Living with a brain tumour: Taking steroids

At your next appointment, ask your doctor or asthma nurse what your total daily dose of steroid medicine is, from your preventer medicine and any other steroid medicines you’re taking. They can let you know if you should be carrying a steroid card. If you’re worried about your child taking steroid inhalers, or side effects from steroid tablets, speak to your GP or asthma nurse. You can also read our advice about the common concerns about your child’s medicines.

Steroids also slow down your body’s production of these chemicals. If you do need a steroid card, make sure you always carry it with you. If you lose it, you can get a replacement from your pharmacy or GP. Many sporting organisations have banned the use of certain steroids.

Raised blood sugar levels

Contact your IBD team for advice if you think you have an infection. About half of people who take prednisolone will get side effects, and some may be mild and will go away on their own. Some may be more serious and might need treatment, or mean that steroids aren’t right for you. You should tell your IBD team if you have a new symptom or side effect.

• You should tell your IBD team if you have a new symptom or side effect.
• Find information about attending the hospital, your appointment and what to expect from your time here.
• Steroid tablets are not usually recommended for children as they can cause growth problems.

In medicine, they can be used to treat anaemia and muscle weakness after surgery. Find information about attending the hospital, your appointment and what to expect from your time here. Prednisolone should start to help your child’s wheezing soon after taking it, but usually takes 4–6 hours to have its full effect.

Additional information about taking steroids

But it’s important they’re up to date with other vaccines beforehand to avoid catching one of the diseases that vaccination prevents. There is less chance of this happening with steroid injections or sprays. However, it can occasionally happen if they’re used at high doses and for a long time.

Your doctor, rheumatology nurse or pharmacist should give you a steroid card if you need one. Make sure any change to your dose of steroid is updated on the card. If you’re taking high doses of steroids, or if you’re on them for more than three weeks, you’ll need to carry a steroid card.

Steroids rapidly reduce children’s croup symptoms and shorten hospital stays

Prednisolone is a common steroid prescribed to patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Find out more about the risks and side effects from pharmacyathomerx long-term steroids. At your annual asthma review, your GP or asthma nurse can talk to you about your risk and what you can do to reduce this risk.

Steroids also reduce the activity of the immune system, the body’s natural defence against illness and infection. Your doctor may reduce your dose or suggest taking your tablets less often (for example, every other day) if you’re having side effects. Your doctor will be able to provide more advice about how to safely stop taking steroids.

Taking too many steroid tablets over a long period can make you more likely to get side effects. If you’re having an operation, you might need to stop your steroids. Don’t do this without speaking to your doctor or surgeon first though, as in some cases you might be able to carry on taking them, and you may need to have your dose changed before the operation.

This gives the maximum chance that the steroid will achieve maximum benefits. Your treating clinician will also be able to give you specific tailored advice with regard to when you will be safe to return to full sporting activities. Steroids and insulin are hormones made by your body that work together to balance your blood-glucose levels.

Increased appetite

Steroids can affect the speed at which your body breaks down food to get energy from it (your metabolism). This can increase your hunger levels, leading you to eat more and to gain weight. If your metabolism slows down, you might gain weight, even if your appetite doesn’t increase.