deltasone

You may have heard of anabolic steroids, which can have harmful effects. But there's another type of steroid - sometimes called a corticosteroid - that treats a variety of problems. These steroids are similar to hormones that your adrenal glands make to fight stress associated with illnesses and injuries. They reduce inflammation and affect the immune system.

You may need to take corticosteroids to treat:

• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Autoimmune diseases such as lupus and multiple sclerosis
• Skin conditions such as eczema and rashes
• Some kinds of cancer

Steroids are strong medicines, and they can have side effects, including weakened bones and cataracts. Because of this, you usually take them for as short a time as possible.

Polymyalgia rheumatica is a disorder that causes muscle pain and stiffness in your neck, shoulders, and hips. It is most common in women and almost always occurs in people over 50. The main symptom is stiffness after resting. Other symptoms include fever, weakness and weight loss. In some cases, polymyalgia rheumatica develops overnight. In others, it is gradual.

The cause of polymyalgia rheumatica is unknown. There is no specific test for it. Your doctor will use your medical history, symptoms, and a physical exam to make the diagnosis. Lab tests for inflammation may help confirm the diagnosis.

Polymyalgia rheumatica sometimes occurs along with giant cell arteritis, a condition that causes swelling of the arteries in your head. Symptoms include headaches and blurred vision. Doctors often prescribe prednisone, a steroid medicine, for both conditions. With treatment, polymyalgia rheumatica usually disappears in a day or two. Without treatment, it usually goes away after a year or more.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Behcet's syndrome is a disease that involves vasculitis, which is inflammation of the blood vessels. It causes problems in many parts of the body. The most common symptoms are:

• Sores in the mouth
• Sores on the sex organs
• Other skin sores
• Swelling of parts of the eye
• Pain, swelling and stiffness of the joints

More serious problems can include meningitis, blood clots, inflammation of the digestive system and blindness.

Doctors aren't sure what causes Behcet's. It is rare in the United States, but is common in the Middle East and Asia. It mainly affects people in their 20s and 30s. Diagnosing Behcet's can take a long time, because symptoms may come and go, and it may take months or even years to have all of the symptoms. There is no cure. Treatment focuses on reducing pain and preventing serious problems. Most people can control symptoms with treatment.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Cushing syndrome is a hormonal disorder. It happens when your body has too much of a hormone called cortisol over a long period of time. Hormones are chemical messengers in your bloodstream that control the actions of certain cells or organs. Cortisol is made by your adrenal glands, two small glands that sit above your kidneys.

Cortisol helps your body:

• Respond to stress (cortisol is sometimes called the "stress hormone")
• Reduce inflammation (swelling)
• Control blood glucose (also called "blood sugar")
• Control metabolism (how your body uses food for energy)
• Control blood pressure

Cushing syndrome happens when your body has too much cortisol. The most common cause is if you take high doses of glucocorticoids (a type of steroid medicine such as prednisone) for a long time. This is known as exogenous Cushing syndrome. These medicines act like cortisol and are used to treat conditions such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus. They're also used to keep the body from rejecting a transplanted organ.

Less often, Cushing syndrome happens when a tumor causes the body to make too much cortisol. This is known as endogenous Cushing syndrome. This type is rare. It's most common in adults ages 30 to 50, but children can also get it. It affects about three times as many women as men.

• Pituitary tumors. A tumor on the pituitary gland (at the base of the brain) makes too much of a hormone called ACTH. ACTH tells the adrenal glands to make cortisol. This type is called Cushing disease. It's the most common cause when medicine isn't to blame.
• Tumors in other parts of the body (ectopic Cushing syndrome). Some tumors outside the pituitary gland, most often in the lungs, make too much ACTH.
• Adrenal tumors. A tumor on an adrenal gland can make too much cortisol on its own.

The symptoms of Cushing syndrome can vary from person to person, and not everyone has all of them. Some of the common ones include:

• Weight gain, mostly around the belly and upper body
• A rounded face
• Thin arms and legs
• Extra fat at the base of the neck or a fatty hump between the shoulders
• Wide purple stretch marks, mostly on the abdomen (belly), breasts, hips, and under the arms
• Severe fatigue and muscle weakness
• High blood pressure
• High blood glucose
• Easy bruising

Women may grow extra hair on the face, neck, chest, abdomen (belly), or thighs, and their periods may become irregular or stop.

