Prednisone Side Effects
Prednisone is a medicine which is used to treat ailments like allergy, asthma, lupus, and arthritis. But, this medicine has some side effects as well. It is important to be aware of these side effects so that you can take precautionary measures to minimize the risk.
Prednisone's side effects are legendary in both the medical and patient communities. Patients usually ingest this non-synthetic corticosteroid drug orally. However, doctors administer it in the form of intramuscular injection too. Medical professionals prescribe it for many medical conditions.
Benefits
Prednisone turns into the steroidal product prednisolone after the liver has processed it following administration. Its most common use is as an immunosuppressant that acts on almost the entire immune system. This makes it very useful in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases like severe asthma, severe poison ivy dermatitis, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease. Doctors also use it to treat the symptoms of many kidney diseases such as nephrotic syndrome, and to avoid and reverse tissue rejection following organ transplantation. The usual adult dose at the beginning of treatment ranges from 20 to 80 milligrams per day. The dose for children may be 1 milligram per kilogram of body weight, with a maximum dose of 50 milligrams.
Side Effects
The side effects include adrenal suppression, which can occur with period of seven days. Adrenal suppression refers to the body's inability to synthesize natural corticosteroids, resulting in a dependency on it. This is why doctors do not recommend the cessation when the patient has taken it for longer than seven days. They reduce the dose gradually over a few days in the case of short-term use, and over weeks or months in the case of long-term treatment. Stopping treatment abruptly can cause the life-threatening Addison's disease, in which in the body no longer produces sufficient amounts of adrenal steroid hormones.
The short-term side effects include high blood glucose levels. This happens most commonly in patients that already have diabetes or are using medications that increase blood glucose. Other short-term side effects include insomnia, euphoria and, in some cases, even mania. Using it for long periods can cause Cushing's syndrome, weight gain, osteoporosis, glaucoma and Type II diabetes. Upon withdrawal after long-term use, patients also suffer from depression.
Prednisone use can affect the eyes as well. The most common side effect in the context are glaucoma and cataract formation. These usually occur with topical administration, but they can also appear with oral, intravenous, or even inhaled administration.
Its use in any period can give rise to many other complications such as unnatural fatigue or weakness, abdominal pain, blurring of vision, peptic ulcers, infections, pain in the hips or shoulders, osteoporosis, occurrence of acne and sleeplessness. Some of the less serious complications include weight gain, stretch marks on the skin, swelling in the face, nervousness, increase in appetite and hyperactivity.
Doctors treat these side effects symptomatically, since it is not always feasible to stop administration even when severe side effects occur. These are situations where they have to weigh the disadvantages of using a drug against the advantages and make an informed decision. One must remember that while prednisone definitely does give rise to many side effects, it is also a life-saving drug.
Benefits
Prednisone turns into the steroidal product prednisolone after the liver has processed it following administration. Its most common use is as an immunosuppressant that acts on almost the entire immune system. This makes it very useful in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases like severe asthma, severe poison ivy dermatitis, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease. Doctors also use it to treat the symptoms of many kidney diseases such as nephrotic syndrome, and to avoid and reverse tissue rejection following organ transplantation. The usual adult dose at the beginning of treatment ranges from 20 to 80 milligrams per day. The dose for children may be 1 milligram per kilogram of body weight, with a maximum dose of 50 milligrams.
Side Effects
The side effects include adrenal suppression, which can occur with period of seven days. Adrenal suppression refers to the body's inability to synthesize natural corticosteroids, resulting in a dependency on it. This is why doctors do not recommend the cessation when the patient has taken it for longer than seven days. They reduce the dose gradually over a few days in the case of short-term use, and over weeks or months in the case of long-term treatment. Stopping treatment abruptly can cause the life-threatening Addison's disease, in which in the body no longer produces sufficient amounts of adrenal steroid hormones.
The short-term side effects include high blood glucose levels. This happens most commonly in patients that already have diabetes or are using medications that increase blood glucose. Other short-term side effects include insomnia, euphoria and, in some cases, even mania. Using it for long periods can cause Cushing's syndrome, weight gain, osteoporosis, glaucoma and Type II diabetes. Upon withdrawal after long-term use, patients also suffer from depression.
Prednisone use can affect the eyes as well. The most common side effect in the context are glaucoma and cataract formation. These usually occur with topical administration, but they can also appear with oral, intravenous, or even inhaled administration.
Its use in any period can give rise to many other complications such as unnatural fatigue or weakness, abdominal pain, blurring of vision, peptic ulcers, infections, pain in the hips or shoulders, osteoporosis, occurrence of acne and sleeplessness. Some of the less serious complications include weight gain, stretch marks on the skin, swelling in the face, nervousness, increase in appetite and hyperactivity.
Doctors treat these side effects symptomatically, since it is not always feasible to stop administration even when severe side effects occur. These are situations where they have to weigh the disadvantages of using a drug against the advantages and make an informed decision. One must remember that while prednisone definitely does give rise to many side effects, it is also a life-saving drug.
Like This Article?
Follow:
Post Comment | View Comments