![]() Some people develop side effects after just a few doses, and some changes, such as diabetes and eye damage, may be permanent. Long-acting versions are more likely to cause side effects, too, especially adrenal suppression, which means your own adrenal glands stop making cortisol. The longer you take the medication and the higher the dose, the greater the risk. To reduce the risk of side effects, your doctor will usually prescribe a low dose for a short amount of time (three months or less). The trade-off is a range of side effects – some very serious. The effect may last for several months, but repeated injections can increase cartilage loss.Ĭorticosteroids are the fastest and most efficient way to control inflammation. An injection of a corticosteroid (sometimes combined with a local anesthetic) directly into an individual joint can reduce inflammation and pain due to arthritis. IV steroids might be used to treat a severe disease flare, but they’re not intended for intermittent use. Your doctor might suggest a one-time injection into a muscle if you need longer-acting relief than oral medication can provide. (Oral steroids should not be used for PsA, however they can trigger severe forms of the disease.) Tablets, capsules or syrups may help reduce inflammation and pain in people with RA and lupus. Steroid eye drops are often the best way to bring down inflammation in uveitis. Creams and ointments are used to treat various skin conditions, including psoriasis that occurs with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). You can be prescribed corticosteroids in several ways. Doctors often prescribe them for fast, temporary relief while waiting for disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) or biologics to take full effect or during a severe flare of symptoms. Although their popularity has decreased over the years due to the introduction of newer drugs with fewer side effects, they still have a role in managing some arthritis symptoms.Ĭorticosteroids are both anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive, meaning they reduce the activity of your immune system. (But don’t confuse them with anabolic steroids, which some athletes take to improve their performance.)Ĭorticosteroids reduce inflammation because they are chemically similar to cortisol, one of your body’s natural anti-inflammatory hormones, made in the adrenal glands. No matter what you call them, they are potent, fast-working anti-inflammatories. ![]() Corticosteroids are also called glucocorticoids or steroids.
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