report this to your doctor. Low sodium diet helps reduce fluid accumulation and may help control blood pressure. Because cortisone is involved in regulating the body's balance of water, sodium, and other electrolytes, using these drugs can promote fluid retention and sometimes cause or worsen high blood pressure.

For reasons that are not known, high dose prednisone predisposes some patients to joint damage, most often of the hips. Many patients with avascular necrosis require joint replacements. As part of the plea agreement, Cochcroft agreed to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $200,000 related to proceeds from his sales of illicit products.

Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health. Steroids are strong medicines, and they can have side effects, including weakened bones and cataracts. Because of this, you usually take them for as short a time as possible. Bone density scans should be considered for patients that have taken or are expected to take 7.5 mg or more of prednisone each day for three months or longer. No tapering is necessary if a course of prednisone has been for less than one to two weeks.

Their benefits far outweigh any risks in the majority of cases. Recommendations for supplemental stress doses are provided in the PJ Nicholoff Steroid Protocol . It is important that you share this critical information with your doctor during times of severe illness, surgery, or trauma to avoid life-threatening adrenal crisis. However, anabolic steroids have been frequently misused in high doses by athletes and the general public to increase muscle. In this usage, they are called performance-enhancing drugs. Anabolic steroids are banned in all athletic competitions.

The most common reason for people to stop taking steroids is because of their side effects. Although these side effects can be serious, you or your child should never abruptly stop taking steroids if they experience undesirable side effects. This puts you or your child at risk of an adrenal crisis, which is a medical emergency. If there is increased stress on the body , a stress dose of steroids is needed. Discuss potential situations when you may need a stress dose of steroids with your NMS. Because they suppress the immune system, corticosteroids can also cause infections like the measles or chickenpox to be more severe.