Men may have less interest in sex, erectile dysfunction (ED), or fertility problems.

Children often gain weight and grow more slowly than other children.

Cushing syndrome can be hard to diagnose because many of the symptoms are like other conditions. To find out if you have Cushing syndrome, your health care provider will:

• Ask about your health history. This includes asking whether you take any glucocorticoids (pills, shots, inhalers, or creams).
• Do a physical exam.
• Order tests to check the cortisol levels in your urine, saliva or blood. You will usually have at least two of these tests:
  • A 24-hour urine test, which requires you to collect your urine (pee) for 24 hours
  • A late-night saliva test, which checks when cortisol levels are usually at their lowest
  • A dexamethasone suppression test, which is a blood test that checks whether cortisol levels drop after taking a medicine that normally lowers cortisol

If the tests show you have Cushing syndrome, you may need more tests to find the cause. These tests may include an ACTH blood test and imaging tests, such as an MRI or CT scan to check for a tumor.

The treatment for Cushing syndrome depends on the cause. The goal is to return your cortisol levels to normal.

• If glucocorticoid medicine is the cause, your provider may slowly lower your dose or switch you to a different medicine. But don't stop taking any medicines or change the dose unless your provider tells you to.
• If a tumor is the cause, you will probably have surgery to remove it. Other options may include radiation, chemotherapy, or medicines that lower cortisol. In some cases, you may need surgery to remove your adrenal glands.

After surgery, you may need to take cortisol medicine for a while until your body makes enough on its own. If both adrenal glands are removed, you'll need to take hormone medicines for life.

Most people with Cushing syndrome get better with treatment, but recovery can take time.

Without treatment, Cushing syndrome can lead to serious health problems, such as heart attack, stroke, blood clots, weak bones that break easily, and type 2 diabetes.

Healthy habits can help you manage the effects of too much cortisol while you're being treated. Your provider may recommend eating enough protein and calcium to protect your muscles and bones and limit salt if you have high blood pressure. Ask your provider which changes are right for you.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Some medicines are safe to take during pregnancy, but many are not. If you're pregnant, check with your health care provider before taking any medicine. Some medicines can harm your developing fetus. This includes:

• Prescription drugs
• Over-the-counter medicines
• Herbs and supplements

Always talk to your provider before you stop or start any medicine. You may take medicine to treat a health problem you had before pregnancy. Not using the medicine that you need may be more harmful to you and your fetus than using the medicine. For example, many pregnant women take prescription medicines for health problems like diabetes, asthma, seizures, and heartburn. The decision about whether to take a certain medicine should depend on the risks and benefits that go with it. You and your provider should make this choice together.

If you're pregnant, you shouldn't take regular vitamins. They may have too much or too little of the vitamins you need. For example, everyone needs folic acid, a type of B vitamin. But if you're trying to get pregnant, it's really important. Getting enough folic acid before and during pregnancy can prevent birth defects of the brain or spine. During your prenatal care visits, your provider will talk about prenatal vitamins. These are a special kind of vitamin to take during pregnancy.

Food and Drug Administration

Vasculitis is an inflammation of the blood vessels. It happens when the body's immune system attacks the blood vessel by mistake. It can happen because of an infection, a medicine, or another disease. The cause is often unknown.

Vasculitis can affect arteries, veins and capillaries. Arteries are vessels that carry blood from the heart to the body's organs. Veins are the vessels that carry blood back to the heart. Capillaries are tiny blood vessels that connect the small arteries and veins.

When a blood vessel becomes inflamed, it can:

• Narrow, making it more difficult for blood to get through.
• Close off completely so that blood can't get through.
• Stretch and weaken so much that it bulges. The bulge is called an aneurysm. If it bursts, it can cause dangerous bleeding inside the body.

Symptoms of vasculitis can vary, but usually include fever, swelling and a general sense of feeling ill. The main goal of treatment is to stop the inflammation. Steroids and other medicines to stop inflammation are often helpful.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute