Cortisone drugs are a group of drugs that are widely used in the treatment of many diseases. In this article, questions about cortisone drugs, which are frequently heard in the society, are explained in this article.
What is Cortisone?
Cortisone is a hormone secreted from the adrenal glands in the body. This hormone suppresses the immune system and reduces inflammation. Cortisone drugs are also drugs that show chemical properties similar to cortisone hormone. The effects of these drugs are quite similar to the effects of the hormone cortisone. Cortisone drugs can be used for many different reasons, especially reducing inflammation in the body. Such situations that the body encounters are called stress, and cortisone is also called the stress hormone, and it helps the body to overcome these situations.
What Is Cortisone Used For?
Cortisone drugs can be in different forms. There are different options for the treatment of different diseases, such as cortisone injections and cortisone pills.
Cortisone drugs are generally used to reduce inflammation and suppress the immune system response. In addition, cortisone drugs can be given to patients as replacement therapy in the insufficiency of certain hormones.
Diseases in which cortisone pills are used in the treatment are as follows:
Adrenal Insufficiency: Adrenal glands or also called adrenal glands; It is responsible for synthesizing cortisol, aldosterone and androgen hormones. In adrenal insufficiency, these hormones cannot be produced enough. Addison's disease is an example of a condition that causes adrenal insufficiency. Adrenal insufficiency patients may experience many symptoms such as fatigue, loss of appetite, darkening of the skin (hyperpigmentation), low blood pressure and low blood sugar. Cortisone is given to these patients as hormone replacement therapy, that is, to replace the hormones that cannot be produced enough.
Arthritis (Joint Inflammation): Arthritis; It causes problems such as swelling, redness, pain and limitation of joint movements in the joints. The type of joint inflammation known as osteoarthritis is known as 'calcification' among the people and usually occurs due to aging. Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease in which the immune system is over-activated and damages the joints. r is the case. Cortisone treatment can be started in arthritis patients to reduce inflammation in the joints and stop the progression of the disease.
Allergic Disorders: In diseases such as pollen and house dust allergy, the immune system is extremely sensitive to the substance to which it is allergic. As a result of the allergic substance entering the body through breathing or other ways, an inflammatory response occurs in the body. This response reveals the well-known symptoms of allergic diseases such as runny nose and watery eyes. Inflammation in the body can be reduced by using cortisone in the treatment of allergic diseases.
Asthma: Asthma is a disease that progresses with attacks that cause breathing difficulties as a result of exposure to some allergic or irritant triggering substances. In the treatment of asthma, cortisone suppresses the excessive mucus formation that causes narrowing of the airways and helps the patient to breathe more easily. Cortisone is a frequently preferred drug in the long-term treatment of asthma.
Ulcerative Colitis: Ulcerative colitis; It is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes symptoms such as bloody diarrhea and abdominal pain. In the treatment of this disease, cortisone is used to reduce inflammation in the intestine.
Anemia: Cortisone can be preferred in the treatment of some rare types of anemia.
Lupus: Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which a person's immune system attacks his own tissues and organs. In lupus, damage caused by the immune system can be seen in almost every organ. In this disease, cortisone can be used to reduce inflammation in the body. Long-term high-dose cortisone treatment can be applied to lupus patients with brain and kidney damage.
Some Skin Diseases: Psoriasis is a skin condition caused by the immune system's faster regeneration of the skin. In psoriasis, red, itchy scaly lesions can be seen on the skin. Cortisone can be used in the treatment of the disease.
The cortisone needle helps to reduce inflammation in a specific part of the body. For example, a cortisone injection applied to the inflamed knee joint; It reduces swelling in the joint, relieves pain and improves joint movement. Low-dose local anesthetic inside the cortisone needle (regional It could also be a drug substance. In this way, the relief in the injected area is more. Cortisone injection; It can be used to treat back pain, gout, tendinitis and many types of arthritis.
What are the Side Effects of Cortisone?
Cortisone has many side effects. Some of these side effects are mild, while others can cause serious problems. As the dose of cortisone used in the treatment increases and the duration of treatment increases, the risk of side effects increases in the patient.
Common side effects of cortisone:
- Sobbing, euphoria
- Headache
- Confusion
- Nausea, vomiting
- Thinning of the skin, redness, acne formation
- Increased sweating
- Weight gain
- Difficulty falling asleep.
Allergic reaction: Symptoms such as skin rash, itching and swelling of the face, lips and tongue may develop due to an allergic reaction.
Fluid and electrolyte imbalances: Fluid retention and edema may occur in the body. Heart failure may develop. Shortness of breath, swelling in the arms and legs, increased pulse are among the symptoms of heart failure. Cortisone can also cause high blood pressure.
Muscle and Bone Problems: Cortisone can cause muscle weakness and tendon rupture. Osteoporosis and fracture of the spine bones are among the serious side effects of cortisone.
Stomach Disorders: Abdominal pain and black stools (stool) due to peptic ulcer formation may be seen in patients using cortisone.
Eye Related Problems: Cortisone, intraocular pressure can increase. It may cause problems such as blurred or double vision.
Growth Delay in Children: The use of cortisone in childhood may suppress growth and development.
Convulsion: It is a serious side effect that can be seen due to cortisone.
What Should Be Considered While Using Cortisone?
- Some drug interactions may occur when cortisone drugs are used together with other drugs. In order to avoid this situation, if other drugs are to be used in addition to cortisone, they should be used under the supervision of a doctor. While using cortisone, new drugs should not be started without consulting a doctor.
- People receiving cortisone treatment should not have live vaccines. In these vaccines, In order to trigger the immune response, the disease-causing microorganism is put into the vaccine, weakened but alive. Examples of live vaccines are BCG (tuberculosis), varicella, MMR (Measles- Rubella-Mumps) and oral polio vaccine. People taking cortisone therapy have a suppressed immune system. Therefore, live vaccines may cause infection in these individuals.
- Since cortisone will increase blood pressure, blood pressure patients should be careful while using this drug.
- Cortisone has the effect of raising blood sugar. Diabetic patients should be careful while using this drug and should check their blood sugar more frequently during the day.
- The use of cortisone increases the risk of eye infection. People who already have eye-related health problems should consult their doctor before starting cortisone treatment.
- Liver and kidney patients, psychiatric patients, and people with seizures should not use cortisone without the knowledge of a doctor.
- The use of cortisone in pregnant and lactating women is decided by considering the patient's benefit and possible side effects. If the doctor decides that the benefit of cortisone therapy outweighs the possible risks, he may prescribe the drug.
- Nutrition during cortisone treatment is also an issue to be considered. Since cortisone can cause water and salt retention in the body, the person may need to limit the amount of salt they take. Cortisone also has a weight gaining effect. For this reason, it would be beneficial for those who use cortisone medication not to exceed the amount of calories they need daily.
- Cortisone is a drug used in the treatment of many different diseases. Although cortisone drugs have side effects, the benefit they provide is critical for the health of the person. During cortisone treatment, it is useful to keep in constant contact with your doctor, to follow the doses you need to use carefully, and to inform your doctor about the side effects of the drug in your body.
Read: 22
