Drug Safety |

May 1, 2013

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Do You Know the Risks of Long Term Corticosteroid Use?

Side effects of corticosteroids

If you take into account the long term risks of corticosteroids it will motivate you to improve your health to avoid them or get OFF of them.

If you are using steroids long term, you likely already know that it can be very harmful to stop taking them or even to miss a dose.  When your doctor attempts to wean you off of them, he or she will do it very slowly.  Rapid weaning of steroids can cause dangerous complications!

Respiratory complications can get dangerous fast!

 

The post below was curated from patient.uk.com

This information highlights the importance of notifying caregivers of your steroid use for one year AFTER you take them.

STEROID TREATMENT CARD

Notes for Patients:

  • If you have been taking this medicine for more than 3 weeks, the dose should be reduced gradually when you stop taking steroids unless your doctor says otherwise.
  • Read the patient information leaflet given with the medicine.
  • Always carry this card with you and show it to anyone who treats you. For one year after you stop treatment you must mention that you have taken steroids.
  • If you become ill, or if you come in contact with anyone who has an infectious disease, consult your doctor promptly. If you have never had chickenpox, you should avoid close contact with people who have chickenpox or shingles. If you do come into contact with chickenpox, see your doctor urgently.
  • Make sure the information on the card is kept up to date.

Adverse effects are dose-related and often predictable according to the glucocorticoid actions (eg diabetes, osteoporosis, muscle wasting, neuropsychiatric effects) and mineralocorticoid actions (eg hypertension, and electrolyte and fluid balance).
There is a wide range of adverse effects:

  • Cardiovascular: hypertension; congestive cardiac failure.
  • Central nervous system: mood disturbance (including mania), psychosis, sleep disturbance
  • Endocrine/metabolic: adrenal suppression, growth failure in children, insulin resistance, diabetes, disturbance of thyroid function, hypokalaemia, metabolic alkalosis.
  • Gastrointestinal: gastric effects (peptic ulceration, etc.), fatty liver.
  • Haematopoietic: leukocytosis and other effects (eg reduced eosinophils and monocytes).
  • Immune system:
    • Suppression type IV hypersensitivity (interferes with Mantoux’ test).
    • Inhibitory effects (leukocytes, macrophages, cytokines).
    • Suppression of primary antigen response (important with vaccines).
  • Musculoskeletal system:
    • Myopathy (especially proximal muscles).
    • Osteoporosis.
    • Avascular necrosis of bone.
  • Ophthalmic: cataracts (more common in children), elevation of intraocular pressure, glaucoma.
  • Skin and other systems: moon face, truncal obesity, dorsolumbar hump, acne, thin skin, skin striae (violaceous), impotence, irregular periods.

In addition to the disadvantages of longer-term treatment, there are several clinical scenarios worthy of special mention:

Corticosteroids and surgery

Adrenal suppression caused by steroid therapy may result in an inadequate adrenocortical response to surgery (acute adrenocortical insufficiency can precipitate hypotension and death).

Anaesthetists must be informed when patients have taken corticosteroids within 3 months of surgery

Corticosteroids and live vaccines

Live vaccines should not be given within 3 months of:

  • An adult receiving 40 mg/day of prednisolone or equivalent for more than a week.
  • A child receiving either 2 mg/kg/day for 1 week or 1 mg/kg/day for 1 month.

Corticosteroids in pregnancy and breast-feeding

The 1997 review of the CSM looked at safety in pregnancy and lactation. This stressed again the importance of weighing risk and benefit.

Corticosteroids and infection

Corticosteroids affect the severity and clinical presentation of infections as well as susceptibility to infections.

original source of article:  www.patient.co.uk

 

This information also highlights the importance of attending to your health sooner than later!

You may get sick enough to warrant the use of corticosteroids if you don’t do the work that needs to be done now!

Bless Your Heart with the Life Breath Club and you won’t need to worry about health crisis!

Bless Your Heart 

  • learn to process your emotions with your breathing
  • navigate life from your heart space
  • nurture your mind, body and spirit

In order to cause rapid healing and avoid health crisis and hospitalization!

 

Discover the truth about your healing potential and get your life back!

If you aren’t a Masters Member of the Life Breath Club, get serious about blessing your heart and join today!

Avoid Steroids -> Bless Your Heart

 

Many blessings,

Carrie Tucker, RCP

The Life Breath Coach

Heart Failure Solutions

 

PS-  Your health will improve quickly!

You’ve got to be pretty sick to consider high blood pressure and congestive heart failure to be risks worth taking!

Use your Life Breath knowledge to Bless Your Heart!  You will improve quickly!  Keep your Faith and good luck!

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