Side Effects of Taking Medical Steroids

Medical steroids or corticosteroids are prescription medications used to reduce inflammation. Despite their effectiveness, medical steroids pose a risk for side effects in some patients.

Background: Common Names for Medical Steroids

Some commonly prescribed medical steroids are prednisolone, prednisone, decadron and deflazacort.

Types of Common Side Effects

Some common side effects of medical steroids are increased appetite, indigestion, loss of appetite, nervousness and restlessness.

Risks

Medical steroids sometimes cause the onset of Type 2 diabetes in patients who are already at risk for developing the disease, according to the FDA. Infrequently, patients develop congestive heart failure, tendon ruptures, death of leg bones or inflammation of the pancreas while using corticosteroids.

Warning

Medical steroids cause additional complications when used over a long period of time. These complications include Cushing's Syndrome, drops in blood platelet levels and increased incidences of viral, fungal and protozoal infections reports the FDA.

Considerations

Since medical steroids are known to cause birth defects in animals, doctors rarely prescribe the drugs for pregnant women. Prolonged use of corticosteroids in children may stunt growth.

References

• RxList
• Drugs.com
• Mayo Clinic