Are Steroids Doing More Harm Than Good?

Steroids are everywhere in modern medicine.

From asthma inhalers to arthritis injections, doctors prescribe these powerful drugs for a wide range of conditions. But are they really as safe as they seem?

Steroids—also known as corticosteroids—work by reducing inflammation and suppressing the immune system.

In the short term, they can be lifesaving. But what happens when these drugs are used for prolonged periods?

A recent study on patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) reveals a troubling pattern: early steroid use leads to prolonged treatment.

In this study, nearly half of the older adults diagnosed with RA began taking steroids before even seeing a rheumatologist, and once they started, they stayed on them much longer than those who began steroid use later.

And that’s just the beginning. Let’s take a closer look at the risks of steroids and why long-term use could be doing more harm than good.

Steroids come in many forms—oral tablets, injections, creams, nasal sprays, and even eye drops. They are commonly used to treat conditions such as asthma, arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease, among others. In small doses and for short periods, steroids can be effective.

But many patients find themselves relying on these medications for longer than anticipated, which can lead to serious side effects.

Here’s what you need to know about how steroids work and the dangers that come with prolonged use…

Steroids are a synthetic version of hormones produced naturally by your adrenal glands. When taken at higher doses, they help reduce inflammation and suppress the immune system’s response to injury or infection.

This makes them particularly useful for treating autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, where the body mistakenly attacks its own tissues.

But here’s the catch: while steroids may reduce inflammation, they also reduce the body’s natural defense against illness and infection, leaving you vulnerable to more frequent and severe infections.

And their side effects—especially with long-term use—can be harmful and difficult to manage. Some of the most common side effects include increased risk of infections, weight gain, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, and mood swings.

The study on early steroid use in older adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) sheds light on a significant problem. Of the patients who started steroids before seeing a rheumatologist, 65% continued using steroids for prolonged periods, compared to just 35% of those who began treatment later. The earlier a patient started steroids, the longer they relied on them.

Even more concerning, the study showed that patients who started steroids early were less likely to stop taking them within the first year, despite their long-term side effects.

This trend toward low-dose, long-term steroid use suggests that many patients are staying on these drugs far longer than is safe.

If you’re currently taking steroids, don’t panic—but don’t ignore the risks, either. Steroids shouldn’t be the only solution.

If you’ve been on steroids for an extended period, ask your doctor about tapering off your dose. Never stop steroids suddenly—doing so can cause withdrawal symptoms and other health problems. Work with your doctor to find other treatment options, such as lifestyle changes or alternative medications, to reduce your reliance on steroids.

To reducing unnecessary risks,

Rachel Mace
Managing Editorial Director, e-Alert
with contributions from the research team

P.S. Are you on corticosteroids? Big Pharma also wants you to take THIS diabetes drug…

Sources:

Dr Colin Tidy. (2018, March 7). Steroids. Patient.info. https://patient.info/treatment-medication/steroids

Edited by Javed Choudhury. (2024, September 11). Early Use of Steroids Linked to Prolonged Treatment in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis. Medscape; Medscape. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/early-use-steroids-linked-prolonged-treatment-early-2024a1000ghc