Steroids

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Images

Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• No links available

For You

• Children
• Women
• Patient Handouts

Summary

You may have heard of anabolic steroids, which can have harmful effects. But there's another type of steroid - sometimes called a corticosteroid - that treats a variety of problems. These steroids are similar to hormones that your adrenal glands make to fight stress associated with illnesses and injuries. They reduce inflammation and affect the immune system.

You may need to take corticosteroids to treat:

• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Autoimmune diseases such as lupus and multiple sclerosis
• Skin conditions such as eczema and rashes
• Some kinds of cancer

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.

Start Here

• Prednisone and Other Corticosteroids: Balance the Risks and Benefits (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis (American College of Rheumatology) Also in Spanish
• How to Stop Steroid Medicines Safely (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Corticosteroids (Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America)
• Cortisone Shots (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Epidural Corticosteroid Injections (Johns Hopkins Medicine)
• Inhaled Asthma Medications (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
• Oral Corticosteroids (For Asthma) (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America)
• Steroids for Treating Cancer (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• What Are Steroid Tablets? (American Academy of Ophthalmology)

Images

• Prednisone (Johns Hopkins Vasculitis Center)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Adrenal Cortex Hormones (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Glucocorticoids (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Prednisone (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Four months of treatment with anakinra combined with glucocorticoids for giant...
• Article: Glucocorticoid treatment in early rheumatoid arthritis is independently associated with increased...
• Article: Comparison of Landmark-Based Versus Transverse Carpal Ligament Penetrating Corticosteroid Injection for...
• Steroids -- see more articles

Children

• Prednisone: Pediatric Medication (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center)
• What are Corticosteroids? (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish

Women

• Inhaled Corticosteroids (ICSs) and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) Also in Spanish
• Prednisone/Prednisolone and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Steroid injections - tendon, bursa, joint (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish