Taking steroids for even a short time can put you at risk

There’s no doubt that corticosteroids are miracle drugs.

During a bad asthma attack, for example, they can be life-savers.

But the trade-off, of course, is that being on them for prolonged periods of time can up your risk of some serious side effects — things such as diabetes, or even fractures.

But what about just taking them for a little while? That couldn’t be terribly dangerous, right?

Wrong! A new study just published by a group of researchers from the University of Michigan Medical School and the VA center in Ann Arbor is now warning that even short-term steroid use can come with a big list of possible adverse reactions.

This research should be a wake-up-call to doctors and patients alike that these drugs need to be reserved for only when they’re really needed.

‘Worse than my illness’
The Michigan researchers pored over the medical records of over half-a-million Americans — one-fifth of whom received an Rx for a steroid pill they were prescribed to take for under a month.

And they found that even a low dose, such as 20 mg a day or less, can still come along with some major side effects.

For example, those short-term users had four times the risk of suffering a potentially fatal sepsis blood infection, three times the danger of a blood clot and double the chance of breaking a bone.

Dr. Akbar Waljee, lead author of this new study, said that it seems we use steroids “more than we really need to.” That may be the understatement of the year! Because sometimes it seems that doctors love putting patients on steroids almost as much as they love to prescribe antibiotics.

These drugs — which include cortisone, hydrocortisone and prednisone — do an amazing job of suppressing inflammation related to conditions like arthritis, lupus and severe allergies. They also suppress your immune system, which is why they’re often prescribed for autoimmune diseases like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. That immune suppression, however, can also leave you vulnerable for all kinds of illnesses from minor to major ones.

But they’re also handed out like candy for sinus infections, back problems, tennis elbow, skin rashes and even colds. And while your doctor might say that the only real dangers are with long-term use, this study shows very clearly that’s not the case.

As bad as those side effects are, however, there’s something else you need to know that often comes along with these wonder drugs.

It’s called steroid psychosis — and just as the name implies, it can make you think that you’re losing your mind!

Joe Graedon, who co-founded the People’s Pharmacy website, has shared his personal experience taking prednisone for a sudden hearing loss he’d developed. As he’s described it, although he was only on the drug for a couple of weeks, he became “incredibly irritable and hard to live with.”

And what he had was the milder version of this reaction!

A study done several years ago on this phenomenon found that anyone taking corticosteroids can become delirious, confused, and disoriented and suffer from manic episodes.

Ely, for example, was given a low dose of prednisone to treat a “small allergy,” and ended up with extreme anxiety and in tears with shaking hands and a very rapid heartbeat. And as with most who are given these drugs, the doctor gave no warning that this might happen.

“The medicine was worse than my illness,” was how Ely recalled the experience.

Steroids can also up the risk of suicidal behavior. And that can happen to kids as well.

Certainly, there are times when steroids can save lives. But taking them for simple infections, back pain or any other non-life-threatening condition is risking a whole lot. Especially when many of the problems you might get a steroid Rx for can be treated with other meds, or even non-drug therapies.

For a sinus infection you can try a saline nasal rinse and boost your immune system with vitamins such as C and D. Or for back pain or spasms, acupuncture, chiropractic and massage can give you relief.

Also, it’s very important to remember that if you’re currently taking oral steroids, even if you’re having some really bad side effects, don’t ever stop them cold turkey. You need to taper down your dose slowly under a doctor’s supervision.

And that’s another good reason why you shouldn’t take these drugs unless absolutely necessary!

“What are the unexpected risks of short-term steroid use?” Terry Graedon, April 20, 2017, The People’s Pharmacy, peoplespharmacy.com