Safer injecting for steroid users Stoke-on-Trent Community Drug and Alcohol Services

If you do come into contact with someone who has them, tell your healthcare team straight away. They help to control many functions including the immune system, reducing inflammation and blood pressure. More drugs used to gain weight in animals, for example, in horses.

In medicine, they can be used to treat anaemia and muscle weakness after surgery. If you have epilepsy this could become worse when taking steroids. You may get some of them, but it is very unlikely that you will have all of them. Cut them down gradually with help and guidance from your doctor or pharmacist.

Possible side effects

If you need medical treatment for any reason other than cancer, always tell the doctors and nurses you are having cancer treatment. Give them the dorianpharmatech contact details for your cancer doctor so they can ask for advice. This information is about steroids that you take by mouth or as an injection.

• But anabolic steroids aren’t the only type of steroids available.
• The steroid most commonly used with brain tumours is dexamethasone.
• Steroid creams are safe to use during pregnancy, but if you’re breastfeeding you’ll need to make sure any cream is wiped off before feeding.
• Although treatment plans are carefully developed by healthcare professionals to be as effective as possible while having the fewest risks or side-effects, sometimes steroids might not work.

Before any doctor, nurse or therapist examines or treats you, they must seek your consent or permission. In order to make a decision, you need to have information from health professionals about the treatment or investigation which is being offered to you. You should always ask them more questions if you do not understand or if you want more information. It can take about a year after taking long term or high dose steroids before the ability of your body to deal with stress and illness returns to normal.

Your cancer type

If you do not have a copy of the manufacturer’s patient information leaflet please talk to your pharmacist. A few products do not have a marketing authorisation (licence) as a medicine and therefore there is no PIL. These side effects tend to occur only after long-term use or with high doses.

We explain the most common side effects of this treatment here. If you are considering trying performance-enhancing drugs, you probably have questions about Post Cycle Therapy (PCT). We give you all the information you need in this comprehensive guide. The decision will depend on how long you’ve taken them for, what dose you’re on, and where on your body you’re having surgery.

It’s important to take your steroid preventer inhaler every day, even if you feel well. It’s important to focus on diet and training because taking steroids can affect your growth and development. If you notice any changes in your mood or behaviour, tell your doctor or nurse.

If you have troublesome side effects, don't stop taking your medication until your doctor says it's safe to do so. Steroids that are injected into muscles and joints may cause some pain and swelling at the site of the injection. Corticosteroids are powerful medications that can sometimes have side effects. The recommended course of treatment largely depends on weighing up the benefits of corticosteroids against the side effects.

Steroid creamsSteroid creams or gels don’t usually affect the bone, as little of the active drug is absorbed into your blood. But if you use them for a long time, or at a high dose, you might absorb more of the medication and have a higher risk of side effects. Also, many people who use inhaled steroids for a long time need occasional courses of steroid tablets, which can cause bone loss. “The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) welcomes this research in highlighting the risk of cardiovascular issues when using even low dose steroids to manage inflammatory arthritis.

Aftercare following steroid joint injections

These include hydrocortisone, methylprednisolone and triamcinolone. Methylprednisolone and triamcinolone are stronger than hydrocortisone. Injecting steroids carries its own health risks, such as skin abscesses or infections, and sharing injecting equipment spreads serious infections like HIV and hepatitis C. Steroids can make someone feel more sexually confident and boost their sex drive and as a result they might be more likely to risk getting or passing on HIV.