Sometimes the steroid treatment is gradually stopped if the condition improves. However, steroids are needed for life for some conditions, as symptoms return if the steroids are stopped. Your pharmacist will give you exact instructions. It will depend on which steroid you take, and what it is for. Mostly steroids are taken first thing in the morning, with food.
A short course of steroids usually causes no side-effects. For example, a 1- to 2-week course is often prescribed to ease a severe attack of asthma. This is usually taken without any problems.
Side-effects are more likely to occur if you take a long course of steroids more than months , or if you take short courses repeatedly. The higher the dose, the greater the risk of side-effects. This is why the lowest possible dose which controls symptoms is aimed for if you need steroids long-term. Some diseases need a higher dose than others to control symptoms.
Even for the same disease, the dose needed often varies from person to person. For many diseases, the benefits of taking steroids usually outweigh the side-effects.
However, side-effects can sometimes be troublesome. You should read the information leaflet that comes with your medicine packet for a full list of possible side-effects. The main possible side-effects include the following:. The above are only the main possible side-effects which may affect some people who take steroids. There is often a balance between the risk of side-effects against the symptoms and damage that may result from some diseases if they are not treated.
Some of the less common side-effects are not listed above but will be included on the leaflet that comes with your medicine. There are very few people who cannot take oral corticosteroids.
Only people who have serious infections and are not taking treatment for the infection should not take oral steroids. This is because steroids suppress your immune system, making you less likely to fight off the infection. If you have taken a short course of weeks of an oral steroid, you can simply stop taking the tablets at the end of the course. Do not stop taking oral steroids suddenly if you have been taking them for more than three weeks.
It probably does no harm to forget the odd dose. However, you may have serious withdrawal effects once your body is used to the steroids. These may develop within a few days if you stop oral steroids suddenly.
Any change in dose should be supervised by a doctor. Any reductions in dose are done slowly, over a number of weeks. Your body normally makes steroid chemicals by itself which are necessary to be healthy. When you take oral steroids for a few weeks or more, your body may reduce or stop making its own steroid chemicals. If you then stop taking oral steroids suddenly, your body does not have any steroids.
This can cause various withdrawal symptoms until your body resumes making natural steroids over a few weeks. The withdrawal symptoms can be serious, even life-threatening and include:. If the dose is reduced gradually, the body gradually resumes its natural production of steroids and the withdrawal symptoms do not occur.
Potentially, many other medicines can 'interact' with steroids. Another way to identify a pill that might be an oral steroid is to call the center for poison control. Their hotline is open 24 hours a day, days a year. Call and describe the pill as best as you are able, including information about shape, color, and markings. Their services are confidential and anonymous. Take a photo and submit it online.
There are also websites that allow you to simply send in a photograph of any pill you have found for identification. This service is particularly useful for identifying black-market steroids that might not appear in databases of legal or commercially available pills. Take a pill to your doctor or pharmacist. A medical professional such as your doctor or pharmacist should be able to identify pills you have found and let you know whether they might be steroids. If you have been unable to identify a pill using the methods described above and need to know what it, consult a medical professional.
I was prescribed a package of steroid pills for 10 days and I feel fine after the 4th day, can I stop and save the rest? Janice Litza, MD. No, you should take them as prescribed. There can be some rebound effects if stopped too soon that will require an even longer taper and your symptoms might return. Not Helpful 0 Helpful 3. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
If someone you know has taken an unidentified pill, contact the Center for Poison Control immediately. If the person is a child, has taken a large number of pills, or is showing signs of side-effects from taking the pill, call right away.
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0. Upon identifying the oral steroid, dispose of it. Oral steroids are meant to be taken sequentially and as prescribed by a physician. Visit the DEA's website for information about local facilities to dispose of medication. Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0. Do not take steroids unless your physician prescribes them. Steroids can cause side effects including weight gain, facial swelling, abdominal pain, blurred vision and fatigue.
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1. Related wikiHows How to. How to. More References 2. About This Article. Medically reviewed by:. Co-authors: Updated: May 27, Speak to your doctor or a pharmacist if you're worried.
Taking too many steroid tablets over a long period can make you more likely to get side effects. If you've been taking steroid tablets for more than a few days, you usually need to reduce your dose gradually. Stopping suddenly can cause your adrenal gland, which makes important hormones for the body, to stop working.
This is known as adrenal insufficiency. Your doctor will be able to provide more advice about how to safely stop taking steroids. Taking steroid tablets for less than 3 weeks is unlikely to cause any significant side effects.
But you may get some side effects if you need to take them for longer or at a high dose. Most side effects will pass once treatment stops.
Tell your doctor if they bother you. You can report any suspected side effect to the UK Yellow Card safety scheme. Your doctor may reduce your dose or suggest taking your tablets less often for example, every other day if you're having side effects.
They may also sometimes recommend other medicines to take alongside steroids to protect you from some of the side effects, such as medicines to help prevent indigestion or heartburn, or medicines that help strengthen the bones.
You may be given a special steroid treatment card that explains how you can reduce the risk of side effects. Some medicines interfere with the way steroid tablets work. Tell your doctor if you take any other medicines, including herbal remedies and supplements, before starting steroid tablets. If you're already taking steroid tablets, ask your doctor or a pharmacist for advice before taking any other medicines, remedies or supplements.
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