Over the generations, aspirin has been a household staple for minor problems. It was not necessary to get a prescription for aspirin. You can take quite high dosages for any length of time without adverse effects. This is not to say aspirin is completely safe. If you take an excessive amount, it becomes poisonous and it becomes dangerous for your life. But some people abuse this drug. The FDA recognizes the more serious risks if you take corticosteroids in too high a dose or for too long. That’s why they are prescription only. The idea is to force you to go to a doctor and get useful instructions on how to avoid the negative side effects. Put it this way. There are real benefits from treatment using these drugs, but there’s a risk of more seriously illness.
Where is the problem? If you are taking the drug, the active ingredients go into your bloodstream and are taken all round the body. You can’t get to decide which part of your body to target. As a result, you can quickly experience unpleasant effects in any places. For example, your moods may swing quite rapidly and your legs may swell with fluid retention. Taking the drug over time can make your immune system less effective, reduce the calcium level in your bones making them more fragile and affect your eyesight. None of these effects are desirable.
Here is a simple rule. If you can get good results without using corticosteroids, don’t take them. But if you have taken the alternates and the results were not encouraging, the next rule is to try the small dose for a short period of time. Now let’s assume you get good results from the corticosteroids and you want to continue enjoying the benefits. Ask your physician whether you can switch to a different delivery system. For example, if you have eczema, a topical cream rubbed into the affected area gets better results. If you are experiencing asthma, using an inhaler delivers the drug to the surface of the lung and reduces exposure to the rest of the body. To counteract the risk of weight gain, you must go on a strict diet and exercise. You need to keep your calorie intake low and through activity increase bone strength.
Prednisone and the other corticosteroids reduce inflammation and pain very effective. But, without proper management, the corticosteroids can cause serious problems. In particular, you should avoid contact with anyone who has an infectious disease and, if you take Prednisone over long periods of time, do not stop suddenly. Get the benefits of Prednisone by taking it properly.
