Vaccines In general, there are two groups of vaccines. The first are live attenuated vaccines (this includes live bacteria or virus that have lost their power to trigger disease) and inactive or recombinant vaccines (includes killed dead organisms or simply some of their components in a pure form). Live attenuated vaccines Inactivated or [...]
Sport and doping Cortisone can improve the mental and physical abilities of athletes and are therefore considered "doping" substances. Corticosteroids taken as tablets, through intramuscular or intravenous injection, and even rectally are prohibited (except in certain cases) for the majority of competitive athletes. Athletes benefit from certain properties of steroids including: Increased effort [...]
Contraception Cortisone does not interact with birth control pills (either estrogen-progestin or progestogen). There is no indication of potential harm caused by the use of corticosteroids and birth control at the same time. Old studies have argued that, due to cortisone's anti-inflammatory properties, it may decrease the effectiveness of an IUD (intrauterine device). [...]
Surgery Your doctor may prescribe a short-term cortisone treatment during and after a surgery. This is in order to minimize nausea/vomiting and post-operative pain. This specific type of short-term treatment does not lead to an increased risk of infection nor does it alter the progress/quality of healing. However, because of the increased risk [...]
Children Adverse side effects observed in children are similar to those observed in adults. On top of that, corticosteroids can cause long-term growth retardation in young children. Cortisone is often given to children on alternating days in order to limit adverse effects such as these. A child treated with corticosteroids may attend school [...]
Measures that do not involve specific drugs are also recommended Your doctor may prescribe a specific diet. It should not be too restrictive and will be adapted for each patient's specific case. Regular physical activity is highly recommended in order to limit the risk of muscle wasting, weight gain and osteoporosis caused by [...]
Long-term cortisone use can lead a patient to become dependent on the substance. The body develops a tolerance to the drug and quickly needs it to function. A physical or psychological dependence on cortisone can be observed. When treatment is discontinued, feelings of anxiety and/or symptoms that suggest depression may occur. When these [...]
Useful websites Textbooks information about glucocorticoids: www.vidal.fr (French national dictionnary about drugs informations) www.lecrat.fr (French national center about teratogenic drugs) www.dianafoundation.com (US fondation about glucocorticoids and their side effects) information about vasculitis: www.VasculitisFoundation.org www.pmrgcauk.com www.vasculitis.org.uk information about connective tissue diseases and sarcoidosis: www.sclerodermasociety.co.uk www.sila.org.uk www.sarcoidosisnetwork.org information about rheumatological [...]
Other side effects Cortisone can cause some rare side effects that are less well known in the medical world. For example, a small tremble of the hands is reported by 20-25% of patients. When doses of cortisone are reduced, this symptom goes away. Changes in the voice and hair loss are other side [...]
Pregnancy There are conditions that are unique to pregnancy or triggered by it that may require the prescription of corticosteroids. The cortisone is then used in a carefully chosen form, alongside the expertise of an obstetrician. Pregnancy can occur in women already taking cortisone for a chronic condition. We know that pregnancy generally [...]