4 Corticosteroid Medications
Learn how corticosteroids reduce inflammation or suppress immune activity, how their routes affect use, and what safety precautions matter during treatment.
What do
such as prednisone, prednisolone, dexamethasone, and hydrocortisone reduce inflammation and suppress immune activity. They may be prescribed for asthma flares, severe allergic reactions, and some autoimmune diseases. Hydrocortisone can also replace when the body does not make enough.
Forms and routes
The form and route of a corticosteroid matter. These medicines may be taken by mouth, inhaled, applied to the skin, injected into a joint or muscle, or given intravenously. A local route can reduce inflammation at a particular site, but some medicine may still be absorbed and cause side effects.
Using inhaled
Inhaled used as preventers are generally taken regularly as prescribed to prevent or control symptoms. They are not a stand-alone rescue treatment for sudden symptoms. Rinsing the mouth after use helps reduce the risk of .
Possible effects and precautions
Systemic can have effects beyond the site of inflammation. Possible effects, particularly with higher doses or longer treatment, include increased blood glucose, greater susceptibility to infection or less obvious infection symptoms, bone weakening with longer use, and mood or sleep changes. Permanent hearing loss is not among the typical expected effects listed here.
Health conditions and vaccination
Before or during systemic corticosteroid treatment, discuss relevant health conditions and circumstances with the prescriber. Diabetes matters because can raise blood glucose; an active or recent infection matters because treatment can weaken immune defenses and mask symptoms. High blood pressure or osteoporosis may be worsened by treatment. Planned vaccination should also be discussed, because some vaccines may require special timing or precautions during immunosuppressive treatment.
Glucose monitoring after injections
Corticosteroid injections can temporarily raise blood glucose in some people, including after an injection into a joint. Follow the clinician’s glucose-monitoring instructions and contact the care team if readings exceed the patient’s diabetes care plan. Do not change diabetes medicines without guidance.
Stopping treatment safely
A is not automatically required for every corticosteroid, route, dose, and duration. Whether it is needed depends on the drug, dose, duration, route, and individual circumstances. Prolonged or high-dose systemic treatment can suppress the body’s own production, so stopping may require a prescriber-directed gradual reduction. Abruptly stopping prolonged systemic treatment can cause , and the original condition may flare. Do not start, change, or stop a without medical guidance; contact the prescriber and follow an individualized stopping plan.