The use of dexamethasone in the treatment of acute tonsillitis Health Research Authority

Talk to your nurse or your dietitian about how to safely control your weight. If you do come into contact with someone who has them, tell your healthcare team straight away. You should contact your advice line urgently if you think you have an infection.

• Other corticosteroids that are taken orally or injected include betamethasone, deflazacort, dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, methylprednisolone, prednisone, and triamcinolone.
• Please note that this article is not intended as medical advice!
• We’ll arrange for a blood test to check your child’s antibodies to chicken pox and your child may need an injection to protect them, but your doctor or nurse will talk through this with you.
• The card is the size of a credit card and fits in your wallet or purse.

Corticosteroids are synthetic versions of the naturally occurring hormone cortisol, which is produced in the body by the adrenal glands. They have a number of effects on different body systems and, even when injected into a structure such as a joint, will escape into the horse’s system to exert their influence throughout the animal. Although related chemically, they are different from anabolic steroids used to promote weight gain or muscle development.

Corticosteroids

The results of a randomised, placebo-controlled study suggest an increase in mortality if methylprednisolone therapy starts more than two weeks after the onset of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Therefore, treatment of ARDS with corticosteroids should be initiated within the first two weeks of onset of ARDS (see also section 4.2.). Don’t have immunisations with live vaccines while you’re having treatment and for up to 12 months afterwards.

• The amount of steroid medication in breast milk is unlikely to harm an infant.
• If the dose is reduced gradually, the body resumes its natural production of steroids and the symptoms do not occur, although some have to withdraw more slowly than others to avoid low energy and fatigue.
• Patients can be given co-treatments and additional monitoring to avoid and manage steroid-related complications.
• If you’re taking steroid medicines such as dexamethasone your adrenal glands may not make as much of some of the hormones your body needs such as cortisol (known as the stress hormone).
• Your appetite will go back to normal when you stop steroids – but some people need to diet to lose the extra weight.
• Your doctor will probably want to reduce your dose gradually over several weeks to prevent these side effects.

Steroids can sometimes affect diabetes, high blood pressure or epilepsy, so you’ll have your blood pressure and blood sugar levels checked from time to time. The person treating you might change the dose of your medications if needed. Steroids can sometimes cause diabetes or raised blood sugar in people who haven’t previously had this condition. One of the side effects of oral corticosteroids is that they can increase blood glucose levels and increase insulin resistance , which can lead to type 2 diabetes.

Steroid warning cards

Steroids suppress the body’s immune system by blocking a chemical called histamine (released during an allergic reaction) and altering protein manufacture to decrease swelling and inflammation. Steroids used to treat disease are man-made corticosteroids and are different to anabolic steroids sometimes used in sports. Prednisolone is the most common steroid tablet, but dexamethasone is also used orally. Oral steroids are used to treat many autoimmune conditions including allergies, asthma and neurological disorders such as CIDP, myasthenia gravis & NMO.

For children and teenagers

We are less confident in stating that dexamethasone should not be used as a stand-alone therapy. However, another high-quality study from the Netherlands has similarly reported worse outcomes with dexamethasone. The authors recommend that dexamethasone for chronic subdural haematoma should only be used as part of a research study.

Blue steroid card

If your blood glucose levels rise significantly, you may need to increase or change your diabetes medication. Corticosteroids are medications that contain synthetic versions of cortisol, the hormone produced by our adrenal glands and responsible for the body’s stress response. There’s a good chance you’ve heard of it before, whether from your veterinarian or in the news. It’s a steroid fairly commonly used in all of veterinary medicine, including equine medicine.

If this happens and you stop taking steroids suddenly, it can lead to a lack of the steroid hormone cortisol within your body. This is known as adrenal crisis, or secondary adrenal insufficiency. It is more likely to happen with steroids taken by mouth (orally) than with other types of steroids.

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