Prednisone: how to balance the benefits and risks
Any drug that changes the way in which body chemistry works can cause harm. Even the humble aspirin becomes poisonous if you take too many tablets. Indeed, the degree of danger decides whether a prescription is needed to get the drug. The more dangerous it can be, the more likely the FDA will designate it prescription-only. So, when you see a drug requiring a prescription, you should assume there’s a real risk of side effects unless you use the drug with care. In the days before the internet, this system worked well. Everyone dutifully saw their regular physician and listened to an explanation of how to manage the risks. Today, we can bypass doctors and buy from an online pharmacy. This gives you the drugs without the oral warnings. Research shows few people actually read the literature that comes with the packaging.
In theory, corticosteroids should be less dangerous because they mimic the hormones your body produces naturally. Except, the volume of production is far higher than you could ever produce naturally. This disturbs your body’s production of hormones. When it finds there’s already too much, it stops production. Once this happens, you are completely dependent on continuing the drug. You cannot just stop taking it. You must slowly reduce the dosage to restart your body’s own production. (more…)
